The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-24
HE HELPED
THE DEAD
By OUNCE BLAKE

Ment than my own or that OF any II
else. and ] am going to submit Il case
to you. John and Edgar WaIcott have
both been making love to me. and each
wishes me to be his sweetheart. Nei-
Their has yet accomplished anything
toward founding j home, and il mar
| rage with either for some time to
come is not to he considered. But both
are young and l believe will In time
take their places among fairly success
full men. | am willing to engage my
self t. one of them, l confess. because,
living In this quiet place, l may not
AVE n better opportunity. John Is the
more liable to win success. He Is, l
admit. rather selfish and prone to look
, out for his own interest. Edgar. | fear.
may not get on. He is kindly and gen.
erouS. You know. dear father, that !
am Il very practical girl. and it seems
t" me that generosity and success are
Incompatible. Nevertheless | like Ed
gar better than John. Now. what do
you adviSe!"
IL would not think Of advising yOu,
my child" replied the father. but !
will make some statements bearing on
the case. Success comes in different
ways. Probably the man who looks
out for his own interest and boards Is
the most likely to get rich. But IL kind
hearted. generous mai will make
friends. and friends are valuable,
Why not Scnd these two young men
out into the world. promising that they
may return. say. In five years. and
take the one who has achieved til"
greater success? 1t will he II fine slim.
illus for them and may be the means
of making Il career for both. Besides.
it will give us an opportunity to test
the two Observation-Disclosures and gen
crosby"
Dorothy acted on her fathers ad-
vice and told the young men. who We're
brothers. to 90 out into the world and
return on that day five years hence.
when she would betrOth herself to the
one who had been more successful. On
the surface, at least, the fact that they
both wanted the same girl had made
no difference in their b%rOtherly love.
and they agreed to go together. 1t
was at a time when gold was being
discovered in Colorado, and the broth
ers concluded that they would go there
and seek for the wherewithal to en-
able one of them to marry Dorothy.
IF we make a strike" said John. I'VE
can return without waiting for the
five years to pass and claim the prize"
They entered the gold country. and
with pick and shovel began to dig.
Whenever they got discouraged they
heard Of some lucky stumbler who had
made Il fortune in a hole In the ground,
and they would 20 on digging. There
was but one trouble between them.
They had beer given a certain amount
of money by their father to hOld in
common while they were prospecting.
Whenever they net any one out at the
elbow or hungry o. otherwise impov-
erished, Edgar would insist Oh giving
him something from their treasury. To
this John objected, but as Edgar kept
on insisting on helping every n he
met John ut last made II division Of
what was left and told his brother
that II ne wished to ruin himself he
might do 50; he John) washed his
hands of the matter.
They continued to dig, hoping every
day to strike something that would at
least add to their fund. which was get
ting low. Edgar's share was 50 10
duced that there were but a FEW silver
pieces left.
One afternoon. having abandoned a
hole in which they had been digging
and with their tools on their shoulders
they were walking toward another To-
cation where they had heard gold had
been found. they came to the dead
body Of a man who, Judging from the
pick and shovel beside hun. had been
a p%rospectOr. He vas very much
emaciated, and as he had no marks
Of violence on him it appeared that he
had sunk from exhaustion.
"Poor fellowr' exclaimed Edgar.
Every likely" said John. "he died
Of starvation. He should be a warn
ing to you. Edgar. not to be wasting
your money on every beggar who
comes along"
Lets bury him. said Edgar.
BURY him. Why should we waste
our time ut that?" said John impatient
~. "Come on"
"He may have IA wife. a mother, a
sister. possibly a sweetheart. who some
day will be glad to know that he re-
ceived decent sepulcher."
Edgar" cried John angrily, you're
a fool! I'm worn out with you. Stay
here II you like and bury the man.
I'm going on"
He walked away. expecting his
brother would follow him. But he
did not. Edgar began to dig a grave,
and John passed out Of sight. That
was the last time they met until the
Eve years that they were to remain IN
trial were up.
On the date appointed John WalcOtt,
who had left of prospecting and open
ed a small store stocked with goods