The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-05-07
HIS OWN MEDICINE
BY J. A. TIFFANY.


NO; | thank you. boy. A hundred
will do me"
AS the father pocketed the five
$40 bills and left the Office, Joe Ker
shaw looked after him with proud
and afeetionate glance then sigh
ed. as he reflected how much older
Mr.. Kershaw was looking this morn
ing.
This little money transaction re
minded him of many similar ones
years ago, when the positions of the
TWO men had been reversed.
Funny" Kershaw soliloquized
Father used to objec. very strongly
TO that term in your Clothes when.
ever | had occasion to touch him my.
self. But it's the first time, | guess
that he ever asked anybody for
money, and suppose he found the
phrase expressive"
Though still quite a young man,
and highly proper sort Of person,
there had been a time when Joe Ker-
shaw was as wild as the best-or the
Norst-of the boys.
Many were the hundreds thou
sands for that matter-that the old
gentleman had been called upon to
pay out on account of Joe's vagares;
and they had always been paid with
out a murmur
OF the most staid and exemplary
habits himself, Mr.. Kershaw had al
ways treated his sons follies leni-
emily; borne them with philosophy or
old Puritan stock he had prided him
self upon the absence of any heredi-
tary tendency to dissipation in his
own family, and accounted for all the
boys yagaries on the theory OF some
ancestral faint on the side of Joe's
mother.
Joe was not particularly ashamed Of
those days; though he was not in the
habit of talking about them, either.
He regarded it as all in a lifetime
part Of a mans experience. If a
fellow was born TO make a fool of
himself for a certain number of years,
while he was young, he would do it
so Kershaw reasoned. The only thihs
he ever regretted about it was the
anxiety and pain he had caused his
excellent old father. Sometimes, Mr.
Kershaw had demonstrated with his
son, in mild sort of way, over some
piece of folly more fragrant than
usual, but he had never refused to
cough up and come to the rescue
In money matters he had always been
liberal.
This morning Joe remembered the
last occasion on which he had gone
to his father for help out of his diff
ticuties 1t was big sum that he
wanted, and as the old gentleman
signed his name to the check, he had
said, in kind, quiet way:
Don't you think, joe it would
pay you to get married and settle
down.
II believe you are right, father"
he had replied, but where's the de
cent girl who would marry a fellow
like me?
There are lots of them, my boy
You don { want to get into the way
Of thinking Of yourself like that
You're not bad fellow. All you have
to do is to pull yourself together and
settle down to hard work It's really
astonishing how quickly people will
forget a young mans peccadilloes,
when they see he's trying to go right
You have brains and energy. You
can make your mark in the law, if you
like. believe in letting a boy have
his fling, but you don't want to let
the iolies of youth become the vices
of your manhood Joe. | don't want
to see you go to the dogs"
You are perfectly right, dad" Joe
had replied as he folded the check
and put it IN his pocket 81 guess III
put the peg in and quit
This morning Joe rehearsed that
scene. Almost word for word. He was
glad to have the opportunity now, of
accommodating his father with hun
gentleman had not wanted thou
sand
BY the irony Of fate, Joe Kershaw
the reformed rake, had been Impress
ed into the service of a vigilance com.
mittee, which had been formed in
Swfton, for the purpose of purifying
the city of some Of its gambling hells,
all-night saloons. and other sinks of
iniquty" which. according to the pull
pit agitators, were being run I'm de
iianCe of law and disregard of de-
cenc.
About II o'clock that night, In
pursuance OF this committee work.
Joe Korshaw happened into one of
the more pretentious of the down
town saloons, to see what was going
on.
Looking for your father" was the
first greeting he received. 1t came
from tipsy young gentleman in
evening dress, whom Kershaw knew
by sight and reputation
mo, sir; ! am not" Kcrshaw re.
piled distantly.
"Well, Of course, ! didn't know" the
young fellow returned with grin and
| a hiccough But if you do want him,
he's in the side room there, entertain.
ing Nellie Nimbell, the star at the
Grand this week, with a bird and a
bottle, Wouldn't like to see you 20
in and spoil loves young dream, but
| OF course If you want him-well
| that's where he U.s. you see"
The sound of womans voice rally.
Ing her cons3anion on some too youth
| full gallantry. came from the room
| indicated, and was followed by a ia,