The Cairo bulletin., 1914-01-09
priced. and told him I had done n.

Motutf uiu uOt rive fOHs dltef fd-
ther died. and after she was gone, |
had no one TO stand between me and
Richard. Sometimes | had 10 tell my
Uncle, but oftener I tried TO bear il,
because | knew Richard was already a
great distress 10 him.
AT last Richard was expelled from
college, and Uncle was so angry with
him that he told him he would do
nothing more for him. He must go 70
work. Richards father and mother
had not much money. and there we're
other children to support. Richard
threatened me with all sorts of awful
things if | did not coax Uncle to take |
him back into his good graces again
told him | would not say a word to
Uncle. He was very angry and swore
at me. When | tried TO leave the
room he locked the door and would
not let me go until | screamed for
help. Then he almost choked me. but
when he heard Uncle coming he jump
ed out Of the window. The next day
he forged a check in my Uncle's name,
and tried to throw suspicion on me-.
but he was discovered, and my uncle
d~isinherited him. Uncle had intended
TO educate Richard and start him well
in life. but % he would have nothing
further to do with him. 1t seemed to
work upon my uncle's health, all the
disgrace to the family name. although
no one V thought of my uncle In
connection with blame. AS he paid
Richards debts, it was not known
what the boy had done, except by the
banker, who was a personal friend.
We went abroad then, and every
where Uncle amused himself by put
ting me under the best music masters.
and giving me all possible advantages
in languages, literature, and art.
Three years ago he died at Carlsbad,
and after his death I went back to my
music studies, following his wishes in
the matter. and staying with a dear
old lady in Vienna, who had been kind
to us when we were there before.
las soon rs my uncle's death was
known at home, Richard wrote the
most pathetic letter to me, protesting
deep contrition, and saying he could
never forgive himself for having guar.
relied with his dear uncle. He had q
sad tale of how the business that he
nad started had failed and left him
with debts. If he had only a few hun
dred dollars, he could go on with 1t
and pay off everything. He said | had
inherited all that would have been his
If he had done right, and he recog-
nized the justice of it, but begged that
| would lend him a small sum until he
could get on his feet, when he would
repay me.
u had little faith in his reformation,
but felt as II / could not refuse him
when | was enjoying what might have
been his, SO | sen him all the money
| had at hand. AS | was not yet of
age, ! could not control all the prop
erty, but my allowance was liberal.
Richard continued to send me volum-
nous letters, telling of his changed
life, and finally asked me TO marry
him, | declined emphatically, but he
continued to write for money, always
ending with a statement Of his indy
ing affection. In disgust, | at last
offered to send him a certain sum of
money regularly If be would stop
writing to me on this subject. and fin
ally succeeded In reducing our CORE
%spondence to a check account. This
has been going on for three years, ex-
cept that he has been constantly ask
ing for larger sums, and whenever
would say that | could not spare
more just then he would begin telling
me how much he cared for me, and
how hard it was for him to be separat-
ed from me. / began to feel desperate
about him, and made up my mind that
when | received the inheritance |
should ask the lawyers to make some
arrangement with him by which |
should no longer be annoyed.
:. 1T was necessary for me to return
to America when I came Of age, In
order to sign certain papers and take
full charge Of the property. Richard
knew this. He seems to have had some
way Of finding out everything my
. Uncle did.
He wrote telling me or a dear
friend of his mother, who was soon to
l pass through Vienna, and who by
some misfortune had been deprived Of
: a position as companion and chaperon
, to a young girl who was travelling. He
said it had occurred to him that per
; haps he could serve us both by sug-
| gesting to me that she be my travelling
companion on the voyage. He knew
; I would not want to travel alone, and
he sent her address and all sorts of
l credentials, with a message from his
mother that she would feel perfectly
safe about me II l went In this wom-
ans guardianship.
l Il really did need 4 travelling COM
panion, of course. having failed to get
my dear old lady to undertake the
, voyage, so | thought it could do no
- O~