Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-06-05
SUDDEN CLIMAX
BY WALTER j. DELANEY.
copyright. 1918. western Newspaper Union

Locke down with q feather when ne
was unexpectedly informed that he was
a rich man. The law firm of Peale q
Gregory had sent him letter asking
him to call at their Office on matter
of importance and urgency, and the
first words of the senior partner OF the
firm fairly stunned Locke.
1--WE have sent for you to inform you
that you are the sole heir to the estate
of your relative, Ira Dowell," he pro-
nounced.
"Why!" Involuntary exclaimed
Locke-"I did not know that my IA
theirs cousin was dead"
"a month SINCE" enlightened the
other. ''He has left you all he had
his old home at Grassmere, about eight
thousand dollars in cash and q quarry
enterprise, which represents his prin-
cipal investment"
''You-you amaze mew stammered
forth Locke.
It had struck Locke all Of heap.
Never in his widest dreams had he
even fancied such a windfall as this.
Ira Dowell he had seen exactly twice
in his lifetime.
"Mr. Dowell was a strange man" fell
upon his ears in the dreary tones OF
the lawyer. HE was pestered TO death
with mendicant or sycophantic rela-
tives waiting for him to die. Their
petty meannesses disguised him. He
liked the way you buckled down to
safe habits and hard work and his es-
tate is yours. There is Grassmere, and
YOU will have ample ready funds. AS
to the quarry property, that is in litiga-
ton. A claimant who was former
partner of Mr.. Dowell has tied it up
with an injunction. There is no doubt,
however, that we will beat him out, for
we have money and he has none"
1t was a strange experience, that of
the following week, for Alton Locke.
He gave a farewell dinner Of sumptu-
Gus proportions to his fellow clerks at
the store. A string of them later Wis
tied him at his hotel. When Locke
started from the city he carried in his
pocket a memoranda of as many as
dozen so-called loans, negotiated by his
impecunious friends.
1t was worse at Grassmere. Locke
found it to be a beautiful place and
planned how, as gentleman farmer,
life would be enviable. Then there
swarmed down upon him a horde OF
hungry distant relatives. Most of them
had never heard of him before, but all
professed the deepest regard for him.
They ate at his table, some from dis
lance took up their abode with him. A
widow, a forty-ifth cousin, wheedled
him out of five hundred dollars. One
Cousin Felix, hoary-headed old fraud
and idler, persuaded Locke to buy out
q little business in the town for him,
proceeded to mortgage it promptly and
sold out his equity before he actually
began business.
Locke was so harassed by his new
found relatives that he decided he
would leave GrasSmere in charge Of
the caretaker, and not settle down per-
manently until he had definitely per-
fected his plans for the future. In his
secret heart he dreamed of mistress
how it was: At Ripton, where he had
worked before going to the city, he
had become casually acquainted with
an old man named Robert Warren.
One evening, calling upon him, he
found his daughter, Nina, at home. She
was to spend weeks vacation from
seminary. Mr.. Warren had pitifully
small income, but he managed to keep
his daughter at school. She and Locke
became congenial friends. Then the
start of a romance ended for her back
at her lessons and for Locke at his new
post of duty in the city.
To Ripton he proceeded now, but not
to call upon Mr.. Warren. Many time
the old man had referred to a valid
claim he held in litigation, and had
mourned the lack of a thousand dollars
to push it to an issue. His earnestness
had deeply impressed Locke, who
sought out the attorney whom Mr..
interests.
''I wish to loan a client of yours
thousand dollars" he impaired to the
lawyer, 'but I don't wish him to know
that am interested in the transac-
tom
Naturally the lawyer was in COM
plete harmony with any arrangement
that would bring him fee. He would
shield Locke by pretending to advance
the money himself, and Locke went
back to the city feeling that he had
done a good deed.
''That injunction suit" spoke his own
attorney, few days later-"we will
have to discuss it. The other side, I
fancied, had about exhausted funds
and fighting spirit, but we received a
visit from Ripton attorney today who
threatens to carry it to a higher court.
His client, Mr.. Warren"
"Not Mr.. Robert Warrenl" cried
Locke electrically.
"Why, do you know hiln?"