The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-11-13

a big fight with life; I'll be content
with just surviving, and I can do it on
an Observation-Disclosures con-
sulship. An ex-congressman can al
ways be pretty sure of getting some
such job. and I hear from Washing
ton the matters about settled. So
much for me! But you-of course
you've had a poor training for making
your own way, but you're only a boy
after all, and the stuff of the old stock
is in you. It'll come out and do some
thing. I'll forgive myself about
that deed; it would have given you
something substantial to start with.
Still, you have a little tiny bit, and
you'll have a little tiny salary, too;
and Of course your Aunt Fanny's here,
and she's got something you can fall
back on If you get too pinched, until I
a begin to send you a dribble now
and then"
Georges "little tiny bit" was six
hundred dollars which had come to
him from the sale of his mothers fur
niture; and the "little tiny salary"
was eight dollars a week which old
Frank Bronson was to pay him for
services as a clerk and ~student-at-
law. George had accepted haughtily,
and thereby removed a burden from
his uncle's mind.
Anderson himself, however, had not
even a "tlny bit; " though he got his
consular appointment, and to take him
to his post he found it necessary to
borrow two hundred of his nephew's
six hundred dollars. 1T makes me
sick, George" he said. "But I'd bet
ter get there and get that salary start
ed. OF curse Eugene would do any
thing in the world, and the fact is he
wanted to, but I felt that-ah-under
the circumstances"
"Never" George exclaimed, growing
red. II can't imagine one of the fam
lily" He paused, not finding it
necessary to explain that "the fam
lily" shouldn't turn a man from the
door and then accept favors from him.
II wish you'd take MORE"
Anderson declined. zone thing I'll
say for you, young George; you have
MT a stingy bone in your body. That's
the Anderson stock in you-and 1 like
It'll"
He added something to this praise
of his nephew on the day he left for
Washington. He was not to return,
but to set forth from the capital on
the long journey to his post. George
went with him to the station, and
their farewell was heightened by the
trains being several minutes late.
II may not see you again, Georgia
Anderson said, and his voice was =
little husky as he set a kind hant on
the young mans shoulder. tits; quite
probable that from this time on we'll
only know each other by letter-until
you're notified as my next of kin that
there's an old valise to be forwarded
to youy and perhaps some dusty curios
from the consulate mantelpiece. Well,
it's an odd way for us to be saying
good byes one wouldn't have thought
1t, even q few years ago, but here we.
are, two gentlemen Of elegant appear
ance in a state Of bustitude. We can't
ever tell what will happen ut all, can
we? Life and money both behave like
loose quicksilver in a nest Of cracks.
And when they're gone we can't tell
WHEREOF what the devil we did with
'em! But I believe I'll say now-while
there isn't much time left for either
of Us to get embarrassed about til
believe I'll say that I've always been
fond Of you. We all spoiled you ter
ribly when yon were a little boy aud
let you grow up en- prfnce-and ]
must say you took to 1t! But you've
received a pretty heavy jolt, and /
had enough of your disposition, myself,
at your age, to understand q little Of
what cocksure youth has to go through
inside when it finds that it a make
terrible mistakes. Well, with my train
coming into the shed. you'll forgive
me for saying that there have been
times when l thought you ought to be
hanged-but I've always been fond
Of you, and now I like you! And just
for a last word; there may be some
body else in this town who's always
felt about you like that-fond of you.
I mean, no matter how nuch it SEEM
ed you ought to be hanged. You might
try Hello, I must run. I'll send
back the money as fast as they pay
me-so, good bye and God bless you,
Georgiel"
He passed through the gates, waved
his hat cheerily from the other side
Of the iron screen. and was lost from
sight in the hurrying crowd. And MS
he disappeared, an unexpected poigl-
ant loneliness fell upon his nephew SO
heavily and so suddenly that he had
no energy to recoil from the shock. l.
seemed to him that the last fragment
Of his familiar world had disappeared,
leaving him all alone forever.
He walked homeward slowly through
what appeared to be the strange
city, and, as a matter of fact, the city
was strange to him. He had seen lit
tie Of it during his years in college