The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-06-20
Out
West

Ey RALPH HAMILTON

Yes, ana looks ana acts IKE q bo55-
gar. Thought from his talk when he
went out West a year ago. he was
going to come back with a fortune.
Looks to me as If he has about blown
In all he has on that wild flower fad
Of his"
Eyes, and he wants to find some
place to store his rubbishy stuff. He
won't turn this place into a warehouse,
/ can tell you'll"
Thus Abel Dallas. Dan Porter and
Nat Wells. They were discussing their
old bachelor relative. John Bristow,
an odd. generous old fellow who had
sold out quite extensive property hold
ings In Evenden and had gone to the
Pacific coast to speculate. They had
built high hopes upon his return, for
BristOw was a natural born trader and
had quite some capital. Naturally
some one of them would inherit his
fortune. Blasted anticipations changed
to sullen disappointment after Bristow
had made the rounds Of their various
homes, at the first q welcome guest.
Following him came a lot Of cases
which he had temporarily stored In q
local warehouse. Their contents were
o revealed.
II suppose" announced Bristow,
that I have brought back with me the
finest and most complete collection Of
the flora Of the Rockies ever gathered.
! bought It from a mar who had de-
voted twenty years toward assem-
bling them. Thinks I. there isn't much
I have done for my native town. and
here's the opportunity to make a ten
strike. What I'm going to do Is to get
at the collection. classify 1t, put 1t In
permanent exhibition 8 and present
1T to the public library for the enter.
tainment and enlightenment of the
community" r>--s.
At which Abel secretly s~nlckered,
DAN anathcmized the donation under
his breath and Nat covertly sneered.
The idea! The public library was q
struggling proposition, poorly support
"a and housed In small. gloomy quar-
tiers 10 the half attic Of q rickety old
store building.
The inevitable resulted. The Dallas,
the Porter and the Wells families, ind.
ing that there was no opportunity Of
getting anything out OF the old Eel.
now" began to turn the cold shoulder
upon him. One by one the three
families ceased their coddling tactics.
He was no longer the honored. vel.
come guest and. one day when Bristow
stated that he must nnd permanent
living quarters and q place to keep his
dofal treasures, not a voice gainsaid
bis decision. It was while seeking his
new refuge that one day Bristow met
Nellie Tracy. Her sincere greeting
warmed his lonely heart. She was his
half niece, had recently married, and
invited Brist0w to her home. There he
neither husband. about as fine a young |
man as he had ever known. Both Ar.
mold Tracy and his wife were nature
The sesYR9 4Is!t lssgltea IN
A X2Alna ap ills quarters at their
80. They appOrtioned to him two
rooms, 80 lie could have his collection
ready 1T hand to arrange and cata-
logue, making 4 minimum charge for
the accommodation because they we're
really interested In his specimens and
liked him, and nearly every evening
took m, honest delight In helping him
Ia his work Of classifying the floral
John BrixtOw was certainly IN AZ.
dent devOtee Of his e~ngrossing fad. He
flowers to everybody, ann0unc-
ing that when Judge Pearsons return
q from 4 visit to some relatives In
he East. they would begin to plan as
b getting the collection In charge Of
the public library. This Mr.. Pearsons
val an ex-judge, a great friend OF
Bristow, and Ind been the mhin NOV
In establishing the Evenden IL
brary.
Meantime the Dallas and the Porter
ter and the Wells families barely rec
Ognixed the old man when they passed
him on the street. Bristow went about
iii shabby attire and they attributed
this to q lack Of money. They sneered
~ the kindly corporation Of the
Tfacys. They derided the philanthropic
Impulses Of Bristow. There being no
evidences that he had not exhausted his
former means. they regarded him a.
unworthy Of any consideration.
And one evening Judge P~earsons
walked into the Tracy home and there
was ! great confab. He commended
the worthy motives Of the old man, and
y1ilated upon the pleasure and the ed
ucation the floral collection would give
~ students ana nature lovers.
ri seems 4 shame to place such
treasures In the poor, common quarters
now occupy" he remarked.
sOhl I wanted to see you about
that,Ts exclaimed the enthusiast IN .
lively tone. "You see, I've been walt
1ne 10 have you help me plan out .
neW building Tor the library"
\ new building!' repeated the Judge
1eIy.
Ihnt'ss.what I am going to do"
IN axxS.4x = 81 ~~~A kNhn nrOunvv ~