The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-07-15

lack OF the eight hundred dollars that
wruld have set me free to accompany
them.
Two letters, thrust under the door
IN lodging-house fashion, awaited my
Homecoming. One Of them l recog-
niEed at once as my mothers weekly
billet OF good advice. and tossed aside
TO be read when l was In q better
frame Of mind. The other was In 4
cramped, unfamiliar handwriting. As
1 studied the envelope curiously a 1us-
picion as to the writer's identity
dashed into my mind and eagerly 1
tore it open. My great-uncle. Rufus
CASTOR, was an old. old man. 1t must
be from him. What could he be writ
ing to me aboutf Rufus CASTOR was
ricn-worth many millions.
It was merely an Invitation to dine
with him and his wife. Disgustedly
flung It aside. 1t capped the climax Of
my dissatisfaction with everything
Hers were my two chums starting or
to the war, and here was /, Spalding
Nelson, twenty-six, strong In phynQue,
save for a football knee" that had
barred me from military service, thirst
ing for excitement, left behind In the
prosaic business world and now bid
d,,n to an uninteresting meal with two
decrepit old relatives. made up my
plind not to answer the note. My great
uncle Rufus could 60 hang, for all of
his millions. ! would not 60 near
him.
The tight Of my mothers letter lying
unopened on my desk served to recall
to rue that 1t was she who had prevent
ed my going. Poor motherl She and
! had been at cross-purposes ever since
my fathers death while was a young
ster. 1t seemed to me that always she
had opposed everything wanted to do.
After I left college she had found
place for me In the office Of one Of my
fathers friends in the little western
city where our home was. had been
two years getting away to join Birge
and Roller in New York. Most Of all
she had set herself against my going
to France. She did not believe In war.
I was the only man left in the family.
She was far from well. II anything
should happen to her, my young sis
ters had only me to look to. When
these pleas had failed to move me
she had not hesitated to remind me
that was In her debt.
Unfortunately this was true. My
years at college had cost me more than
my small patrimony. had borrowed
freely from her, expecting soon to be
able to repay her. Like all young grad
yates I had vastly overestimated ny
earning capacity. Three years had
elapsed and I still owed her eight hun
dred dollars.
81 do not see," she had written
me, show you can honorably feel free
to go while you are in my debt. To
furnish you funds at college your
mother and sisters practiced many
economies. The girls are now reach
Ing an age when their expenses will be
much greater. I need the money for
them. The least you can do is to pay
It back before you give up your posi-
ton and go OF on wild-goose chases."
For this argument ! could find nc
answer. My obligation to her was
debt Of honor that must be paid be
fore could be my own master. Each
week had been putting away i've dol
lars. and as It accumulated had beer
sending her a money order.
While / was debating what to d.
/ began to read my mothers latest let
ter. The first part of 1t repeated he
many arguments. She wrote:
1.-TWO days ago l received lette
from my fathers brother. Rufus Gas
first went to New York. BE aske'
about you and made me a proposition
concerning you. did not venture 4
give him an answer. Your Views ant
mine are so seldom in accord. I CAV
him your address and suggested tina
he write to you himself. Probably b
has done so by this time"
Hastily rescued my great-uncle'
: crumpled note from the door an
smoothed 1t out. II Rufus CASTOR
: with his millions and no direct heir
: had made a proposition concerning me
his letter took on a vastly more inter
esting complexion. Carefully rerea
IT, seeking for some hidden meanin
between the lines. but II gave no ciu
to what he had In mind. He Inerel
: expressed the hope that / would b
? ablo 10 dine with him and his wife IL
I formally next Thursday evening.
What could 1t meant 1t was q
! least well worth looking into. NJ
, CASTOR was seventy-four. He had mad
4 a fortune in the South American trad
: retiring at sixty-nve. There was onl
, himself and his wife. On the Casio
side. through my mother. my sister
3 and I were the only blood relation