The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1920-05-27

heritage for YOU" He sighed. Il
waited till you would be able to come
home and settle down to business; now
you're home; and there isn't any bust
ness TO settle down to-"
Bryce chnckled. for lie was indeed
far from being worried over business
matters, his consideration now being
entirely for his fathers peace of mind
"All right" he retorted, Father has
lost his money and wen have to let
the servants go and give up the old
home. That part of 1t is settled; and
weak, anem.c, tenderly nurtured little
Bryce Cardigan must put his turkey
on his back and 60 into the woods
looking for job as lumberjack.
Busted, Ell? Did or did not hear
the six o'clock whistle blow at the
mill? Bet you dollar did"
"Oh. ] have title to everything
yet"
"How I do have to dig for good
newsi Then 1t appears we still have
a business; indeed, we may always
have business. for the very fact that
1t is going but not quite gone implies
a doubt as to Its ultimate departure,
and perhaps we may yet scheme a
I way to retain it. IL we can save
enough out of the wreck to insure
You your customary home comforts.
shan't cry, partner. have profess
sion to fall back on. Yes, Stree. l
own a sheep-skln, and it says I'm an
electrical and civil engineer"
What"
81 said it. An electrical and civil
engineer Slipped one over on you at
college, John Cardigan. when all the
time you thought l was having good
| time
"Bu-bu-but-"
ct drives me wild to have a man
sputter at me. I'm an electrical and
civil engineer. | tell you, and my two
years of travel have been spent study
ing the installation and construction
Of big plants abroad"
MY dear boy And you've got
| your degree?"
Partner. ] have string of letters
aiASi my HhihC int tbe tan VI
comet"
"You comfort me-" the old man
answered simply. Il have reproached
| myself with the thought that / reared
you with the sole thought of making
a lumberman out of you-and when
/ saw your lumber business slipping
through my fingers"
"You were sorry l didn't have a
| profession TO fall back on, Ell? Or
were you fearful lest you had raised
the usual rich mans son? If the
latter. you did not compliment me, pal.
I've never forgotten how hard you al
ways strove to impress me with a
sense of the exact weight of my
responsibility as your successor"
'How big are you now2" his father
queried suddenly.
"Well. SIR" Bryce answered. for his
fathers pleasure putting aside his
normal modesty. I'm six feet two
inches tall, and l weigh two hundred
pounds in the pink of condition.
have forty-eight-inch chest, with five
and half inches chest-expansion. and
reach as long as a gorilla's. My
underplnning is good, too; I'm not one
of these fellows with spidery legs and
barrel-chest. / can do a hundred
yards in ten seconds; I'm no SLOUGH
Of swimmer: and at Princeton they
say ! made football history"
THAT is very encouraging. my boy
very. Ever do any boxing?"
"Quite little. I'm fairly up in the
manly art of selfdefense."
The old man wagged his head ap-
provingly. and they had reached the
gate of the Cardigan home before he
spoke again. There's a big buck
woods-boss up in Pennington's camp"
he remarked irrelevantly. He's a
French Canadian imported from north
ern Michigan by Colonel Pennington.
dare say he's the only man In this
country who measures up to you phys
ically. He can fight with his fists
and wrestle quite cleverly, I'm told.
His name is Jules Rondeau, and he's
top dog among the lumberjacks. They
say he's the strongest man i'm the
county" He Unmatched the gate.
Folks used to say that about me
once" he continued wistfully. "Ah.
IL could have my eyes to see YOU
meet Jules Rondeaui"
The front portal Of the quaint old
Cardigan residence opened, and a
silver-haired lady came out on the
porch and hailed Bryce. She was
Mrs. Tully. John Cardigans old house
keeper, and almost a mother to Bryce.
ooh, here's my boy" she cried. and
moment later found herself.encircled
by Bryce's arms and saluted with a
hearty kiss.
As he stepped into the familiar en-
trance-hall. Bryce paused, raised his
head and shifted suspiciously. like a
blrddog. Mrs Tully. arms akimbo.
watched him pleasurably. II smell
something" he declared. and advanced
| step down the hall fes snosSer sniff ,