Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-04-15
William
Jofa11StO1,.
ul..,4rations
by
Irwinflyers

mother and sisters practiced many
economies. The girls are now reach
ing an age when their expenses Will be
much greater. | need the money FOR
them. The least you can % Is to pay
ii back before you give up YOUR posi-
ton ;nd 90 off on wild-goc3e chases.'
For this argument / could find no
answer. My obligation to her was
debt OF honor that must be paid he
fore I could he my own master. Each
week ] had been putting away five dol
lars. and us it accumulated had been
sending her Il money order.
While I was debating what to do
began to read my mothers latest let
ter The first part of it repeated her
many arguments. She wrote:
"Tv'o days ago l received letter
from my fathers brother, Rufus Gas
ton, upon whom you called when you
first went to New York. He asked
about you and made me a proposition
concerning you. | did not venture 10
give him an answer. Your views ana
mine are SO seldom in accord. ] gave
him YOUR address. and suggested that
he write to you himself Probably he
has Gone 50 by this time"
Hastily rescued my great-uncle's
rrmuplcd note from the floor and
smGcthed it out If Rufus Gaston-
with his millions and no direct heir
had made II proposition concerning me,
his letter took on vastly more inter-
pStiug complexion. Carefully | reread
ii seeking for some hidden meaning
| bet y cen the lines, but ii gave no clue
To what he had in mind. lie merely
cxircsscd the hope that I would be
! nhla to dine with him and his wife in
fo"cialll next Thursday evening.
What could it mean? 1t was at
I leaS- well worth looking into. Mr.
/ Castor was scvcnty-four. He had made
! "A forunc in the South American trade
retiring nj siXty-iivc. fh.re was only
! himself ana his wife. On the CASTOR
| side through my mother, my sisters
and | were the only blood relations,
/ | wondered if IL could he that old
! Rufus was thinking of making me his
heil--hrir to the CASTOR millions!
As pcnned cordial acceptance OF
! his dinner invitation | determined to
! set myself to pleasing the old couple
/ whom had met only once, on the oc-
rasion of my call. A few years ago
would have despiScd the thought of ca
tcring to wealth, but since | had DIS
covered how difficult it was TO earn
money and how much more difficult to
save II. my views had changed.
I could hardly wait for the day he
/ had set for mo to dine with them tC
arrive. | found myself approaching
their residence fully thrce-qunrters OF
ia hour before the time named. When
| discovered how early | was ! decided
tp letter in the park for few min
utcS Old Rufus recently had giver
up his Avcnuo residence and now liVeC
in one of those stately apartment
buildings erected In the East Eighties
I turned into Central park opposite
my grcat-lmclc'S street and droppe'
info the first bench | came to. deposit
il- beside me Il bunch of roses | had
purchased as my first move towar'
winning my grcat-aunts affections
Lighting my pipe gave myself NJ
: 10 pleasant rrvcricS, from which wa
aroused by finding my roses tosse,
suddenly to the ground at my feet.
"Pardon me-" | said Indignantly
"but those belong 10 me-
"Benches amt for bundles" croaket
mn evil voice beside me.
Recovering my flowers, | turned Il
find seated beside me rat-cycd youn!
fellow. chcaply dressed, cyring me will
un insolcnt stare. As / looked at hin
he began Hrowding over toward me
Plainly II was his intentiOn>to oust mi
from the bench.
"Thcrc's plenty of room on thos'
other benches over there" l suggested
rescntfully.
"Rcat II yourself If you don't like |
here" he rctortcd, blowing the smok
from II cheap cigarette in my face. "
got date here, ana I'm going to Stay
see?"
| answered with m angry rctort ant
hot words followed. We had almos
come TO blows when the bushes op
posite us suddenly parted. | cnugh
sight for lust Il second of villainou
face. that Of n man about forty, al
uurorgcttahlc face with red sea
across the left cheek. He raised on,
finger in an Imperative gesture, signal
ing TO my unwclcome companion ol
the bench With profane eXclama
tion of diSmay, the rat-cyed fellow
surang lm and walked hastily ava,
along the park path. Wondering
what IT was all about, I watched hin
, out of sight around Il turning of tn
. asphalt and then glanced toward tn
apartment house where In a few min
, utes was to he II guest.
As looked II youns girl came on
OF the house and walked slowly t.
) ward the park. At the corner Sh
hcsitatrd. She seemed to be debatin
; whether To continue on down the ave
nue. or To turn into the park. Appar
entity the lure of the grrcnery won hel
for she came on slowly toward wher
| | was sitting. As she drew nearer
observed her with interest. for sh