The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-08-20
ing to me aboutf Rufus CASTOR was
ricn-worth many millions.

ing to me about1 Rufus CASTOR was
ricn-werth many millions.
It was merely an invitation to dine
with him and his wife. Disgustedly I
flung 1t aside. It capped the climax Of
my dissatisfaction with everything.
Here were my two chums starting of
to the war. and here was l, Spalding
Nelson, twenty-six. strong In physique,
save for q football knee" that had
barred me from military service, thirst
ing FOR excitement, left behind In the
prosaic business world and now bid
den to an uninteresting meal with two
docrepit old relatives. I made up my
r,ind not to answer the note. My great
uncle Rufus could go hang. for all Of
his millions. I would not 60 near
him.
The sight Of my mothers letter lying
n Lopened on my desk served to recall
to me that 1t was she who had prevent
ed my going. Poor mother! She and
/ had been at cross-purposes eve since
my fathers death while I was a young
ster. It seemed to me that always she
had opposed everything I wanted to do.
After l left college she had found a
place for me in the Office Of "a 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 lot 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
tiers had only me to look to. When
these pleas had failed to move me
she had not hesitated to remind me
that I 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 my
earning capacity. Three years had
elapsed and I still owed her eight hun
dred dollars.
II do not See" she had written
me. "how you can honorably feel free
to 30 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 IN age when their expenses will be
much greater. I need the money for
them. The least you can do is to pay
1t back before you give mp your posi-
ton and 60 OF on wild-goose chases."
For this argument / could find no
answer. Ny obligation to her was a
debt Of honor that must be paid be-
fore I could be my own master. Each
week I had been putting away five dol
lars, and 40 It accumulated had been
sending her q money order.
While I was debating what to do
I began to read my mothers latest let
ter. The first part Of 1t repeated her
many arguments. She wrote:
1.-TWO days ago l received a letter
from my fathers brother. Rufus Gas
ton, upon whom you called when you
frst went to New York. He asked
shout you and made me q proposition
concerning You. I did not venture to
give him in answer. Your views and
mine are 20 seldom In accord. / gave
him your address and suggested that
he write to you himself. Probably he
has done 20 BY this time"
Hastily / rescued my great-uncle's
crumpled note from the door and
smoothed It out. II Rufus Castor
with his millions and no direct heir
had made q proposition concerning me.
his letter took on q vastly more inter-
esting complexion. Carefully l reread
It, seeking for some hidden meaning
between the lines, but 1t gave no clue
to what he had In mind. He merely
expressed the hope that I would be
able 70 dine with him and his wife in
formally next Thursday evening.
What could Il meant It was at
least well worth looking into. Mr..
CASTOR was seventy-four. He had made
I fortune IN the South American trade.
retiring 1t sixty-dve. There vas only
himself and his wife. On the CASTOR
side. through my mother. my sisters
aud I were the only blood relations.
I wondered II II could be that old
Rufus val thinking Of making me his
heir-heir to the CASTOR millions!
A. I penned 4 cordial acceptance Of
his dinner invitation I determined to
set myself to pleasing the old couple,
whom I had met only once. on the oc-
casion Of my call. A few years ago l
would have despised the thought Of ca
tering to wealth, but since I had dis
covered how dif1cult It was to earn
money and how much nor dificult to
save It, my Views had changed.
could hardly wait for the day he
had set for me to dine with them to
arrive. I found myself approaching
their residence fully three-quarters Of
m hour before the time named. When
discovered how early / was I decided
q loltes IN the park for . few min
utes. Old Rufus recently had given
- Me Avammn rnn1dnnrA and now lived