Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-09
SMITH INsTMLMENT.
D-

SMITH INsTALLMENT.
Bancroft ~. New York. +
and a brisk voice fade hin, enter.
" Mr.. Bancroft, sir."
Well WELL began Smell, withsred but
peppery, for all that he had spent the major
portion OF his da$s in this senli-tomb. sit
Gown. Glad you're SO prompt He pressed a
button "Bancroft." he said in answer to tina
eleFk,s inquiry. Well, how does it feelte be
a raillionaire?" 81 "
"some dayIlrbe able to tell you; Just now
there are other things in my forehead" 7
An. yes. | see. The johnson matter.
Well, I don't knew
ME. Smell, I'm going to ask you a quss.
ton which may startle you. Was MY fqtlsr
an honest man%
Come with me" said Smell. Wen go
lnate, tie Office Your father occupied all these
years, Qn the way Smell was given the tin
ooS which held the Bancroft papers. Once
within the elder Bancroft's room the LAWYER
turned and lald his hands upon the young
mans shoulders: Here in this room, where
the spirit Of your father may sometimes re.
turn, say to you s%elelnnly that under Gods
heaven there lived no hcnester man than
your father.
Then. every. dollar is clean?", +.
world" "
sBQt why live as he did?N Why did he
treat me SOP cried the son passionately.
goa only knows. What your fathers MO,
lives were for acting the misanthrope and
pretending to bs. q miser I have no knowl.
edge. But so far as honesty is concerned. r,
n$declare' that: You know nothing about
reHtse@ln New York at the present time; but
Souil get g 9 Simmer when ttsll you that gil
No4rASrents are the same as pra!wa times.
lie had all the chance in the world to Eouge,
>tus:te didn't. Now. e~,bssrve- this slip,"@
grpn this slip Bancroftread ahout twenty
names, with addresses. Against each name
was a sum Of money. .:
"People WHO owe llin?" r
NO. Your father was not only an honest
man nay boy. but a kindly one. on De,
celnber goth, year after year,<I made out
donbt if, even at this day, the beneaciaries
know: where the money comes from. Nearly
'tenst housand y Year to men and women who
hadia some way, at some time. performed an
act in his service disinterestedly.'"
'sCharity."
"Preeisely."
Il %don't understand. He never gave me
any ~Iaoney." -
".sBut today you are only twenty.feur and
the.absolute ma ster of nearly seven millions.
Thst.seens answer enough. The day you
wentto camp he said he was making his will
tn. your favor; every dollar, stick, and stone.
l vaguely protested about the looseness- and
suggested a trust. He said no. and went OH
to say that all the money you had ever had
yeu@liad earned by the sweat Of your brow.
that you would know what a dollar was and
how far it would go. s. that part of the rid.
die seems clear enough. He taught you the
pleasure Of honest. work"
"B1t not a line of advice!" said Bancroft.
ASST he were absolutely Indifferent what l
did with this money. Not a legacy Of any
kind Surprising I had grown up illiterate-
what.then?" -
"":Ah,> but you didn't" countered Smell.
"FsYr father knew. what you We're about, but
he said nothing. Surprising he had admitted
his wealth and sent you to college, would you
be as we'll off as you are today? Would you
be halt $50 well educated? Wait a. minute"
snell dug into the box and produced q bundle
of receipts. Whose. signature is 3that?""
'.Miller's!-the academy principal! Fifteen
hundred a year!" Bancroft's bewildernent
was rocking him painfully. But he kept ms
at arms length, Mr.. Smell, always at arms
,length," There was q break II, the young
man s voice. @ z
II know no reason for that. But, one day
Miller came in. In some-manner he had
learned that your father had his Office here.
Hslcame to suggest that you be sent to -cpl-
leea, Your father asked Miller il he couldn't
give you the equivalent of a college edyca-
,tton. and Miller answered that he could. So
for seven years Miller drew a salary~of IF.
teen hundred He proved himself to be
/, souaething MORE than a tutor, a teacher; hey
ssheeanue' your. moral guide as well, because
he WAS fond Of you. You aren't merely edu-f;
cated; you are a scholar"
yves, yes! But my y~outh-where 10 that?
Alkrhese lonely years. 3.
.s;Your youth! Yau have Just Suffered upon
n. eeauiuped beyond ordinary, a fortuhf and
Neabrains with which t.. enjoy 1t. Or. yeu can
ssipate it all, youth and fortune, in forty
6ppths "-dryly,
Bancroft picked UP the list Of his fathsr's
perisioners. 81 can destroy this
.aCertainly. But will YOU? y
GFhere' were no instructions regarding It,"
,sRut you are going to tell me to. 80 on.
sending those checks SO long as any ef the
bensflcaries continue to i've S
sssYou're right
,.d)on,t ever be afraid Of growing Voc rich.
Anshonorable rich man II always q human
hens6actor. 1t is not only a great responsi.
hiISw nut a great trust. Spend II YOU will,
butssyfsely. II you throw, It away indiserimi-
nntsIyyou take the strengthiout Of those who
r.rsivsIt. out OF. what might eventually be-
cersS 4 man you will make : parasite. Do
vo,Iswant a little fatherly advice?"
eyes. I never had sHy.' I