The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-15
PAGE F1wEEEW

OF q molehill, that he was the victim Of q
craze, q man OF Oblique vision.
II there was need that he should WORK
he would do so; IL ever the need arose
he would face t.; but at present he found
no occasion FOR making q hack OF himself
not so long as he could afford to pay
others to do 1t for him, and he meant T.
have a good time. Within reason, Of course.
WhereupOn, the elder man abandoned his
task.
can go. I've dOne-for tn present. But this
doesn't end 1t. Tha's chosen war, and war
let 1t be-"
From the moment the door closed upOn
his son, Stephen ClOugh may be said t.
have lived with that declaration OF hos
tilities. Lived with 1t in closer intimacy
than he had ever granted TO any mortal
Armed now with all the power Of a per
sOnal entity, it acquired dominant IOrcei
became a specter as real as the ghosts OF
childhood. When he awOke In the morning
1t pOunced upon him from behind the
curtains Of his four poster bed, stalked by
his side through the mill, kept him com
pany on Change, and escorted him back
to his rooms at the close Of the day. Not
that he made any endeavOr to escape. On
the contrary, he cOuFted its fellowship.
Day after day, for months, a year and
more. At the outset he was possessed OF
a two fold purpOse-tO assure his grip
upon the future and also secure the re-
| generation Of his son. But In this circum-
/ stance was TOO muGn TOT Mlms II lMNE4G4
him to realize that he might be driven
to surrender one in order to preserve the
other, though which Of the two should go
he was quite unable to decide, and 1t was
equally difficult to settle the manner Of
the sacrifice. All sorts Of fancied designs
offered their service, powerfully alluring,
yet each one tainted by a fatal law. Dur
ing one of his periods Of Spartan hardt-
hood he was sOrely tempted to grip the
pillars Of the house he had buiided and
drag the structure down., but here he was
affrighted by the price that others must
pay.
81 forgot the minfolk," he declared.
They're in this as well as me. Some Of
them would be ruined. Mebbe have to go
hungry. 1 couldn't do 1t. NObbut a mon
ster d do such a thing, but
There he ended, and there also he be-
gan. On that tempting but 1t was def
mite enough, but amazingly suggestive.
idea. But" he fingered over it, conscious
that at last he had struck a promising
trail. 1t disclosed an alternative. Chance
might be better than choice. Chance. That
was it. His refuge. The solution Of his
problem he would leave to fate, engage
in a gigantic gamble with the gods. All
that he had should form the stakes. One
more move and then he would sit down
law con wait he said. Surely I've
proved that. For years and years. An
mebbe before I'm through with 1t the
lad'u come 70 his senses. An then l can
?, act again and put things straight"
He could wait. This he had proved. Now
he proved 1t again. The test was one OF
endurance, It demanded every ounce OF his
3 fOrtitude. 1t was a wait Of years. But even
50. it was not long enough. For Roger
!, ClOugh did not come co his senses. Regard
d ing life through his own eyes alone, hC
did what he held to be very much better
lie had a high Old time" His father con.
D tinued to make money and he continued
/ to spend 1t.
. (To be Concluded Next Week).
Copyright 1925 by Oswald Wildridge.
Published by Special Arrangement with
y The Chicago Daily Tribune