The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-09

deepening Of the bed, . split .
hundred miles above, relieving m
| Of the full volume Of water. Again,
I've known caving land to stop
without any apparent cause. B . t
it's . chance"
The banker grew thoughtful.
why did you tell me? You knew
was green"
"That's why I told yes. Had you
been . river man I shoaldn't have
felt it necessary. It's there"
he waved his hand toward the -
certain ridge Of the bluff, below
which stretched that wide expanss
Of marsh.
mr.. Braithwait, I'm afraid I
shouldn't have told you If I'd zee,
my fortune slipping out from under
me and you had been my one chance
OF rescue. But I can admire q man
who does what you have done. And
! thank you"
That had been the end Of the
matter. Meanwhile, the hoped.for
rescue BY chance had not arrived.
The years went on. The river held
to it, ruthless way. And the land
went into it, NAV.
The bluffs. originally some thirty
feet high, had gradually been drawn
to ten and twelve feet, forming =
long slope to the river.
In the course Of another forty or
nifty years. when tho bluffs would
bs entirely washed down, it would
DO possible to reclaim the waste
land By means Of levees. Patricia,s
grandchildren might come into the
spreading acres Of her aneestors:
but tor her there remained . strip
two miles in length and less thar
IN eighth Of = mile wide on which
the negroes no longer dared live.
The mansion house sitting on the
back Of the plantation during her
childhood. had grown 10 unsafe
soon after she went away to board.
Ing school, that Mr.. Braithwait had
sold 1t for old lumber. He hid built,
Of lumber reserved, . shack on the
remaining strip. In this he had lived
IN greatest economy during the
scnool term, tilling his parsimony
With the aid Of two negroes Who
lived in the hills. He had sold al
his cattle and farm implements
gradually. By making q trip to New
orleans, taking along photographs
no had persuaded IN antique desler
70 come Up and look ut his furni.
ture. On the furniture, silver. Die.
lures and the In M b . r from tha
mouse. he had realized q little over
Twelve thousand dollars. And after
considering the smallness Of the
sum - the possible nucleus Of a
business, his age and inexperienee
IN the business world, he had but
II IN the bank for Patricia, Il had
taken care Of her remaining years
At school. ant Of their suuamers
together.
Meanwhile. never doubling the
Ultimate Beauty toward which this
seemingly unjust fsta rushad him
ana bis neighbors, he had chosen
Tor bis daughter . very exciusive
scnool near New York, coutsnt IN
the belief that she was safe IA that
Beauty which hs had taught hsr to
expect Of life.
That such = school was unade m
o. tho young rsvolutionists Of which
one heard and read 10 much, had
been slowly impineinr upon his
consciousness Of late.
These young folk, with their de.
flant egoism, dashing from amuse-
"a NJ to amusement, absorbed in
objective life, scornful Of either
beauty or danger, patronizine their
fathers and mothers, moody AM
contemptuous, be realized to his
dismay, had been Patricia's COM
panions during the greater part q
the past six years.
II ! have but broksn doctrinal
bars Tor my child, he reflected. I
nave done no more than these "a
thetie young revolutionists are try.
ing TO do for themselves. And they
are in the midst Of carnage and
mob madness.
q 1852. :, s.. ,: csss..ssD
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