The Son of his Father

wenty-four-one hundred thousand dollars. That

yes squarely challenging his son, who was lounging in

e cabinet at his elbow and helped himself to a large cigar. Without any

el

nt steel-gray eyes of his parent. It was a will that flinched at nothing, a will that had carved for its owner a great fortune in America's most strenuous financial arena, the railroad world. He also knew t

wai

e millionaire care

it?" Gordon's mobile lips twisted humorously,

cepted him. He held out

he others would add two dollars to

t devotion lay between them. But their regard was

e no traces of the fast living implied by the enormous total of his debts. The wholesome tan of outdoor sports left him a fine specimen of the more brilliant youth of America. Then, too, in his humorous blue eyes

xclaimed, "

r shook

not true. I'd hate i

's fac

going to

r name stink in our home city.

t-w

are

t clock on the wall suddenly be

n't thi

eyes had suddenly become trouble

oked on luxuriously. Then he remove

, the better. I was young, and-got over it. You're going to get over it. I figure to help you that way. This is not the first bill you've handed me, but-b

s. They were filled with the humor inspired by his

e said. "I seem to ge

mental sweat gathering 'em together. Some day you've got to sit in this chair and talk over this 'phone, and when you do you'll be-a man. You see, I don't fancy my pile being invested in cut flowers and automobiles for lady friends. I don't seem to have heard that thousand-dollar parties to boys who can't smoke a five-cent cigar right, and girls who're just out for a good time anyway, are liable to bring you interest on the capital invested, except in the way of contempt. And five-thousand dollar apartments are calculated to rival the luxury of Rome before its fall.

gs ever stole a bone together. Consequently, the situation ends in a scrap, and it isn't always a cert. that the right thief gets the bone. How it would work out between us I'm not prepared to guess, but, as 'scrap' don't belong to the vocabulary between us, we'll handle the matter in another way. Seeing the fortune-at present-belongs to me, I'll do the spending in-my own way. My way is mighty simple, too, as far as you're concerned. I'm going to stake you all you need, so you can get out and find a bone you can worry on your own. That's how you're going to pay this bill. You're going to get busy qui

ion. Something of his heat had passed,

aid the way your talk conveyed it. To me the most important of your talk is the implied immorality

hey had suddenly beco

"We're too great friends for that, and you've always been too good a sportsman to me, but-but I'm not goin

desk with a bang that set the ink-well

le leisure has been given up to athletics. A man can't live immorally and win the contests I have won. I don't need to name them. Boxing, sculling, running, baseball, swimming. You know that. Any sane man knows that. The money I've spent has been spent in the ordinary course of the life to which you have brought me up. Y

it had arisen, his heat died down, and gave

f one sort or another. Do you need me to tell you of it? No, I don't think so. Twenty-five millions wouldn't cover the fortune you've made. I know that well enough. How has it been made? Here, I'll just give you one instance of the machinations of a big corporation. How did you gain control of the Union Grayling and Ukataw Railroad? Psha! What's the use? You know. You hammered it, hammered it to nothing. You got your own people into it, and sat back while they ran it nearly into bankruptcy under

"This carpet cost me five hundred dol

smile on his father's face, but he

rom any man. Some of it had stung-stung sharply, but the justice or injustice of it he set aside. His whole mind and hear

e sure which of us has put up the bluff. Maybe we both have. Anyway, right here and now I'm going

n shr

ish and embark on-big finance

loose accounts on the desk and held the

will hand you a check for that amount. Say, you've shown your abi

me face. Something of his father's purpose was dawning upon him. He began to realize that the man who had made those many millions was far too clever for him when it cam

d. "Certainly-with a

ther n

at goes,"

of battle. There was an ironical skepticism in them. Even there was a shadow of contempt. For the moment it seemed as if he h

ut you must return here in twelve months' time with exactly double that sum. I make no conditions as to how you make the money. That's right up to you. I shall ask no questions, and blame you for no

Gordon repeated incredulou

ecisely wh

nger man flung back his

in right along the line

man's eyes

just how you

te lost upon Gordon. He only saw his enor

I don't need twelve months to do it in. I'm not going to cut twelve months out of our lives together. Six is all I need. Six months, and five thousand dollars' stake. That's what I need. Give me that, and I'll be back with one hu

. He sat back and laughed. He flung his half-smoked cigar away, and

d out. The millionaire sprang to his f

re going to learn that no graft can turn five thousand dollars into one hundred thousand in six months without a mighty fine commercial brain behind it. It's that brain I'm looking for in my son. Now get along and see your mother and s

across the desk, and Gordon

ad, and-God