Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 152: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

494 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. cruelly severe lesson. But I want you to believe that I meant it for the best. And, if you can, I’d like you to forgive me for the suffering I’ve caused you.” Blinking uncertainly, and stirring with the utmost caution, as though fearful of waking from an impossibly splendid dream, the dazed Dry Gulchers felt—rather than saw—some one rise from a chair. It was the professor. Shamelessly mopping his eyes with a bandanna kerchief, he stumbled toward the. desk and clutched in a mighty grasp the hand swiftly outstretched to meet his. “Tom Macdonald—Tom Macdonald”— he choked—* ye’re white—clean white—all through. ““You’ve no right to take the hand of a cur who’s done nothing but slander ye. But, just the same, praise-God, it means more to me than anything else in the world —Tom Macdonald, old friend.” Wheteupon Dry Gulch found its feet-— and voice. “ Three rip- roaring cheers for Tom Mac- donald!” yelled the Doc as he led the wild rush that engulfed the bank president. “ Good old Mac! Good old Mae! Good old Mac!” The cheers rose in a tumult of sound that rang and echoed through every hall and corridor. Visitors to this eminently respectable in- stitution were mystified and shocked at this extraordinary, rude outburst. But Jenks and Curry—and many others of the bank—chuckled aloud, slapped their thighs in a most undignified manner, and donned a grin that would not come off. They kvew. Mr. Betts had warmed to his tale, and proceeded smoothly enough until the action would thrust him into the lime-light. Then he would empty his glass, or refill it, ab- sently skip a chapter and go on glibly with the next, leaving me to pick up many loose threads. My curiosity was unsatisfied on many points. Some of these I questioned him about. “How did Macdonald’s plan eventually turn out?” I impertinently wanted to know. “We couldn’t act like quitters after what Macdonald had done for us, could we?” he responded in gentle amazement. “‘ We all became reliable, responsible citizens—I guess with no more vices than average hu- mans. ‘“Macdonald soon turned over all our money to us. The professor has a chair in an Eastern university here, and spends a lot of time and money outfitting scientific expeditions that go all over the world. The Doc is active head of his own foundation for medical research—a wizard they say he is now. Mandy Swatt and Curley Q. are partners and cattle kings. Mose Tuttle is a big manufacturer—mixes in politics, too, I’ve heard. Everybody seems to bes doing nicely. “T’ve a good-sized lumber ee keep outdoors, away from the office, as much as I can. Doing a few stunts in ship- building on the Pacific Coast, too. Just been to Washington about it.” “The First National Bank of Faro seems to have done a great deal for the men of Dry Gulch. What, may I ask, has it done for Macdonald?” I queried finally. - Mr. Betts shook his head dismally. “A mighty poor investment for Macdonald, I’m afraid. He’d had no kith or kin of his ewn—an’ he’d spent his energies lookin’ after us. When this responsibility was over, he thought he’d sort of relax and take the vacation he needed. “So he gave up active business for a while and turned his affairs over to,a, bright young chap he had confidence in—the first bad misjudgment he’d ever made of a man. The young feller panned out a born gam- bler—took all kinds of raw chances. Mac- donald’s eggs were in a good many baskets. He’d enjoyed being interested in lots of en- terprises—a sort of outlet for his tremen- dous energies, I s’pose. And this young feller started to spill one basket after an- other. Macdonald had been taken down sick, and had to keep to his bed for a time. “ Before Mac could get up and about, an’ find out what was goin’ on, he was pretty nigh cleaned out. Then bad luck kept followin? him up. The last smash— just a short time ago—left him practically bankrupt. Limpy Brooks heard of it first, and rushed in to tide the old man over. Then Limpy wrote the professor in full.” comicbooks.com &