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Show I OLDjl CHEST & Contained Treasure Which Brought Happiness to Both , Old and Young. By GENEVIEVE ULMAR. "It's the law or poverty take your choice," was the Btern dictum of obstinate, ob-stinate, self-opinionated James Ross, uncle of Philip Carle, who stood before be-fore hfm. "I am sorry, uncle, but it's not the Jaw for me," came the clear, definite ' response. "I'm not cut out for it, the business is distasteful to me, and I would rather have a crust of bread and my artistic ambitions, than the .solemn judicial sense and a fortune." "So much the poorer you, 60 much the richer I," quoted the old money grabber. "You need bank on no dependence de-pendence on me hereafter. Wait." And the speaker snapped open a drawer in his desk and took from it a small package. "That belonged to your father. It is legally mine, but I give it to you, as a memento or to waste, as you like. I wash my hands of you." Philip Carle made his exit feeling that he had made a pretty bad mess of his affairs. There was no help for it, however. The artistic ' impulse in him was strong, and uncertain as seemed the field he was bound to stick to it. He had not gone to his self-centered relative to ask money for himself "While he had very little of that commodity personally, the needs of another had urged him to apply for assistance. He undid the wrappings of the little parcel. It contained a diamond ring, probably a remnant of he wealth he knew his dead father bad once possessed. "I will never sell It," he said, walking walk-ing on thoughtfully, "but" and he topped at the first pawnbroker's hop he cams to. "1 will loan you three hundred dollars," dol-lars," Its proprietor said, and Philip nodded with a lump in his throat. "What About This?" -trying to believe that what he was doing do-ing was right. He at length turned into a small tailoring shop. Its show windows were neat as a pin. A rather unique sign swung over its doorway. It read: "Only the lilies of the field can lothe themselves cheaper than you an in this shop." "Well, how is business, Mr. Garland?" Gar-land?" inquired Philip of an old man with the worried yet expectant face of a person waiting and hoping for work. "Getting worse, if possible, all the Alme," was the reply. "I am afraid my venture is a poor one. Locality Sad, or else I do not know how to win trade. There's the mortgage, too. They have given me a bare twenty-Jour twenty-Jour hours to settle or give up possession. pos-session. Why does not my brother come on?" "There is the money to relieve your present necessities," said Philip, landing over the proceeds of the loan. The old man stared; quick tears arose to his eyes. He waved back the generous hand extended, but Philip persuaded him with success. He induced his friend to make one more trial of his business experiment, experi-ment, and left him with encouraging words. "I had to do it," Philip told himself. "I can't Bee Mr. Garland lose his all, If It is only for her sake dear Isabel! How he has struggled to give her a musical education. So near to acquiring acquir-ing it, too. I won't regret a good ct." It was Philip's first picture, the portrait por-trait of this Isabel, that smiled down from an easel as the young artist entered' en-tered' his studio. Quite incidentally he had become acquainted with Mr. Garland and then with his ward. Isabel Isa-bel was the daughter of the closest friend of the old man who had started start-ed him In life, loBt his own wealth, - and a more loyal guardian never lived. Isabel was perfecting a musical education edu-cation and Garland never let her know how hard he was pressed. For over a month he lad been in an optimistic opti-mistic mood. He had received a letter let-ter from a brother, a sea captain- who had been off on a two years' cruise. It came from a distant -city and on its heels a large seaman's chest. Tha letter announced that very soon ita writer would follow, and that he had come to share a royal fortune with his brother. But since then not a word had been received from the sea captain. Business Busi-ness had fallen away, and now the, generous-hearted artist had sacrificed his all to assist his friends. No love word had been spoken between be-tween Philip and Isabel. Evenings when he visited the neat parlor behind the little shop, however, and the happy hap-py twain conversed of art, music and of all things beautiful, both felt that their souls were in complete harmony. One week later Philip visited tha Garland place to find the old man immersed in the deepest gloom. He had received a telegram announcing the death of his brother in a hospital. The last words he spoke were transmitted: trans-mitted: "Tell my brother that the; chest and its treasure is all his own." Its "treasure," according to Garland, consisted of some sailor clothes, a few nautical Instruments and a keg containing some oily compound of, the deep. "It's the end," said the old man dejectedly. de-jectedly. "My main worry is that your generous loan is lost They threaten to sell me out tomorrow." Philip could do nothing further in a money way. He was resolute not to abandon his friends, however. That afternoon he made a contract with a picture house to do some copying. The recompense was not large, but it would fit into a plan he had for taking care of Garland until the lattereould find new employment. He was greeted with a sad spectacle when he reached the Garland place that evening. The old man was pacing pac-ing the floor distractedly. Isabel, pale and distressed, was seated on all that had been left in the place by the ruthless creditors the old sea chest. "It will be easy to arrange for your care until you get on your feet again, Mr. Garland," said' Philip cheerfully. "What are we going to do with the chest, though? Let us open it and select what is worth while." They set aside a compass and some other few things out of the heterogeneous hetero-geneous contents of the chest. "WJat about this?" inquired Philip, I lifting out the keg. "Why, Mr. Garland!" Gar-land!" Reversing the keg. the young artist uttered a very startled exclamation. Across one end there was traced in ink the word: "Ambergris." One hour later the happy old man knew that the old sea chest had contained con-tained treasure, indeed. Worth more than its weight in gold, the ambergris, rare and readily salable, represented over twelve thousand-dollars. 'Now Isabel can finish her music!" cried the old man joyfully, "and you, oh, my dear friend! command ths fortune you. have discovered to assist as-sist you In any way in your artist's career." Isabel clung close to the arm of the young man who had so loyally shared their troubles, as he escorted them to a near hotel. The pressure of that dear hand thrilled Philip Carle. - The old man walked prudently ahead of the happy pair. And when they parted for the night, the decision had been reached that the musical and the art careers should be pursued together. (Copyright, 3913, by W. G. Chapman.) |