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Show An Inheritance From the Sea Lev j the usurer was Implacable, and Gerald rchor put down tho letter with a nigh rhere was another lotter besides but that was very unsatisfactory unsatis-factory loo nnd Gernld's face looked inther vvor led as ho. turned It to wnid his joung wife, who Just came In "An news toda), Goinld?" "Nothing but a lottoi fiom l.ovy, who l verj unreasonable He gives me mull nc,t Wednesday but I am afraid I can no more pa him the $2,000 on Wednesday than I can toda)," to-da)," Gerald replied saill) "Hut rnn't ou get the $1,000 lor tho pit lure Johnton Is to sell tor you?" "No he Just writes me loda) Unit the customers won't pay moro than $760 It really looks us If one ran get mono) onl) from tho usurers,' snld (iernld handing tho other letter to hip wire "Well don't give up, nil) way. It will all come out all right " At ihls moment tho patter ol little feet was henul outside, the door was thrown open nnd two falr-hnlied chit dron mine rushing toward their fa ther (lerald picked them up, plnced one cm each knee nnd the next mo ment all IiIh melancholy hod flnvyi Whin the door of tho studio hud closed behind (hem nnd Goinld laced his vvoik again, the worries came back n ml pi evented him fiom vvoik-lug lie stupped at the big window overlooking over-looking tho garden and the Long Island Is-land bills In tho dlstnnco Five )ears ngo Gerald had built tho little studio bungalow which had giown jo doai to his heart, and now It looked as If ho must lose It. Tho tlvo )eais ho hud spent at Frceport had been tbo hap plest In his life, until he had been tompted to tr) a flier In stocks 'Iho venture railed and he negotiated a loan from Levy to cover his margins, onl) to !c,so tho whole amount anyway any-way The moro Gerald thought over tho situation, the more Imposslblo It Boemcd to find -a way out, and throwing throw-ing aside Ills brushes ho put on his hat and went for a long walk along the shore road Three hours' walk hi ought him to tho narrow strip ot sand stretching towards Long lleach when- ho and the seagulls were tho only living beings Tho beach was covered with all kinds of llotsnm thrown ,ishii by tho tide nnd left stranded h) tho receding waves Aim tig all this Geiald's c)es nuddcnly Btiuck something that looked llko an old bag half burled In tho sand Mechanically Me-chanically he began to dig It out and saw that It tenlly was a heavy all- cloth bag tightly tied with stout whip cord Ho ripped It open with his pock et knife nnd found Inside a belt with a heavy brass biicklo and with a number of pockets Ho opened ono of these and would hardly bellove his own eyes when he found It filled with $20 gold pieces He qulckl) wrapped It up In the oilskin and started homewards home-wards He went Inside hid his bundlo In 1 the hall closet and opened tho door of tho studio Ills wlfo Jumped up, 1 the worried expression disappeared from her face and alio Bald cheerfully: "t am so glad you came bnck, Gor-'aid: Gor-'aid: havo )ou been looking for mo- tlvos?" "Yes, denr, and I hope I havo found something good," Gerald replied, throwing himself into an easy chair. "I Just want a cup of tea," he added as ho filled his pipe "then I will go down to tho bank and nsk old Win-tors Win-tors to co mo nnd take dinner with us. Tho dlnnor was n greit success, although al-though the two men had locked themselves them-selves up In tho studio until the soup was nearly cold "Wo will tako tho coffee and cigars In the studio, Heatrlce,' sold Gerald, "and wo should llko to have your company "Wo won't talk a bit about buslnosB We havo a little examination examina-tion to make " "I do not know what )ou mean, Ger-I Ger-I aid," "You will soon soo, dear," ho answered an-swered with a smile, and led the way Into tho studio, whore a cheerful 11 ro was blazing A tablo had been placed near the fire and on this were a number num-ber ot stacks of gold coins neatly arranged ar-ranged In rows There was also tho old nil cloth bag and, in n cup a lot of diamonds cut and uncut Thero wns also n broken chlantl bottle nnd a paper cover with writing taken from the bottle This evidently contained tho key ot tho mstet and Heatrlce picked it up with trembling fingers, while tho two men looked nt her "Head It nloud, dear" Bald Geiald, and sho begun to read "January 4, 1884 It Is starting to blow tip and tho wreck Is going to ploces plank by plank. I am tho only survivor of tbo crew of the bark Nina. The second mate died this morning "Together '"Ith this letter I wup up all my savings of 35 years Thcso things are ot no use to me now, but I hope that If the belt Is ever found It may bo by somobody In need of It, and I leave It to the man whom fortune for-tune favors. Goodby to life and may tho Ixird have mercy on my soul "JOHN THRLAWNnY" Hentrtco laid down the paper and stared it It. Thero was something very solemn In the picture It unrolled to her mental eye, but there was no dcubt that Gerald wai entitled to keep this strango Inheritance from the ea |
