The Red Cloud chief., 1877-11-01
A FOOLISH CHOICE.
BY MN.


tended to give up active business life
and seek that rest which long years OF
toll had earned for him.
Maurice Dinham had never been mar.
ried. In reply to his friends banter
ings he had always replied that she
could Eve fihd time for it" In his
business life he had always been cold
and somewhat stern; and now he had
but few friends, and they were not in
timate.
One morning he announced to his blu.
siness agent, a Mr.. Rose, that he had
fully made up his mind to leave the
business, and had engaged passage on
board OF a steamer that Was to sail fol-
Europe the following week. The firm
Nwas to continue the same as formerly
the business agent to supervise the en-.
tire concern, and receive a fair share of
the profits for his services. The clerks
We're thoroughly instructed as to their
future duties; promotions were made
and men discharged; and then, for the
first time in forty years, Maurice Din
ham felt able to take a rest.
y Baggage and knick-knacks were sent
on board for the comfort of the prince.
ly messenger, and at last the great man
followed himself. He had driven to the
wharf in a close carriage and in the
company of two boxes, about whose
safety he felt very sollcitous; on reach.
ing the wharf he carefully superintend-
ed the renewal OF to his cabin; the
other was safely lodged in the inside
breast pocket of his coat.
Once III his cabin he gave utteranca
10 a sigh of relief. Drawing the small
package from his breast pocket. he re-
moved the outside covering of chaDois
leather, disclosing To view an exquisite
ly carved box of some foreign wood,
beautifully lnlaid with pearls and other
precious stones. After gazing lovingly
at it for a few moments, he replaced ii
IN its cbamOis covering, and returned
il to his pocket. Next taking a bunch
of keys from his coat he unlocked the
iron bound box which had been placed
OF the floor. On raisingthe lid a coarse
piece of canvas was seen; this removed
a sight met the eyes that would have
caused a stole to tremble. One could
easily imagine the wealth Of the Indies
before him; diamonds. rubies, pearls.
and a thousand strange looking gems
dazeled and bewildered the gaze: ay.
tens of milliOns-were represented in
that little iron bound box. For some
time Maurice Dinham gaZad at IT medi.
= ~tatively.
"A rare sight" he muttered, dreamily
"A rare sight for some; but enc soon
gets used TO pretty baubles. And it's
for these shining stones that men will
fight and sin, and ever die, if need be
A strange world, a strange world
He was right, A strange world and a
strange exclamation for a man who
. had labOred all his life for these same
baubles.
With a sigh the old man closed the
box and concealed it under his berth
then he once more took the small pack.
age from his pocket and began to ex-
anime Il. Whata rare treasure it mus,
contain to draw the attention from the
priceless gems Just concealed,
Slowly the steamer plOwed her wa,
through the stormy waters of the At
lantic. Thus far she had found fai,
weather; but II was not expected to last
for at that season of the year the north.
ern shores were famed for their Otter
and long continued storms. AT last she
entered the fog banks of Newfoundland
hardly had she done so when a terrific
wind arose, throwing the pillows noun
tain high. and sending them with re
slstless force over the steamers deck
To d to the misfortunes, a fire brok,
out IN the Storage; at first il was SIM
posed TO be trifing, but owing TO tn,
hlgh wind II soon gathered headwa,
enough TO imperil the steamer A,
sNn as the captain saw there was n,
hope of saving the vessel, he ordered
TWO boats to be launched: thorgh Their,
was a tremendous sea. the waves rolled
SO steadily that, with proper manage
ment, there was little danger of thei
being capsized.
The boats were quickly filled with tn,
harmed passengers. and pushed off; a
last there was but two remaining. An,
Maurice Dinham saw that if he wishe,
to leave the doomed vessel he must b
quick. During the confusion he / a,
not betrayed the least sign of alarm, bu
. had ~lelsurely walked here and there
' curiously watching the strange seen
around him. At length the rapidly les
SEEMING crowd on deck brought him I
his Suddenly, as he was maxim
his way toward the boats. he seemed I
remember something. fer with an e,
clamatiOn of wonder at his forgetfu
ness, he turned and hurried below.
Reaching his cabin. he paused a ms
ment in lrresolutiOn; his two treasure
were concealed there; one under tn
berth, and the other Oh the opposite sid
of the room in a strong sea chest. J
: teOk him but a moment to decide
springing forward he opened the ches
taking from it the little channels CO..
cred package; then, without a sing
glance toward the millions of dollars /