Evening star., 1898-12-24
Man yfriends' Present and What 1t
Led To,

stamps. The postmark was too indistinct
to be read and there was nothing within to
indicate from whence it had come
Under many folds of white paper was
copper cylinder of Japanese workmanship,
handsomely embossed in silver and gold.
Within the cylinder was a pocket match
box of solid gold. elaborately carved in
curious designs. 1t was a trinket of great
beauty, but the design was the most eX-
traordinary thing about it. At first glance
the carving seemed but Il series of graceful
scrolls. but on closer inspection it seemed
to change constantly before The eye, queer
forms and hieruglyphcs appearing and dis
appearing the eye followed out the tam
gle of lines. There was card or indica-
ton of the donor but the address was
plain: MIR. Harry Manyfuends, No. g
ScrbDIers' Row" As he examined the
trInket ManyfrIendS turned the matter over
in ms mind, trying TO make out where the
present had come from, meanwhile con-
tempiating ii with increased admiration.
presently his eye fell on slip of paper, on
which was printed in typewriter:
Think OF one who admires your talents
and appreciates your many services"
That was all. No name was signed. This
perp!eXed Manyfriends. He had no doubt
that considerable portion of the world al
large admired his talents, and, besides the
services he had performed for mankind in
general, there were some score or more of
men of public prominence whom he hon
estIy believed owed much of their success
to him. The present was most agreeable
surprise, but the absence of any indication
f1om whom it had come was perpleXing and
in manner annoying to him. AS he
thought the matter over his curiosity grew
more and more irritating. 1t was tritiins
matter perhaps, and, no doubt, with a lit
tie patience the donor would be discovered.
but every time he looked at the box the
l.. = IL al hi
tention and seemed to conjure up before
him the faces of about half the people he
knew-specially those of prominence. Dur
ing the whole day the matter worried him.
He thought of it while at work and wher-
ever he went he kept turning the question
in his mind He approached his friends
with a half diffident self-cOnsciousness, as
if there were some secret between them
and on each face he thought he detected
peculiar expression, which seemed to say
Il wonder if he has found out"
His friend. Judge Laws, looked queer and
seemed to be trying to hide something.
His friend, the general, preferred to light
his cigar from stump and declined
match. The governor was too busy for con-
VersatiOn and greeted him without looking
up from the musty law book which was
occupying his attention.
So it went with every one he met and at
the end of the day there We're at least
twenty men whom he was sure had done
it." That night he could not sleep for re-
brain. The present which had been intend
ed as compliment had destroyed his peace
of mind. He was not in the habit of per-
mitting things concerning himself to remain
III doubt. To find things out was his pro-
fesstOn. and that which bafiled his powers
of detection excited his impatience The
pleasure of possession was marred by the
annoyance OF being batfled. He could not
get the trinket off his mind. and as he
traced out the unique carving the grotesque
hsures which he discovered displeased him
with their funny countenances. He showed
the trlnket 10 his wife, who at once became
as ueepiy involved in the problem as nim-
self. In a few hours il got to be talked
about in the boarding house and Many
friends was requested to pass his 'mys-
terious" matchbox around the table in the
dining room. The ladies at once began to
talk about it. 1t greeted with excla-
nations Of how beautiful" Il wonder"
little mystery Manyfriends' matchbox
became the talk of the house. Miss Snaps.
an ancient lady who spent her life III lonely
observation. suggested to Mrs Manyfriends
that it had come from a woman. Mrs.
Manyfriends, who prided herself on never
experiencing the sensation of jealousy re-
serted the iEsinUation. and said that there
was no mystery about it; that it had come
from the general. or the judge or-or-or-
some of Mr.. Manyfriends prominent
friends
Nevertheless she carried a sadder coun-
tenancc that Gay and Manyfriends thought
he detected Il little cOolness in her manner
toward him.
The matchbox was handed around in the
club, and there, too, the problem of guess
ing where ii came from was taken up.
'Manyfrlends' matchbox" became the SUBJ
ject of club gossip His rivals had their
own notion about the matter, which they
did not care to express, but they insinuated
that perhaps Manyfriends himself knew
more about II than any one else. When
members of the club were assembled at
lunch the talk was all about "Manyfriends'
matchbox Men over their drinks and
slTk F~I.
In the reading room and at the card table
and everywhere in the club 1t was Many
friends matchbox, "Manyfricnds' match
box He was requested a hundred times
To pass it around, until the plague of it be-
came intOlcrIble.
He resolved to settle the matter at once
As he walked down the street with this
resolution firmly tXed in his mind he ran
into the arms OF his friend the governor.
'Ah. by jove. my dear governor, just the
man | wanted To- see. Ihal handsome pres
ent you sent NE is al, the talk. Every one
Is trying to guess where il came from. OF
course, knew at once that you sent it, but
L want to be able to say so and TO thank
you 1t is the handsomest thing l ever
saw"
The governor looked blank. 'But-er-
/" he started.
oh, 1 know" broke in Manyfriends
You didn't intend l should find out. Why.
governor. who but you would send me 50
valuable present? Then. too, your fancy
for odd things discloses you. / do not be-
Heve there is another matchbox like il
Where in the world did you pick it up?''
And Manyfriends wrung the governors
hand cordially.
But didn't L tell you / didn't send it,"
broke in the governor with some i'm
patience. Then he paused abruptly. THAT
il. ii was not matchbox. TO be sure
should have thought of that. OF course a
matchbox Was what l should have sent,
but / never was apt in selecting presents
Manyfriends flushed. and got out OF the
matter as best he could, and after few
awkward explanation they separated.
Many friends chewed the corners of his
mustache and walked toward his hotel
with troubled countenance. That is
awkward" ne unused. 1T must have been
the Judge
Without ceremony he went at once to the
judges apartments. That light of the law
was ensconcei behind pile of calf bound
books with bottle of 81 Madeira and q
lCng pipe for company.
II am not going to interrupt you. judge"
cried Manyfriends. II have just come TO
thank you.
Thank me-" exclaimed She judge.
You are sly fox. but you couldn't fool
NE. / know the habits of my friends AS
soon l got it L was it came from
you l couldn't delay thanking you and
letting you know / had found you out"
What's all this nonsense? What are
you talking about?' exclaimed the aston
ished turist.