The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-19

eJ 60. Jou are rgnt, ADner. Bless
my soul! I'm glad you posted me- Buy
1t? Why, of course we'll buy it. Well
bid up to 3SOo-yes, $3.50. rather than lose
IT. We won't let it slip through our
fingers now. Abner, will we?"
noeeo we won't" exclaimed Abner,
his face aglow, his eyes twinkling. He
mad suddenly caught up with one of his
dreams.
We'll Abner, off, then, at once Take
cab' and keep your wits about you"
i will, SIR"
And old Abner Jones rushed out of the
Office and into Basinghall street bubbltng
over with excitement.
The old clerk did his masters bidding
well and successfully, and returned
t1iumphantly bearing two orchid prizes.
Mr.. Baxter thanked him; then Abner re-
turned to his ledgers. and the master left
the office for his house at Kew.
On his way home, however. that master
broke his journey at the office of his
solicitor.
"Grifiths," said the head of Baxter &
Son, II want to add codicil to my will.
Can you draw It up while 1 waltz"
Yes, if you wish me to. What is the
purport of this oodicH?'
You know" said Mr.. Baxter, THAT
I've no heir; that I've left my whole es-
tate TO certain hospitals. Well. I want to
set aside a sum sufficient to
keep up my place at Kew,
say G1,OC0 year. And I want
my chief clerk, Abner Jones. to be tenant
for life. He is also to receive e. a week
for pocket money. Understand"
L think l do. But. pardon me, Mr..
Baxter, why keep up the establishment?
is Mr. Jones man Of family?"
mo; but he is as crazy about orchids
as 1 am. I suppose every man, Crit
f1ths, has his weak point. Well, my
xxyaa II rNO;,, T.
To me they seem really human. And
when L think that if anything should
happen to me my happy orchid family
might be scattered far and wide, 1t hurts
hurts more than l can make you I'M
derstand. This old clerk. Abner Jones,
has been with me half a century. has
saved me thousands of pounds by his
faithfulness to duty. l want to reward
him. That's one reason for my acton
The real reason is, however, that I know
Abner Jones will love my orchids, and 1
believe my orchids will love him Fool
tsh! But it gives me pleasure to act in
this foolish manner. And you know
how I've shaved to make my money"
Not so foolish but that 1 understand
and approve OF what you are doing" an
swered the solicitor.
The codicil, so big with meaning for
Abner Jones' was drawn up, signed wit
messed. And then Baxter, only surviving
partner Of the old house of Baxter &
Son, BasinghalI street, London, Z. c.,
went home with his orchid treasure. He
had at last completed his collection, and
was happy man. He had completed
something else-his life work; for within
a week he died.
Abner Jones was rich man. Old age
found him possessed of a large income
and beautiful house in fashionable
London suburb. Everybody said he
must be happy man; everybody con-
graduated him on his luck
Abner Jones could not quite agree with
everybody in these congratula lions. And
as he broke up his little home in the
north of London he was prey to many
misgivings. Abner, however, had obeyed
orders for fifty years. The masters will
was command and he moved to the
house at Kew and began life as a man
of wealth and leisure.
The conservatory. with it's wealth OF or
chids, fascinated Abner for a few days.
But the first week at Kew had scarcely
run its course before he reluctantly ac-
knowledged to himself that he preferred
his pretend" orchid; they were to him.
more real more lovable than these valu-
able ORIGINALS
Abner dropped into an easy chair and
began to read. After reading for a few
minutes he glanced across the table, full
ly expecting to see the loved face OF the
dear old colonel The chair was empty.
Abner was disappointed, dazed The be-
wfldered old man read, or tried to read
for about five minutes; then he slowly
lifted his eyes again-no, the colonePs
chair was still empty. Abner sat, deep
in thought for another five minutes
Then he turLed resolutely to that part
of ''T'he Newcomes' he had for many
years refused to read-the death of Col
Newcome. He read it to the bitter end.
Then, putting down the book, turning out
the light, he crept slowly up to bed; and
he fell asleep whispering to the shadows
around him:
And as he whose heart was as that OF
a little child had answered to his name,
and stood in the presence of the Mas
ter"
Death had become a reality for Abner
Jones. And the sting of death had
touched him first throuht one who had,
in reality. never been alive.
During Saturday afternoon Abner dis
covered a copy of 1.-The Bible in Spain"
He lacked courage, however. to try an
other pretend In broad daylight, and
so postponed his travel experiment until
after dinner. But when dinner was
over, and Abner was alone with his CT
gar (the housekeeper had informed Abb
ner that her old master never smoked
pipe indoors. he walked on tiptoe to the
window and opened it-opened the win
dow that, as in the dear old days, he
might feel the full sweep of the salt air
as he crossed the channel. Then he
opened Borrow's book and began to read.
But his pretend" trip broke down at
the very start, for the leaves were un-
cut Cutting these leaves almost car
lied Abner home again And then, aft
er this initial difficulty had been over
come, and just as the channel boat had
left Dover. the housekeeper entered the
room, caught sight of the open window
and exclaimed:
why, Mr. Abner, that window Is open,
and the damp air is blowing full on your
chest! Mary Ann grows more careless
every day"
Abner blushed and mumbled some ex-
cuse, but long before he recovered self
control the housekeeper had disappeared.
And something else had disappeared also
his power to pretend" travel. What he
held in his trembling hands Abner saw
clearly now was only a book. Borrow
was not within a thousand miles of Kew.
And Abner Jones was a silly old hum
bug.
The shock of this awakening robbed Alb
ner for the moment OF all strength.
And when strength did come back al
though it was early in the evening, Abb
ner put out the Eight and tottered up the
broad stairway to his great bedroom
overhead.
Abner's first Sunday at Kew opened In
flood of sunshine. The day Abner had
always loved most of all days had come
at last; before its close his poor old heart
would be refreshed by reunion with En-
lily and the children. That was the medi-
cine he required; after an hour with his
loyad opaS he nevv home at Kew would
fall heir, he was confident, to all the low