The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-14
MAGIC Of q Picture


It was in the wee sma' hours OF the
/ morning that Burton Grifiths, man
/ about town, stumbled Up the broad stone
steps of his home and sound. as usual
at that time of the nignt, the keyh0le
seemed to wander IN the most unac-
countabIe way over the door and to
eluda every effort TO make it meet his
night key. At last the key slipped from
/ his clumsy fingers, and holding himself
/ by the doorknob ne reached down AMI
I picked il I'd as it lay shining in thu
/ light of the street lamp Before he had
( a chance 10 renew his exertions the but
/ Ter had oDened the door and assis Ted
/ him to his room.
Some hours later. when he awoke
/ from his stuDor, he found that he still
/ held the shining thing ne had picked up
on the doorstep. and that instead Of his
/ key it was small gold locket He turn
1 ed il over, but could find no mark OF
ownership upon it, He then pressed the
spring, and the I'd few lack, revsa ing
! the picture of one Of the prettiest girls
Burton Grifiths had ever seen.
! Opposite the picture was engraved:
BE net merely good; be good for sine
thing"
Slowly these words sank into his brain.
He read them over and over, and now
the eyes Of the picture seemed 10 smile
/ encourag ing ~ at him. The paint pink
Of morning was flushing the sky, and
still Burton Grifflths sat there with the
locket in his hand.
BE not merely goo. Be good for some
thing" The words throbbed IN his
brain, the room seemed closing in upon
him and he hurried from the house. At
the first corner he met his friend, Harry
Peters.
q was Just going TO your house, Bur
ton" he said, II think I must have
dropped a locket near there last night
and
rs that it?" asked Burton, extending
the locket and explaining his possession
Of it. Who is she, Peters ?" he asked,
as the young men walked on.
"Well, her name is Patrice Seldom, and
it was through her that gave up a
life Of idIeness and dissipation. Oh. she
isn't one of those Sunday school girls.
She's just the girl for a chum, as Jolly
as the day is long and true blue. She s
q distant cousin Of mine"
The men walked on in silence for a
time and then Griffiths sad: Peters,
that locket IS charmed. When I saw
her pure face and that motto my heart
was touched. 7 reviewed. my past life
and I was ashamed of the unfruitful-
ness Of it. I'm going to open an office
poor people. I want to be worthy of a
girl like that" And the two friends
started office hunting In a few days
the sign Or. Burton" hung from a win
dow in the poorest part Of the town,
and Burton Griffiths' crusade began.
He spen his time, his money and his
skill lavishly upon these suffering crea-
lures, and the good he was doing seem
ed wonderful to the watchful eye of
Harry Peters.
But in the meantime Burton had met
Miss Seldom and very promptly lost his
heart to the spriehtly maid
One day as he came out of d.ngy
tenement house a group Of children
crowded around him and called Good
by. DR.. Burton Grimths turned as he
was about to enter his carriage and saw
Miss Seldom at a little distance gazing
in open amazement at him
Miss Seldom" he said, going up to
her, may I drive you homer" Without
a word the girl stepped into the car
rage, and IN a few moments they had
left the dirt and squalor and were bowl
ing along through the park
so you are DR., Burton?" said Patrice
at last
ANY harm in that?" asked Mr.. Crit
fiths, smiling
Harm ?" she repeated '"You know
that your coming into that neighborhood
has been the greatest blessing to those
people. When I saw what wonders DR..
Button was working among them 7 was
ashamed of my poor little efforts t. al
leviate their poverty But tell me, what
induced you to do it?"
This" he said, showing the locket,
whore it hung from his watch chain.
The girl blushed rosily. It wanted to
be worthy Of girl like that" Then
he told her the story Of the locket.
Patrice looked out across the park rs
she listened, and her face was pale Il
know I am not worthy now he said.
'but some day when 7 have proven that
I may yet be good for something
you marry me, Patty?"
Il will marry you at any time" she
answered softly.-Denver Daily News.