The suburban citizen., 1901-01-05
uTOM RANDOLPH is such q
charming fellow Every
girl who knew him aud


al chorus. He was the sort Of man
women love to love. His patrimony
was sufficiently to make him thorough
Iy worth while, his mental depth was
beyond nobody's fathoming, and even
the men who were inclined to leave
him alone admitted, perforce, that he
was a good enough fellow. He could
do so many useful things too-wield a
chafing dish or banjo, lead a german
or sail a boat-all with equal grace
and skill.
But the measure of his popularity
was the measure of the plunder Gc
accumulated from year to year. His
apartments might have riyaled a pub.
Tic exhibition in point Of his collection
of photographs. There were girls Of
all SORTS and conditions Of beauty and
style; blonde girls and brunette girls,
stately girls and kittenish girls, tall
girls and petite girls, and girls in every
variation Of habillment from BATH
ing suit to mourning weeds, varying
in size from tiny miniatures, gently
limiting they might be ershrined IN the
watch-case, to the large iridium panels
that lined his walls in tiers. And the
sofa cushions that filled every NOOK
would have made the fortune Of
charity baZar. After noting the fact
that about every third girl who gave
him her picture was industrious
enough or cared enough to make him
n,v1,1t,1, n+ q Wpr1Crh q l.
mate, had fixed the number at twenty
eight and two-th,rds cushions. Every
holiday season a new pile was started
and rs each girl perfumed her gift
with her fayorite sachet, nothing but
the most powerful disinfectant could
mitigate the combined odors of the
twcnty-eight and two-third sachet
powders. Such it is to be acclaimed
"a charming fellow
But Randolph was not ungrateful;
in return he loved them all collective
Iy. His only trouble was that he could
not deduce his ideals from the coui'
posite three-times-twenty-e y-eight-and-
two.thirds to the individual But Ms.
T. Courtney Randolph was to be
flswless creature who combined every
grace of mind and body, and much
time was spent in diligent search for
''that not impossible che" The search,
indeed. threatened to rival the hobby
he had ridden, or, rather, that had rid
den him at a break-neck pace all his
life. He had been a victim OF every
collecting fad people with long pockets
and short wits are heir to. But he
was shrewd in his Judgment and his
insight had brought him not a few
treasures from unsupported sources.
The furniture he had gathered about
him evoked associations Of the First
Empire. early Colonial, Old Dutch, and
French Renaissance. Once he had set
his heart on a piece OF bric-a-Orac he
could brook no barrier. But now, for
the first time. Randolph was bafled,
and by woman at that
Down in Monterey, in crumbling
old abode house that might once hav
been the home OF some naughty hlda
60, but which now bore only the pitifu'
traces OF its early prctantlons he dis
covered great treasurc--a fine old
Spanish chest Of most unique design
The old abode house had been burned
out on the inside, leaving the wall
blackened and chalTcd; the floor was
the bare ground baked almost into
cement from generations Of use; The
window-panes were broken and board
ed over to keep cut the rain In sucl
rickety little hole stood this regal old
chest. that might have held the cour
robes Of Queen Isabella. Almost blacl
with the lapse Of centuries, lars,
enough for a whole family's wardrobe
the massive brass trapplngs tarnlshe'
by the touch Of hands long ago crum
bled to dust, its every aspect breathe'
IN atmosphere OK romance and trad
ton.
The manner Of its discovery was tn
merest chance. While taking shor
cut from the bay back to the hotel
Randolph had stopped at house tina
looked little less dirty than its neigh
bors, to ask for drink Of wa-er. Will
che old sencFa had gone to bring it, b
espied through a crack in the door thi
marvel Of the metal-worker's art Tn
chest. which stood several inches frOr
the floor, supported by lions claws
was of cedar or mahogany, as nearl
as he could tell through It's coating o
dust. The edges were held by heay
carved brass arabesqueg, and ID
wrought on every lock and hinge wa
the crown and shield Of Spain, tn
proof of its royal lineage.
When the woman returned with tn
cool water, she tJund the strange
seated on an up-turned whale vertebr
before the chest pulling at the bras
rings, and wondering at its eXcellel
preservation. Dropping the glass an
shrieklng Rosa, Rosa" she ran
give the alarm TO her daughter th'
there was a burglar in the house.
was several minutes before Randolp
could allay their suspicious sufiicien
" to ask them if they would sell Il