The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-03-24
THE CURIO FIEND.
BIZ KENNETH HARRIS.
Copyright. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Coz

rt was crudely observed by Hol-
listers friends that his apartments
looked like a junk shop. This was not
an accurate description, for you will
hardly find rare old Chinese and In
dian worries, Japanese bronzes of an
Gent dynasties, Roman and Egyptian
signets and the rarest and most BIZ
xarre of old pottery in such p~rofusion
In junk shops. though such things are
to be discovered there occasionally.
In the fond hope of such treasure
trove Hollister spent much Of his leis-
ure time in junk shops and such
places, to the neglect of his social OBJ
legations, for he was a collector 10 the
point of mania, though a comparative
iy young man-not much over thirty
and 1t has been observed that there
are few collectors under fifty years of
age.
AT thirty a man usually has the
more ordinary interests of love, friend
ship, money-making and so on. 1t is
only, as a rule, when these are out.
worn, or missed by some decree of
fate, that he becomes sstiously and
earnestly a lover of curios. Yet, though
Hollister was young, fairly well off,
In good health, not Unlocking for a
man, and unembittered by any expert.
ence, he was as ardent and absorbed
In his curio gathering as any withered
and jaundiced old connoisseur that ever
delved in rubbish for misiaid trophies
of art.
OF course the people who were in
terested IN him would demonstrate
with him concerning his passion.
Elderly friends Of his family would
tell him that he ought to have some
more serious object In life than the
accumulation of trash. Younger men
friends, who considered him odd. but
a devilish good fellow, tried to lure
him Into their particular parks of
pleasure, but he laughed at them all.
Especially he laughed when Binney,
whose cards had been out about a
month, earnestly recommended him to
marry and settle down.
Il know that you are perfectly sin.
cere. old man." he said. "You think
it's all right, naturally. But do Won
think that any domestic bliss could ap-
proach what | get out of all this?
Every little thing my eyes rest on
| sit here is a joy. IL It isn't a
thing Of beauty. it's something lust
as good, and It's presence Is the reward
a triumph. 1t doesn't worry me or
bore me. II / want feminine CONVEX.
sation and feminine society can 90
n get 1t. | can generally get
enough In a very little while to last
q very long time. Imagine a won.
In here! Look at that Venetian
Vase. That's all the woman | want.
u i mad done anything else in
ny life but rescue that from obscurity
md destruction, | should merit the
'ternal gratitude of posterity. Bin
ley, that vase Is more to me than your
wife Ia to you"
oh, you're a fool" said Binney, in
ones Of deep disgust.
But the vase really was a treasure.
IL Venetian glass. 1t represented the
lrst temptation. An Eve, half EN-.
racing the trunk of the Tree of +;
knowledge, whose foliage enclosed the
up, stretched one rounded arm up. s
yard to the pendant fruit, while the i
erpent, twined among the branches.
egarded her with malign satisfaction. l
he exquisitely formed nude BODY of
ne woman radiated delicate pink tints {
its semi-transparency so that
{ seemed to glow with life and
'armth, and the cleaning bronze-gold /
I her hair, the dainty grace of her
ose, the iridescent glitter of the ser {
scales-the entire form, express
lon. colors and composition made
UGH q whole as only a poet, artist and c
1aster craftsman could have pro.
uced. and that as the browning work +
{ q lifetime. d
ITO every man upon this earth v
'eath cometh. zoe or late" So does
1e woman who exercises some sort of S
powerful influence over his life. She e
to HOLSTER in a brass shop in X
no Ghetto, where he was bargaining v
18th the proprietress for a candlestick
he did not want to cover his y
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