The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-22

! himeslf, and held the paper behind his
| candle Again that low suppressed cry
| OF terror from the boys startled lips!
Whoever had woven that loosely bound
| wreath ~ whit cosmos, his mother :
| favorite flower. with which the crown his
| fathers brow had wrapped about II
| bit OF his fathers own handwriting, a
careless Needless mistake. Even as he
| pondered the mystery Of tho Cosmos Ne
was greed.ly reading the contents Of the
paper.
II was only page OF an diminished
letter. but the date made Il precious. The
habits OF a lifetime had held good in the
hour OF extremity. His father never fail
ed 10 date Only two nights before that
letter had been begun-and ended-when
the pom had dropped from a nerveless hand
and yet even as he read. Tom was
conscious of perpleXinE discrepancy
His guardian had said no letter had been
written to him.
But thoughts Of his guardian were vio-
lentlY showed aside. This letter, unhn-
( ished but priceless-where had It come
from? He read and reread IL standing
there before his fathers picture, uncon-
sciously crushing the forgotten cosmos
under his feet:
MY boy. soon TO be my lonely boy.
the last of the Broxtons. have prayed
very earnestly 10 be permitted TO stay
until YOU reached my bedside, but the
sands are running out OF my glass too
rapidly. Let me try TO write what may
not he permitted 10 say.
My son. l am leaving you In peri
lous condition.-young, uniformed the
possessor Of accumulating wealth. which
means accommodating temptations and
responsibilities.
81 have desired for you a practical
rather than n classical education. an
a. IL. n
burdened by years. that 1 SHOULD be I'm
the flesh when YOU came to the time Of
life demanding a parental interest I'm your
affairs and have looked forward to many
years OF good comradeship with my boy.
Heaven has decreed otherwise.
IT must condense into paragrap PHI
what j had hoped to distil into your
young mind through many years Of happy
and loving intercourse. Use your wealth.
Do not let II misuse yoN Remember
that riches take flight often In the most
unforeseen fashion. / can at this time
foresee no contingency that would reduce
you TO the estate OF a poor man; but.
should such catastrophe befall God
grant that your brains and your hands
may prove good substitutes for lands and
stocks. During your minority your af-
fairs will be managed by my lifelong
friend, Horace Matthews. in whose busi-
ness SdSdCUN l. nave great COnHlence
But no man should yield blindly to the
guidance OF another. Bear I'm mind that
your responsibilities are your cwn, to
be shouldered. not shirked, TO be borne
by no one but yourself.
IL desire YOU on the day Of your ma
jorlty TO take the management OF your
affairs into your own hands, subject oi
course, to advice from your eX guardian.
You will owe II TO yourself TO obtain a
"A
affairs during your minority. No honest
steward will object TO this accounting.
As for your guardian, while / trust him
implicitly t
Tom turned the paper over impatient
~. Surely there must be something more.
Not an added syllable. Where had this
unfinished letter, so precious and 40 all
important been found? Who had con-
veyed IL 10 his hands?
lie had himself searched every draw
or and every compartment OF his IA =
theirs desk and found nothing. He had
questioned Mr.. Matthews with querelous
inslstence only to be assured by him
that his father had left nothing for him
personally in writing. and yet here,
twisted ruthessly about the stems OF
flowers which came no one knew whence
were his fathers last. most precious
utterances of advice and love.
lie folded the piece or twisted paper
into proper shape and laid II away in
| an inner pocket of his waistcoat. The
| flowers which ne had crushed under his
| heels sent up a sickly fragrance. A stronr
| gust OF wind set his candle aflare. II
| guttered and died out suddenly. only tc
| add TO his sense Of shuddering isolation
| lie could have cried aloud for human
companionship. for the sound OF fellow
creatures voice. lie bethought him Of ths
friendly watchers down stairs.
On second thoughts he should not like
to face his fathers faithful friends with
white lips and trembling limbs. III
would quiet his nerves by spending few
moments In his fathers own room. Annie
It's familiar surroundings he could religh
his candle and regain his lost self-con
troll He passed through tho connectinl
door into the larger room 40 intimately
| associated with his beloved dead
/ To hc