The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-06
THE HOLLOW FRAME.
BY w. E. WELLES.

BY w. E. "ELLES.
 fCopyright, 1905. Daily Story Pub COL
 had just returned from a years study in Paris, and had set up studio in New York city, when l met "fop Brown" as he was always called. lie was an artist that nature had never intended tc be great, but who made living painting sketches for advertising signs, sofa pillows or anything tha. would bring a dollar. He was lonely old man, apparently having no relatives. In fact, he afterward told me that ne had none, and seeking no friends. AS our studios were on the same floor we met often and after time for some reason which l could never explain Ee- came fast friends and we spent a sood deal of time in each other company. l was at the time working rather stead- lily, for me, on Il picture that was ln- tended for my masterpiece and sell Tor thousands of dollars, out of which l was to repay my father the money which he so liberally furnished me.
 Considerable over year passed by without anything unusual in the path of our friendship. 1 had finished my picture, but the critics had not. for every time they looked at 1t they seem ed to find something worse to say aoout it ,ahd l, of course, found no one foolish enough to buy it at large price. In fact, as I look back, 1 am certain that l never was born for an artist, but my father, because of certain rather clever drawings that I made when boy, was certain that 1 was and 1t was to please him that l made the effort. While my pictupre was being fiayed by the critics, Top Brown was taken seriously sick, ana as he had no friend but myself, 1t seemed my duty tc care for him, and did so with the help of my man. He soon developed pneumonia and the sec- ond day after went out of his mind. n,A tlrot rnd tn m during all his sickness was an old frame containing landscape, which was probably his work in his younger days. Again anu again he asked for the frame, and told me not to let 1t go out of my possession, and now and thea murmured something about it that l could not understand. The struggle with death only lasted a few days and the old man passed away. The day af- ter his death d lawyer came to me with a will that Brown had made only few weeks before he was taken sick, leav- ing me all his possessions. There was no cash that 1 could find s-nd when l had disposed of his studio effects they hardly brought enough to pay the fu- neral expenses and buy him neat gravestone. I disposed of all his things except the old frame, which l kept to remember my eccentric old friend be- cause he seemed to value 1t so much during his sickness.
 Affairs went or as usual for several months when l suddenly met my fnta and fell in love It was not necessary for me to burden you with the intrica- cies of my love affair, for although they were unique to me and Bessie tho sweetest, best and loveliest girl in the world, yet l doubt not that they were much the same as other love affairs. Suffice it to say that I met her at q swell reception and it was case of love at first sight on both sides. She was the niece and prospective heir of a cantankerous old maid whose only ob ject in life was money, but my fla ther was wealthy and l an only son, the aunt made no objection to the suit In fact she did all she could to encour- age 1t, and for once 1t seemed that the course of true love was going to run smoothly, when just after the engage ment was announced the crash came. Father had invested heavily iu some new mining stock that was expected to bring largo returns, but the company failed and this brought on other fail- ures until in a few months his entire fortune was swept away. The shock was too great for my father. and In three weeks he had passed beyond the trouble of this world and 1 was left alone. When had settled the bills and sold nearly everything that father pos sessed. including the furniture of tue old nome, l IOund that all that l naQ in the world was less than sl,006 and ability to do practically nothing-paint q little, what knowledge of bookkeep- ing and mercantile life I had been able to pick up about my fathers store, and that was all.
 A day or so after the funeral I calle,, Bessie. whom I had not seen since the service, and I was met at the door by the butler who told me the ladies were not at home. The same thing happened the next day and that night I received q note from the aunt saying that Res sic had changed her mind ana that she returned my ring and presents and l might consider the engagement broken. I was dumbfounded at first and then h. dignant and went to the house at once to demand an explanation. but was de- nied entrance as before. 1 returned home and wrote q wrathful letter to the aunt, accusing her with being at the bottom of the whole matter which was true. This letter she never an- swered, but few days later I received, through a trusted maid. a ear-stained note from Bessie, telling mo the sepa- ration was the work of the aunt. as I had expected, who had decided that she should never marry 0 poor man, and if she did she would cut her off without a cent. Bessie assured me that while she had obeyed her aunt In sending back my ring and the rest. she still lov- ed me. and that she was ready to do what I thought best, and If I arranged it, she would come to me and be mar ried. I sent word with the maid for Bessie to be content until I thought what was best to do. and when I had decided upon a plan I would send her word I then was in a quandary. I loved Bessie too well to give her up, and yet could not see any way to sup port her and myself, for without her aunt she had nothing, and I was almost in the same position. Both of us had been brought up in luxury and had never been taught to do anything use ful, and was not too blind to see that this was the worst possible training to ng1 the hsrdsh3ps we would have~to