The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-01
IN THE REAL WORLD
A NEW YEARS STORY.
BY LAWRENCE HENRY.


 BY LAWRENCE HENRY. Copyright. 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Col ~ The next day was to be a momen- tous day in the life of Harmon Carl ton.
 It was to be New Years day-a particular New Years day that he had waited five long years to come. As he lay back on the soft cushions of an easy chair in his cozy bachelor apart ment. before the blazing fire of a cheery grate, he tried to subdue his emotions, but with apparent i'll suc- cess. If a spasmodic putting at a strong black cigar betokened anything. Out side the wind howled and the gray light of a winters day had faded into darkness. The room wherein Harmon sat was lighted only by the cratic flickering of the burning coal which sputtered and cracked on the hearth A comfortable place 1t was on an un- comfortable night. for a chap with comfortable thoughts, but what chap | could be comfortable with the dread- ! full anxiety, the awful doubt of the re- suits of portentous event on the nor row!
 Rising aimlessly and with a discon- solate shrug the young man wandered l to the sideboard.
 Hand the old man." he muttered. half aloud, why couldn't he have done 1t like other people!"
 Seizing a decanter he brimmed a glass of wine, tossed 1t off and sank back again on the cushions. The warmth of the liquor seemed to soften his emotions for he continued more lightly.
 Well. anyway, he was a good old | faltnuv all nrnhahlty had a right to do as he pleased" Then suddenly remembering some- my God. love heri What's going to become of me if the thing doesn't come l out right tomorrow"
 l With this he completely relapsed in- | to motionless. Respondent silence broken only by the merry spit and crackle of the playful fire on the hearth. and thus the night wore on into the morning of the new year. l
 | Harmon Carlton might well have been sleepless. the prey of doubt and fears His was a peculiar case. Some thing over five years before, his uncle | Stephen Carlton died. At that time | Harmon was an orphan. having lost his parents when he was fifteen and 1t devolved upon his uncle to take charge of him. At the time of his uncle's death. Harmon was twenty. two, having been for seven years al- most the same as an adopted son of the old man.
 stephen Carlton was a bachelor. and though regarded as a trifle eccentric had been one of the most successful business men of the day. He amassed a fortune. reputed to be a million or more. in the iron trade. This enabled him. of course. to give his nephew all 1 the advantages In the way of tra ming social ambitions and the like, and in no instance was anything done nig- l gardly.
 Harmon went through a preparatory l school, entered one of the swell east ern universities and finally finished with slittle education as the swag 7 gerest man in the class. He returned to his uncle's roof, prepared to take on a life of ease, as befitted his finish and position as heir to the great wealth of Stephen Carlton. The old man had been so busy with his iron that he had apparently given but su- perficial attention to his nephew's ca. reer- up to this time and the latter had been home several months without re. l cetying more than the usual pleasant Good morning" from his uncle One day, however. the old man announced he wished to have a serious consulta- tion with Harmon the following morn. ing.
 That night Stephen Carlton died as g result of sudden attack of heart trouble.
 When the will was read four days later there was great general surpri.s for the public and overwhelming dis appointment for Harmon at the con tents. Old Stephen seemed to have left everything In the air. as it were The ettsament first provided a few inconsequential bequests. then left ar annuity of $5,000 year for five years to his beloved nephew. Harmon" the same to cease at the expiration of that period. The balance. which meant practically the whole of his vast es. tate. was placed in the hands of trus- tees to be delivered by them as pro. vided in a sealed document placed ip the hands of his attorney, coiucidenl with the making of the will. It fur. conditioned that the sealed document l hsould not be opened until New Years | day, five years from the first of Janu- l ary, succeeding the date of his death On that day, at 10 o'clock in the morn l ing, 1t was to be opened and read in the presence of his nephew. Harmon. | There was nothing to do as far as Harmon was concerned He swal- | to~So ms u1SdppolEtmenC as bitter gulp. but decided to make the best of 1t. He could do very well for five years on $5,0o0 a year, of course not cut dash. but at the end of that pe- ] riod it would be all right, for surely | 1t must be that his late uncle's inten- tions were to do the handsome thing and he would receive the bulk of the estate.
 l He proceeded to live on this theory. He had his attractive cozy bachelors apartments. occasional delectable Iit- tie bohemian dinners, was able to ap- pear decently at functions-all these things the $6.0O0 per took care of very nicely. But nevertheless, he realized ne was subject to many handicaps.