Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-01-20

only gasp. Fifty-fve hundred dollars!
He had thought vaguely Of couple
of thousand, trembling at his own pre-
sumption. Fifty-fve hundred dollars!
Why, that was a fortune-not that he
wished to sell the ring except in the
last extremity. nor, as he bewlderingly
considered the proposal, did he care to
take so large an advance as $4,000.
The interest charges would soon grow
beyond his powers to meet them, ana
the ring would be irretrievably lost
Explaining his perplexihes to Mr..
Snood, It was finally agreed that he
was to be advanced a thousand dol
lars only, with the privilege of selling
the ring ut any time he wished for the
larger sum.
A little later he left the store with
fifty twenty dollar gold pieces weigh
ing down his pockets and the follow
ing memorandum pinned carefully In
side his waistcOat:
San Francisco, Jan. "a, 1904
Messrs. Snood G. Hargreaves hereby ac-
knowledge the receipt OF solitaire ruby
ring. Of an antique, oriental setting, from
its owner. Captain Matthew Broughton.
who, In consideration OF one Thousand
81, ,0O0) dollars advanced to him today oy
Messrs s. & II. on security OF said ring.
and receipt by Captain Broughton hereby
acknowledged. agrees to pay 8. II. per
cana interest semiannually on said loan
GNOOTl
For Snood & Hargreaves
MATTHEW BROUGHTON.
Matt returned to the windy street In
far better spirits than he had left It.
he had $1,000 in his pockets; S4,5OO
more to draw on II need be; and best
Of all he could now "go home" It was
a strange instinct that called him back
to Manaswan. In the east, for there
was not single tie that bound him
to the place unless 1t were his parents
graves. But after years Of wandering.
of contented exile. Of acquiescence IN
the life he had made for himself,
something within him had at last re-
volted. Homesick. heartsick, weary OF
palms and reefs and naked savages.
Manaswan appeared to him as the So
luton Of this subtle malady OF the
soul. At Munaswan n miracle would
happen, and he would be happy. The
first use he made Of his money was
to buy his ticket.
He gave the clergyman $500 to as
sure the safe return Of the natives to
their various Islands: and that after
noon the honest, devoted fellows. In
charge Of nine-year-old Master Thomp-
son. accompanied him across the bay
to cheer his departure on the Overland.
Standing there in line Of nine. mar
shaled by that little white boy, they
presented a singular spectacle on the
platform, what with the earrings in
their ears, two with tattooed faces.
and all weeping copiously. Nor was
the effect diminished by their singing
q resounding hymn, and then listening,
with bowed heads, to the prayer Ia
nielu, the Tongan, offered up amid the
jostle Of trunks and passengers. Matts
own eyes were dim as the train moved
away, and there was a very real lump
in his throat. Why was he going 10
Manaswan while everything he valued
lay behind him? Why was he leaving
tried and true friends for strangers!
An island fairyland for prim little
Connecticut town? Yet his resolution
did not waver, and he was inspirited
by the thought that in five days he
would be home"
Matt was less disillusioned by his
birthplace than might have been expect
ed. The snowy landscape. the sluggish
river. with its frozen shadows. the
tcicled and silent pines, the delight OF
hearing sleigh bells and watching the
bright animation Of scenes so long unra-
miliar-all were satisfying to the cray
ing that possessed him. On the human
side, however, Manaswan was disap'
pointing. No one seemed to care par
ticularly whether he had come back OF
not The most cordial greeting he re-
ceiyed came from an old gentleman
who mistook him for some one else.
In fact, Matt remembered Manaswan
a great deal better than Manaswan re-
membered him. and when he wrote 10
Washington and learned that both his
uncle and aunt had long been dead lie
faIt lonelier than ever.
Matt took up his quarters In Mrs
Sattanes boarding house on Jefferson
avenue and fell into an a!mless. DRIFT
Ing sort of life. in which the dinner
bell was the most important part VI
the day. He took long tramps. assld-
uously read the daily paper. Interested
himself In the other boarders ana
vaguely turned over schemes for his
future. With $4,000 he could surely
make some kind Of start somewhere.
But what precise form Of start ana
what "somewhereT'
Meanwhile he smoked his pipe ana
made friends with the other boarders.
The principal Of these was Hunter
Hoyt, a genial. fat old scamp Of ffty'
never altogether sober, though vary
ingly drunk. who in his palmy days
had been II sensational journalist OF
some celebrity Ia the newspaper world
of New York and San Francisco
Drink had been his ruin. and he was
now doing reporter work for the local
Manaswan paper. the Banner. Shah
by. jolly and always with u flower In
his buttonhole and pleasant Qf often
inarticuate, word for everybody. Hoyt
was one of those irresistible nuisances
who are popular when better men are
not He never paid Mrs. Sattane more
than half his bill: his engagement with
the Banner was almost In the nature
Of aims to fallen greatness; the liquor
dealers allowed him to fine them an
lnca!culable number Of bottles Of whis-
ky. Even the flower he was 80 par
ticular about was never paid for. ex-
cept by an amiable condescension that
Signor Tony Frendo perforce accepted
e., lyan ~ coch There was eyerywhere