Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-10-15
1 BROKEN S|xPE:NCE
BY CHARLOTTE LEE.


his uncle's absurd legacy.
"a broken sixpence," repeated the
lawyer, looking mildly over his spec
tacles at the chagrined young man. 1t
sounds very ridiculous, Mr.. Worthlng,
bat regard it as merely a manifesto
ton of your late uncle's extreme inter.
est in the art of unraveling mysteries.
But the idea of bringing me up to
suppose that | should inherit a snare
of his fortune and then cutting me OH
with but half a broken sixpence!
"And leaving you a large fortune on
condition that you find the other half
Of the broken sixpence," quietly I'm
ished the lawyer.
Dick laughed again.
He might have omitted turning the
knife around in the wound" he grim
aced. It's harder than hunting a
needle in haystack. l wouldn't know
how to look for the other half Of a
broken sixpence-broken, Lord knows
how many years! It's simply another
manner Of disinheriting me-
Mir. Tapping suppressed smile that
lurked around his thin lips.
IF you believe that, Mr.. Worthing,
my advice would be to find that six
pence and have the laugh on your
uncle after ALL
Dick shrugged his shoulders.
Very we'll, Mr.. Tapping, I'll take
your advice and do some sleuthing for
that sixpence. But, say, why didn't
Uncle Joe make it half a dime or half
silver quarter? Why a sixpence?"
Again Mr.. Tapping suppressed a
smile.
Perhaps because your first clue
lies in the fact that it was a broken
siXpence." Then he added in a panic
stricken tone: Nov l utterly refuse
to be questioned any further. prom
ised your uncle not to help you
Dick picked up his hat
Il may as we'll take my siXpence,
Mr. Tapping" he suggested. "Ill have
to fit it to the other half when l
find it, you know"
The lawyer gave him tiny white
box. It's in there"-his voice dropped
to an unaccustomed tone of familiarity
-''and Dick, my lad, guard it carefully
it means your fortune-and I'll war
rant your happiness as WE'LL"
Dick thanked him soberly and left
the office. He chose to walk down the.
long flights to the street, and as he
went he unused over the lawyers con-.
Guiding words.
My happiness!" he muttered grim
ly. "As if l hadn't lost out on every
thing the past month-the girl loved,
poor old Uncle Joe, and now my legacy,
is only half of a broken siXpencew
He turned. into his club and sat
down in the cool east window that
: faced the avenue. His quarterly al
lowance had been untouched in his
pockets when Uncle Joe died so that
his immediate future was assured, but
what to do when that melted away
scared him. He was an architect by
profession, but Uncle Joe had never
wanted him to open an office, assuring
him that it would not be necessary.
Now, the reading of the old mans
will left him adrift with few hundreds
in his pockets and all the tastes of a
rich mans pampered nephew.
III try the sixpence first" he de-
cided after an hours bitter cognition.
Tapping says my first clue lies in the
fact that the broken coin is sixpence.
What Significance is there in broken
sixpence?''
He put the question to the next
man who came into the room
"A broken sixpence," explained
Freddy Morehouse thoughtfully. is
pledge of constancy between lovers
sort of an old English custom among
humble folk, don't you know? The
man sewers a siXpence in twain and
gives the girl half and keeps the other
half himself. If one desires to end the
the siXpence. See?"
Yes" answered Dick vaguely 81 be.
lieve l have clue"
"A clue?'' asked Freddy curiously.
Rather more like clue to patri-
mony," was Dicks mysterious reply as
he went away.
Celia Moore had been engaged to
Dick Worlhing; but Celia was poor and
very proud and she fancied that the
engagement was CALLING to her lover
and that his marriage to humble lit
tie stenographer would estrange Dicks
stern Uncle Joe and darken that be-
loved young mans life with poverty.
So Celia, after the manner of some
women having nerved herself to the
ordeal of an entirely unnecessary sac.
rifice, quarreled with the bewildered
Dick and proudly gave him back the
ring.
SO a number of people were quite
unhappy about this time when this ad.
vertisement appeared in a morning
newspaper:
WANTED-Lost half Of broken six
pence, year 1870. One hundred dol
lars reward paid for missing half. Ad
dress L. X. b.
Now Celia Moore wanted 800 very
badly. There was great specialist
who might help her mother to perfect
health, and 500 would pay for the
treatment. Celia had talked it over
many times with the family physician
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