The midland journal., 1915-08-20
A BROKEN SIXPENCE
BY CHARLOTTE LEE.

ter as ne dlgeSted the full meaning OF
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.. Worthing,
but regard it as merely a manifesta-
tion 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 share
of his fortune and then cutting me off
with but half broken sixpence!'
"And leaving you large fortune on
condition that you find the other half
of the broken sixpence," quietly fin
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 / wouldn't know
how to look for the other half of
broken sixpence broken, Lord knows
how many years! It's simply another
manner of disinheriting me-
Mr.. Tapping suppressed a smile that
turked 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.
Every well, Mr.. Tapping, I'll take
your advice and do some sleuthing for
that sixpence But, say, why didn't
Uncle Joe make it half dime or half
silver quarter? Why sixpence?"
Again Mr.. Tapping suppressed a
smile.
Perhaps because your first clue
lies in the fact that 1t was a broken
sixpence." Then he added in a panic
stricken tone: Now / utterly refuse
to be questioned any further. l prom
ised your uncle not to help you"
Dick picked up his hat
Il may as well take my sixpence,
Mr.. Tapping" he suggested. III have
to fit 1t to the other half when /
find it, you know"
The lawyer gave him a tiny white
box. Its in there his voice dropped
to an unaccustomed tone of familiarity
and Dick, my lad, guard it carefully
1T means your fortune-and I'll war
rant your happiness as WELT"
Dick thanked him soberly and left
the Office. He chose to walk down the
long flights to the street. and as he
went he mused over the lawyers con-
cluding words.
My happinessl" he muttered grim
ly. "As il 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 sixpencei"
He turned into his club and sat
down in the cool east window that
faced the avenue. His quarterly al
llowance hada 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.
"I'll try the sixpence first," he de-
cided after an hours bitter cognitfon.
Tapping says my first clue lies in the
fact that the broken coin is sixpence
What Significance is there in a broken
sixpence?"
He put the question. to the next
man who came into the room
"A broken sixpence," explained
Freddy Morehouse thoughtfully, is a
pledge Of constancy between lovers
sort of an old English custom among
humble folk, don't you know? The
man sewers sixpence in twain and
gives the girl half and keeps the other
half himself, If one desires to end the
engagement, why. he or she sends back
the sixpence. See?"
Yes" answered Dick vaguely 4 be-
lieve 1 have clue
"A clue?r asked Freddy curiously.l
"A clue to matrimony, eh?"
Rather more like q clue to patri-
mony," was Dicks mysterious reply as
he went away.
Celia Moore had been engaged to
Dick Worthing. 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-Losth half of a broken six
pence. year 1870. One hundred dol