The Press., 1919-05-15
Out
 Vest By RALPH HAMILTO
lcopyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper Union.)

fcopyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper Union) "An insufferable old boreW ."Yes, and looks and acts like beg gar. Thought from his talk when he went out West a year ago, he was going to come back with fortune. Looks to me as If he has about blown in all he has on that wild flower fad of his."
 "Yes, and he wants to find some place to store his rubbishy stuff. He won't turn this place into a warehouse, I can tell you!"
 Thus Abel Dallas, Dan Porter and Nat Wells. They were discussing their old bachelor relative, John Bristow, an odd, generous old fellow who had sold out quite extensive property hold ings in Evenden and had gone to the Pacific coast to speculate. They had built high hopes upon his return, for Bristow was natural born trader and had quite some capital. Naturally some one of them would inherit his fortune. Blasted anticipations changed to sullen disappointment after Bristow had made the rounds of their various homes, at the first welcome guest. Following him came lot of cases which he had temporarily stored in local warehouse. Their contents were soon revealed.
 "I suppose" announced Bristow, ''that have brought back with me the finest and most complete collection of the flora of the Rockies ever gathered. bought it from a man who had de- voted twenty years toward assem- bling them. Thinks I, there isn't much I have done for my native town, and here's the opportunity to make ten strike. What I'm going to do is to get at the collection, classify 1t, put it in permanent exhibition cases and present it to the public library for the enter tainment and enlightenment of the community"
 At which Abel secretly snickered, Dan anathemized the donation under his breath and Nat covertly sneered. The idea! The public library was 8 struggling proposition, poorly support ed and housed in small, gloomy quar- ters in the half attic of a rickety old store building.
 The inevitable resulted. The Dallas, the Porter and the Wells families, find ing that there was no opportunity of getting anything out of "the old fel- low" began to turn the cold shoulder upon him. One by one the three families ceased their coddling tactics. He was no longer the honored, well come guest and, one day when Bristow stated that he must find permanent living quarters and place to keep his floral treasures, not voice gainsaid his decision. It was while seeking his new refuge that one day Bristow met Nellie Tracy. Her sincere greeting warmed his lonely heart. She was his half niece, had recently married, and invited Bristow to her home. There he met her husband, about as fine young man as he had ever known. Both Ar mold Tracy ahd his wife were nature lovers. The second visit resulted in Bristow taking up his quarters at their home. They apportioned to him two rooms, so he could have his collection
 
 lOgue, making a minimum charge for the accommodation because they were really interested in his specimens and liked him, and nearly every evening took an honest delight in helping him In his work of classifying the floral collections.
 John BristOw was certainly an ar dent devotee of his expressing fad. He talked flowers to everybody, announc ing that when Judge Pearsons return ed from a visit to some relatives in the East, they would begin to plan as to getting the collection in charge of the public library. This MT. Pearsons was an eX-judge, great friend of Bristow, and had been the main nov CT in establishing the Evenden IT, brary.
 Meantime the Dallas and the Porter ter and the Wells families barely rec ognized the old man when they passed him on the street. Bristow went about in shabby attire and they attributed this to lack of money. They sneered at the kindly cooperation of the Tracys. They derided the philanthropic impulses of Bristow. There being no evidences that he had not exhausted his former means, they regarded him as unworthy of any consideration.
 And one evening Judge Pearsons walked into the Tracy home and there was a great cOnfab. He commended the worthy motives of the old man, and dilated upon the pleasure and the ed ucation the floral collection would give to students and nature lovers.
 "It seems a shame to place such treasures in the poor. common quarters we now occupy" he remarked.
 "Oh! l wanted to see you about that" exclaimed the enthusiast in a lively tone. You see, I've been wait ing to have you help me plan out new building for the library"
 "A new building!" repeated the judge vaguely.
 "That's what I am going to do."
 "But the cost-the money"
 "Oh, I've got plenty for that" quite then he directed queer, affectionate smile at Nellie and Arnold Judge" he said, 'soon as we can get together for a good talk, I want you to make out the papers for ten thousand dol lar donation to the new library, and as much more for these two loyal friends, who have stool by me like Trojans, never caring if I had only a dollar or one hundred thousand of them. which