The Meeker herald., 1921-03-12
Aladdin's Lamp
By cEMEvIEvE ULMAR


Ned Burton's way. His fathers farm
ran down to the river and at the little
inlet one morning Ned came across an
old house boat. II lay In shallow wa
ter. the hold had been STAYED In. but
Its cabin was intact. although the
deck had been stripped Of everything
Of value.
ut has been abandoned" Ned told
his sister Airline. ''and it's ours. isn't
III have famous idea. I'm going
to get our crowd OF boys to haul II
clear ashore. prop It up, paint and re-
pair 1t and well use II as sort Of
river club house"
The young friends Of Ned Burton en-
tered with n vim and spirit into the
project Within few days they had
the old craft hauled free OF the water
line and set solidly on the sandy soil.
II was pretty spot, lined with trees
and bushes. and for two weeks there
was constant work on the Interior Of
the cabin. Airline assisted In this.
fectively AS her brother and pIeced
some old carpeting In the home gar
ret to make rug for the cabin floor.
She conxed some old pieces Of broken
furniture from her mother, lOopcd
some curtains at the windows and
felt almost rs much interested In this
shore palace as Ned himself.
Airline came Into the cabin one after
noon to find Ned seated at Its table
with the parts of hanging lamp be-
fore him. 1t had been gorgeous ar.
ticle In Its primitive perfectness. II
had globe with dangling crystals,
pulled up and down on chain. and
pnlleys. and promised to become the
principal ornament of the now coy
and neat appearing cabin.
"Why. where did you get It. Ned"
she questioned In wondermcnt.
Pushed way back in that cubby
hole behind the closet" explained Ned.
THE chain Is broken and the globe
has n piece out Of It. It's famous
lamp and holds lots Of oil. I'll bet II
makes great light" and he rubbed
briskly at the furnished metal. "Sny.
II reminds me OF Aladdln's lamp.
Maybe this is going to mend all our
bad luck"
They had known bad luck. or called II
that. In the past. Crops had been
poor, an uninsured barn on the home
place had burned down with some farm
machinery II contained. and Ned had
to stay away from school to help out.
There we're no parties or village fes.
tivities for charming Airline that year,
but she cheerfully did her share Of the
work and hoped for better times.
Tho lamp was set in place. every
thing ready for celebration Of tho
event arranged, and airline was alone
In the cabin tidying 1t up for the ex-
pcctcd guests who were to arrive in m
hour. Ned Ind gone after them. Her
work completed, Airline snt looking
over portfolio that Ned had found
In the woods the day previous. He
had come across It under tree where
some one had cnmped. for there wns
evidence of this fact In scattered food
and the ashes Of n fire. Ned had
brought the article to Airline. explain
ing nll this.
The portfolio was made OF fine Ienth-
err and was apparently costly, and
there In gilt letters on Its exterior the
initials V. d. Inside were some 30
pencil sketches. md one Of them was
that Of Airline standing ut the well Of
the old home. She was pleased, yet
mystificd at this, and more 20 ut sew
ernl roughly penciied sketches In
which the same face and figure were
canvnses."
1.-The portfolio belongs to some art
LIST on his summering jaunt." decided
Airline. HE must have been near the
house when I did not See him. and
made that hurried sketch Of me. Why
hns he been using It us n model for
more ambitious pictures? Certainly
have no such beauty and grace rs
these exncting artists require for their
canvnses."
Just Mt that moment. although she
was unaware Of It. some one was
viewing her through the open cabin
window, attributing to her indeed Just
those characteristics Of perfection. She
made n perfect picture for painter.
poet or lover at that moment. The
bright light fell across her fair golden
hair. setting II all glimmer with
radiance. her unique environment
served to brighten the effect Of her
dnintiness and loveliness by contrast
with her somewhat unusual surround
Inys. II was the eye Of a painter that
took all this in. that of Vane Darrell. and
he reveled In the fascinating element
of the scene.
She was his girl Of the well whom
he had sketchcd from n covert near
the house week agone In his casual
summering stroll. The impression Of
that moment was lasting with him.
and now II was intensified with glad
ness as he recognized his sketch port
folio on the table before this charm.
ing young lady. A meeting was inev-