Carteret Academy - Carteret Yearbook (Orange, NJ)

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fl air i ii ll ill ll l l l llll lllill! By Harry S. Osborne-First Prize Carteret Short Story Contest. An elderly gentleman entered my office one day, and gave me a letter of introduction from the Librarian of Congress. He said his name was John Caseworthy, and he told me the following story: My father moved to South America when I was about five years old. He took all our furniture and household goods. In fact, he took everything we owned. This picture was among our possessions. He put all his money in a rubber plantation, and managed to make enough out of it to keep us going. But when he died, the plantation went to pot. I tried to keep it up, but failed. I gradually sold most of the fur- niture, but I kept this picture. I don't know why, but I did. When I came to New York, I brought it with me in case I should need money very badly. I dog so I'm selling it. What I get for it is going towards some new chemical scheme for the plantation. When I get all I need, I'm going back and try to make a success out of the place. Do you realize how much the picture is worth ? I asked, It's by Gilbert, and Gilbert's pictures of Washington are the most valuable there are. I didn't know exactly what it was worth, but I knew it was worth a great deal, he replied. Well, I'll have to investigate and compare it with some other pic- tures, if you don't mind. Be here the day after tomorrow at this time. Good day. When Mr. Caseworthy had gone, I took the picture of our famous President to an expert. Together we Went to the Museum of Art, where there are some of Gilbert's pictures. We compared the .signature on mine with those on the other pictures, and found them to be exactly the same. Then we went to the library Where we repeated the process of comparison. The expert announced that the picture was a perfect original and a safe buy.

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THE CARTERET 23 You,re lucky to-get such a good portrait so cheap, he added. I was very much pleased with myself and considered it very lucky that I should have found such a great portrait. ' At the appointed hour Caseworthy appeared, and I told him of my decision. As we sat talking over the qualities of the picture, I noticed something very queer about the nose. Mr, Washington never had a nose like that, I thought, as I moved to examine the peculiarity. As soon as I moved, the strangeness disappeared and the nose seemed perfect. Caseworthy noticed that I saw something and asked me what it was. 'The nose seemed a little queer, but I guess it was only an optical illusion, I answered. Right away he changed the subject and seemed more or less fidgety. However, I took no notice of this at the time, and began to look for my check book, which seemed to have been misplaced. Here we were interrupted by the ollice boy, who came in to deliver the morning mail. The pile was carelessly put down and it started to slide off the desk. Without looking straight at it, I caught and put it where it belonged. While doing this, I recognized the envelopes of two firms I was acquainted with. They were both art galleries. One in Chicago, and the other in San Francisco. When the boy had closed the door, I resumed the search for my check-book. I found it in a table drawer behind my desk. I wrote out the check and gave it to Mr. Caseworthy. He thanked me very much and took his leave. What a very nice old gentleman, I thought, as I turned around to look at the picture. Again the nose looked strangely out of proportion. But the instant I moved, it seemed all right once more, and I couldn't for the life of me, catch the sight again, although I thought I did once while I was moving about the room. Then I remembered how nervous Mr. Caseworthy had been after I told him about the nose. I began wondering. All at once I didn't like Mr. Caseworthy nearly as much as I had. Puzzled, I sat down to glance over the mail. Right away I noticed that the two letters I had noted before were missing. I knew that no one had been in the room except Mr. Caseworthy and myself. I knew that I hadn't touched them, and I knew that letters do not run away. But what could Mr. Caseworthy have wanted with those letters? And why those two, especially? I was quite sure one of them had a special delivery stamp on itg so it at least must have been important. I began to dislike hir. Caseworthy very much.