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Show - j - age with no other living relatives in America. He had labored hard and long to pay for his education and from the time he was a youngster, worked at odd jobs while going to school. Each achievement in his life was a stepping stone to the next goal that he set for himself, the first being his graduation from the University of California at Berkeley. For a while the lure of the sea gripped him and he joined the Merchant Marine and traveled the world over. Perhaps that is where his fascination for foreign lands and products first began. He started out by working for one of the large importing-exporting companies that were so common in San Francisco, and progressed quickly to an executive position, but he was determined to head his own business. Before long he branched out and was now owner and president of a flourishing import-export concern. The three storied red brick building which housed the offices were located on Sansome Street, in the heart of the commercial area of the old and colorful city. It was fast becoming one of the most well known of such companies. Jim Standish's business took him away from home quite often, and he traveled to Europe, Japan, Hongkong and the Phillipines, dealing in silks, teakwood, pearls, porcelain, and numerous other products. Penny and Vicky spent countless hours listening to the stories their father related to them about his travels. He was a perfect example of a self-made man. He and his wife, Athena, had instilled within their two young daughters a deep love for the beautiful and timeless traditions of the countries of their ancestors. "San Francisco is indeed a lovely city," said Jim. "But I don't see any city," said Vicky, her dark eyes curious and her curly brown hair dancing as she skipped up the stairway of the big veranda. "Strange as it may seem, we're still within the boundaries of the city proper," answered her father. "It just hasn't stretched out this far |