The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-12


six wears. on his 2ist birthday his
fathers influence had placed him In
tat responsible position. He had never
been obliged to angle dscouragingly In
Improbable waters. as is the common
lot OF boys not born with the traditional
silver spoon in their mouths. Allan
Wentworth. Sr.. had fought the break
ers In the surging whirlpool OF money
getting and money losing with sufii-
cient winnings on his side To enable
him TO start his only son in the eXcit-
ing game Of finance many points ahead
of contemporary, struggling Degin-
ners. Young Wentworth dashed right
into the battle OF thebusiness world
without any preliminaries whatever.
six years he worked continuously and
well. with attention unfiagging. evinc-
ing tho greatest business tact, the ut
most fidelity, the most scrupuious
honesty. Association with older men
advanced him mach beyond his years.
At the age OF q he was rightfully rec
ognized all over the state of California
as the young Napoleon OF finance, the
model Of every fathers son. the COW
eted parti for every mothers daughter.
He selected from the socia. whirl Miss
Sylvia Lawrence as his life partner.
After the necessary days, grudgingly
allotted by this busy man, for the
honeymoon. the newly made husband
rushed TO his office with the avowei
purpose OF making up for lost time"
To him business was all absorbing.
lie never left 10, carried II with him
always In his home, at his table, by
his firesde; IL was his theme with
which he entertained his young wife.
his young wife's friends when he mad
time TO speak to them; IL was his polit-
ical law, his religious dogma. his the
n. ftsN II
course, his everything.
But few months elapsed. Even
while their honeymoon was I'm its first
quarter. clouds OF such impenetrable
thickness so obscured the sky OF these
young people that they needs must
grope I'm the darkness OF deepest sorrow
and abJect shame.
Allan Wentworth. the steady-going,
the perfectly proper Allan Wentworth
was a defaulter, fleeing for fear of ar
rest. a sneaking semblance OF his old
time fascinating. magnetic personality.
afraid 70 look his brother man in the
face!
Pity only intensified the wife's love.
Without a murmur. Sylvia shared AL
lan'S shame Faithfully she followed
him I'm his hide-and-seek game with
the officers of the law. Sfss could never
forget her terror when Allan, with cruel
bluntness. told her OF his crime. nor
how her heart almost failed her when
he tremblingly told her that they must
leave their home that very night,
stealthily on foot, for the sleuth hounds
of the law were already on his tracks.
How nervous his hand twttched when
he took hers. and his furtive eye
glanced in the darkness as together
they stepped out into the night. How
with nervous energy he hurried her
along the darkest streets. How capz.
tiously they entered the railroad sta
tion and took a train southbound. How
at midnight they left the car at
small town and Immediately sought
refuge In a dingy railroad hotel.
When on the morning following
Wentworth's flight a note was found
upon his Office desk blazoning 10 the
world his unfaithfulness, his brother
officials treated II as huge. though
indscreet Joke. 1t was without an en-
velope and had prying eyes seen IL a
rumor might have been started not at
all pleasant for the institution. II read:
Il am a defaulter to the bank.
have abstracted many thousands or
dollars-how many only close exam
inati0n Of my books will show. All 10
gonei
ALLAN WENTWORTH"
When the usual hour for his appear
ance had passed and he had not come
mild surprise was expressed by his
associates. When noon arrived and he
was still absent the surprise had be-
come a subject of anxious discussion.
Such thing had not occurred I'm the
six years of His service. When the
messenger boy returned and said that
Wentworth had left home the night
before and that no one knew just when
nor where he had gone, the anxious
surprise became fearful wonder-7won-
der engendered suspicion; suspicion
once born, breathless. It lives and
grows into belief.
The note was brought forth and ex-
amined minutely. The writing was
nervous, but 1t was his unmistakably:
most Irregular. but t was there.
IT was useless to try to hush the mat
ter. The cashiers confession of guilt
had been made too publicly for that.
Soon there were whispers that dare not
be spoken. Then rumors that would
not down began to float in the air.
first softly and vaguely. then louder
and yet louder they were agitated In
tones OF bolder, assertions until the bank
was gradually thrown into consterna-
ton. The president called a meeting
Of the directors.
Well. I can scarcely believe my own
eyes" he said as no finished reading
Wentworth's note to them. There n
one thing sure" he added with bated
breath, "if, Allan Wentworth has de-
faulted, IL must be for enough to close
these doors He would never do any,
thing small; no. not even small
theft"
Experts were put upon the books at
once and private detectives engaged To
trace the whereabout of the fugitive.
"Haven't you noticed how queerly
wentworth has been acting lately?'
asked the teller of an accountant.
Yes, no one could help noticing the
change. Not with his usual frankness.
His eyes for a month haven't looked an
honest men In the face. not even when
he talked. A bad sign. my friend-a
bad sign when fellow can't look you
I'm the eyes. Poor Wentworth"
He has been extremely nervous
lately and seemed 20 shun every one of
us. No wonder; guess II kept him
pretty busy trying to cover up bis
tracks. 7 have no doubt his SYSTEM
attic swindling has been going on for
long time. / never did like him. AL
ways thought he had much too wide
scope for such a young fellow"
After a few more like comments they
separated. each one perfectly satisfied
with MS own conviction OF the guilt of