Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-11-21

II he OlRsrff' - Il Gilt Sfgr
/ practice, Thov were 10 ha
ried In November. Here Lir "
ably brought a sob up short Sou,e.'
| very foreign to business matters mac .
| hooking blur across the pic; TT. A month
went by. She hearo that k4i cS, .rt1
town. There was no one to upbraiC her
| for her fickleness. for she was without
relatives, and held her frierds proudly
| aloof. The voice Of her heart she would
not listen to.
The package OF papers still lay uh-
touched. when one day an advertisement
| In the morning paper claimed her notice.
Sne read and re-read. the idea taking al
most visible grip on her:
Wanted-Party with IS 900 20 invest
In strictly legitimate business. Security
given and rs per cent. dividends guaran-
teed. Call on or address J. Cresco, 400
Blank Bldg, Chicago"
Linda devoted several minutes to ex-
cited calculation Her bonds bore only
per cent; they could easily be con-
verified into cash. Under Ksrke's man
agement her income, though reliable as
the sunrise, had never gone above eight
per cent. Here was a chance to more
than treble 1t.
Linda Investigated the matter, palpi-
tating with freedom that hurt while Il
exhilarated. She found J. Cresco all that
could be desired, at least In deferential
courtesy and bland confidence She left
his office wrapped In dreams OF luxury,
but extremely misty as to her concep-
lions OF the business" whose returns
were to realize them.
During the following three months she
reveled-or tried ton reflections over
her shrewdness. At the end of that time,
her promised profits did not appear. She
waited two weeks, when a suave letter
came, expressing regret at the delay. and
promising payment directly. Six
weeks passed, flied with growing fore
bodings. She had put all her available
cash into the scheme. and began now to
be decidedly cramped to meet her bills.
At exactly the end of the balf-year. she
wrote very decided demand for a remit
lance.
The answer delayed. Then, one morn
Ing, Linda took up her paper, to
read under staring headlines an ac-
count OF "Get-rich-quick" institutions
raided, and prominent among them the
name of her Golden Vision.
There seemed to be no way but to
swallow her pride, and face the ignominy
OF having been victimized She went to
lawyer. who in turn referred her to a
well-known legal firm in the city. In this
thinly-veiled superciliousness Linda
read her doom; and II is to be hoped
more frightened and desolate soul new
err set out on that journey.
In the luxurious private Offices Of Gay,
Overman & Co., the second-named gen.
tleman was DOMINIC hat and gloves. He
turned back at the last minute. address
ing the firms latest acquisition In a
junior partner:
Gay said there'd be woman In at
three, to see something about that Cresco
business. Shed invested all she had. I
believe. Gay said to tell her she might
as well try to pump up the bed of the
Pacific. and that we couldn't undertake
suit"
He went out. The matter had half
slipped the new partners mind. when an
office boy laid a card on his desk. He
had barely glanced at II when the door
opened, and his client was admitted.
She stood transfixed. as he rose; hot
flush ran up to her forehead. and then
she grew pale as lily.
"Kirke!" she gasped.
''Linda!" he cried, coming quickly
forward Good Lord, dear, II wasn't
you who got caught in that beastly
scheme?"
Linda drew back Her lips quivered.
and her lashes dropped heavily. Kirke
stopped. but only for an instant. The
sight of her misery was sending the old
protective tenderness thrilling through
him. to the obliteration of his wrongs.
He followed persistently, and took pos
session of her hands.
you'll have to let metake care OF you,
now, darling" he declared. with sudden.
mischievous triumph. Every cent Of
your money is eone!"
Linda tried to pull away, and failed.
Back of the crushing shame that her hui
initiation lay bare before the last eyes
she desired should see It, something else
was working havoc within her.
1T can starve. then" she retorted an
grily. Let go my hands, Kirke Morris!
What would Helen Ritter say?"
He loosed his hold. staring.
Helen Ritter?" he repeated, In aston
ishment; Helen Morris you mean She
and Cousin Dick were married five
months ago. Good Heavens!"-as light
burst suddenly upon limit can't be
you were jealous. dear. because escorted
Helen to a few places! She was my
aunt's guest, you know, and Dick was
confined to the store"
Kirke's arm was around her, but she
slipped out of 1t and hid her face
IF am so poor" she began, but
Kirke gathered her resolutely to him
again.
"And since you are" he finished for
her, with happy laugh. I'm going to
make 1t the business OF my life to prove
the scriptures true. in that have the
moor ALWAYS with me"