The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-11-27

necessity of one born to the Four Hum
dred, but left with small patrimony-to
face the world, to go out and labor in
the world of commercialism, his friend
and companion since boyhood and now
his colleague in the great brokerage
office of Durand, Durand & Durand.
'Vern,'' he said, Il want to tell you
something, so there will be no chance
for a mistake I have been fool and
got caught in the slump. This afternoon
I found | had to cover quick to try to
save myself I couldn't get to my safety
deposit box and convert my securities
quick enough, so did most indiscreet
thing. | took SIS 900 in A. T. & S. bonds
from the box and used them to cover
with. That is the same thing have my
money invested in. did not go beyond
the limit and / will get my bonds in the
vault the first thing in the morning. /
only speak of it to you, old man, so If
anything should happen for minute
in the morning you will understand
If Gerald Fuller could have seen the
look of malevolent hatred and triumph
which passed upon the face of his friend
he would not have slept so well that
night. He knew, to be sure, that Nor
dyke had been lover of his fiancee, but
it had been years ago and it was all set
tied now. 1t had been fair fight and
Gerald in his simple gentleman's soul
saw no reason why there should be
grudge But there was, as he was to
find on the morrow.
The next morning things were so busy
at Durand, Durand & Durand's that Full
lei had no opportunity to slip out to get
his securities from the safety deposit
box before noon. Long before that, how
ever, his friend" Mordyke had time to
get in his perfect work and there was a
quiet examination of the vaults by one
of the Durands, with the result that the
absence of the securities was noted, and
lust as Fuller was stepping out for
lunch, he was tapped on the shoulder
by an officer and placed under arrest.
He saw at once the terrible position he
was placed in and the futility of ex-
plantations weaker man would have
gone to pieces, bat Gerald Fuller came
of the Fullers, whose line extended back
as far as there was any local history.
The blue blood which flowed in his veins
had the real quality. With full ap-
probation of all the horror the crisis
meant--to him, to his honored name,
and most of all, to Edith-he never wa
ye3ad, nor begged. His motives had
been absolutely honest; no such posi-
bility had even suggested itself to him
but he saw at once the hopelessness
of trying to explain. He sent for the old
family lawyer and explained it to him.
It was a time however, of embezzle-
ments and breaches of trusts and en-
ployers were inclined to be merciless
in making examples.
The first thing Gerald did was to
write to Edith and without making full
exclamation, to assure her Of his perfect
integrity and then to insist upon her
full liberty from the engagement.
The trial came on and despite all
efforts to show intention, Fuller was
convicted and sentenced to six years in
the penitentiary. The newspapers COM
mented upon the case with owl-like wis
dom, calling attention to the degener-
acv of the descendants of honorable
families-and it was all forgotten, ex-
cept to the broken-hearted boy working
out the miserable years in a shoe shop
in a state prison. Three years later the
matter, then long forgotten, was
brought for a moment to the public at
ton by his pardon by the governor, to-
gether with a statement that the entire
amount involved had been sent to Du-
rand, Durand & Durand before the trial
began with an envelope marked not to
be opened until the trial closed.
Edith; then Mrs. Vernon Mordyke.
read the item with some interest-not
that she retained any sentiment for the
man who had deceived her and fallen
by the wayside, but her life was so bar
rem that even suoL matter was relief
to think about. Of course she had been
shocked and deeply offended at the fall OF
her idol and had proved an easy con-
quest for Mordyke, who had been ad-
vanced for his vigilance in detecting the
Fuller lapse But somehow she had not
found her married life all she had hoped
for Her husband was successful in
business and all the luxuries of life were
hers, but she found no camaraderie with
him and they lived their lonesome lives
even as so many of us do in upper ten
dom, without sympathy, without love
and without understanding, even If we
have the finest of houses, the finest OF
apparel, the finest of food, the finest IT
horses and more money than We know
how to spend
And so Gerald Fuller, scion of one OF