The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-02


Porter had told him nothing about it.
You can attend to this easily2"
Yes, certainly. Mr.. Fenton spoke
to me about the matter this after
noon. 1t is very important and he
wished me to report to him as soon
are in your fathers box" he said. HE
Is always very methodical." He smiled
at her reassuringly and rose. She did
not ask him to stay longer, but went
to fetch the key.
1t was small, thin bit Of steel.
Wheaton turned 1t over in his hand.
'I'll return the key tomorrow,
after I've found the papers Mr.. Fen
ton wants."
Very well; I hope you will have
no difficulty"
He still held the key in his fingers,
not knowing whether this was his dis
missal or not.
There is one thing more, Mr..
Wheaton. Father seemed very much
troubled about this Traction mat
ter"
Very unnecessarily, I'm sure" said
Wheaton, soothingly. ~
He evidently wished all the papers
he has concerning the company to be
given to Mr.. Fenton. Now, this prob
ably Is Of no importance whatever,
but several years ago father gave me
some stock in the street railway COM
pany. 1t came about thru a little fun
making between us. We were talking
of railway passes-yqu know he never
accepts any''-Wheaton: blinked-
land told him I'd like to have pass
on something, even If it was only a
street car line"
She was smiling in her eagerness
that he should understand perfectly.
And he said he guessed he could
fix that by giving me some stock in the
company. / remember that he made
light Of it when thanked him, and
said it wasn't SO important as it
looked. He probably forgot 1t long
ago. had forgotten It myself
brought the stock down, thinking that
Mr.. Fenton might have use for It,"
She went over to the mantel and
picked up a paper, while he watched
her; and when she put 1t into his
hand he turned it over. 1t was a
certificate for one hundred shares. is
sued in due form to Evelyn Porter,
| but was not assigned.
| 1T may be important" said
Wheaton, regarding the paper thought
fully. Mr.. Fenton will know. 1t
couldn't be used without your name on
the back" he said, indicating the
place on the certificate.
"Oh, should I sign it?'' she asked
in the curious fluttering way in which
many women approach the minor de-
! tails of business. Wheaton hes1tated;
he did not imagine that this block OF
stock could be of Importance, and yet
the tentative business association with
Miss Porter was so pleasant that he
| yielded to a temptation to prolong it..
| Yes, you might sign it," he said.
4 Evelyn went to her fathers table
and wrote her name as Wheaton in
Dictated.
"a witness is required and I will
| = Sof n
at the table and signed his name be-
side hers, while she stood opposite
| him. the tips of her fingers resting
on the table.
Evelyn Porter" and James
Wheaton He blotted the names
standing by him, slightly mystifed as
women often are by the fact that their
signatures have value. He felt that
| there was something intimate in the
| fact of their signing themselves to-
| gether there. He was thrilled by: her
beauty. The black lace falling from
her elbows made a flmy traceryf upon
her white arms. Her head. was bent
toward him, the shaded lamp cast a
| glow upon her face and throat, and
her slim, white. hands rested on%the
table SO near that he could have
touched them. She bent her gaze
upon him gravely; she, too, felt that
his relations with her father made a
tie between them; he was older than
the other men who came to see her;
she yielded him a respect for his we'll
won success. A vague sense of what
her father liked in him crept into her
mind in the moment that she stood
looking down on him; he was quiet
deft and sure-qualities which his
smoothly combed black hair and i'm
maculate linen seemed to emphasize
She gave, in her ignorance of business
an exaggerated Importance to the trt-
fling transaction which he had now
concluded. He smiled up at her as he
put down the pen.
said, rising.
1T must be very interesting when
you understand it, she answered.
I'm sorry-so very sorry for your
trouble. I hope-if I can serve you
in any way you will not hesitate
Neither moved. They regarded each
other across the table with a serious
fixed gaze; the sweet girlish spirit in
her was held by some curious fascin-
ating power in him. He bent toward
her, his hand lightly clenched on the
edge of the table.
Il hope there may never be a time
when you will not feel free to com
mand me-in any way" He spoke
slowly; his words seemed to bind g
chain about her and she could not
move or answer. With sudden ges.
ture he put out his hand; it almost
touched hers, and she did not shrink
away.
Good evening, Mr.. Wheaton," Mrs
Whipple. handsome and smiling, sent
her greeting from the threshold, anC
swept into the room; and when she
took his hand she held it for a mo.
ment, as an elderly woman may, while
she child him for his remissness ir
never coming to call on her.
On sway down the slope to the car
, Wheaton felt in his pocket severa
times to be sure of the >key. There
was something the least bit uncann5
in his possession Of it. Yesterday, as
| he knew we'll enough, William Porter
would no more have intrusted the KEY
. of his private box to him or to any one
else than he would have burned dowr
. his house. He read into his erranC
a trust on Porter's part that included
Porter's daughter, too; but he got lit
) tie satisfaction from this. He wa!
!, only the most convenient messenger
available. His spirits rose and fell a!
, he debated
! The downtown streets were yer,
} quiet when he reached the business
the bank and knocked for the watch
). man to admit him. He took off hi
overcoat and hat and laid them dowr
carefully on his own desk.
Going to work tonight, Mr.
t Wheaton," asked the watchman.
, Wheaton felt that he owed it t,
. fo1o 10 = - =