The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-12-20

IL he had been able to communicate
with Langdale and express his sense
OF gratitude the day would have been
perfect, but Langdale was celebrating
Christmas In some secure retreat, no
one knew where.
On Saturday morning Macmillan
went 10 the city and spent IN hour or
more In his once. He was at work
there and singing as he tofled when
there came a tap at the door. Mac
milan admitted n young man. whom
he presently recognized NO q clerk Of
Langdale'S. -
4Mr. Macmillan" said this man,
without SO much a % q bow by way OF
greeting. did you receive a letter
with q check IN III.
Eyes" answered Macmillan cheerily;
81. received it Thursday afternoon"
The visitor moistened his lips.
"You haven't cashed Il YETI" he
asked.
"But ] have" was thea reply. II
needed the money right away"
The young man sank down In q
chair.
ppm Knocked out, ! guess," he said
I'm q high keyed voice. Tn done for
| that's the truth about me-"
"Why. what's the Inattefr'
"rYe Neen spscdl2t1hE-we an do-in
LAnedaleAs %hop. We get tips, you
know-some good, some bad. but they
all look good. A fellow who 10 q sort
Of an ONCE boy there has made over
$4,000" and he laughed n%ervously,
"but / couldn't make a cent. On. II
was my OWE money. There's nothing
wrong. But It's knocked me out.
| don't know what I'm doing. drew
/ that check OF yours. Here's Mr.. Lang
dale's memorandum, $4,000 Well.
couldn't see the decimal point, and
though I'd heard him say fifty, | drew
1t for $1,000, and he signed It"
He passed a crumpled slip Of paper
60 Macmillan, whose hair had begun
to stir at the roots. Upon the paper
were these words scrubbed In pencil
"Draw check to order Of Richard Mac
milan for $4,000"
Most men wouldn't write the last
two ciphers at all" said the clerk. 'fbui
Nh. LAngdale always does. So
might have known what the amount
was. I've drawn enough checks foi
him In the last three years"
Macmillan passed his hand along tt
top OF his head.
This IN very Important" he said
"Of course Il shall be rectifed. but
but I'm afraid I can't command tht
money Immediately. will explain
however, to Mr. Langdale ON Monday
and" he added, moved by the weari
ness and misery In the others counte
nance, "I will put In q good word 70
you
~1Fs- kind or you TO say 90" respond
ed the clerk. MY name In Tunbridge.'
He rose and stretched himself like
weary animal. then moved sttfty to
ward the door. But Macmillan callet
him back and talkedAto him for On lOnt
time cheerfuIIy, so that he went ava,
In better spirits. This kindness wa
very Ill reQuited. though not wtllfully
for poor TVnbrtdEe was wholly una
ware that he had added to Macmll
Ian,s burden. The fact Is, however
that he had made Macmillan e clear
" what an ~egregious blind owl he ha'
been. Surely the feeblest perceptiV
powers should have suflced to inform
him that the check had been sent Il
error. The whole tenor Of the not
which Accompanied Il was relevant o
ELangdale's design, He had malicious
y renewed his contribution Of $50 T
Macmillan's charity fund In order {
Imply that he believed the clergyma,
had called upon him for the purpose o
reminding him Of It
Macmillan had spent about $500 o
the money in such q way that he cout
never get Il back. and Amy would nc
be benefted one penny unless IN
should disburse about $500 more. o
Monday, and this, Of course. he couI
not do. How he was to return On
s., SOC. to Langdale within a REASONABLE
time he did not know. he had, stole
Il, In effect, for the simplest commo
sense should have kept him from sue
frantic haste. Monday would, hay
served him quite as well as Thursda
for the payments and would hav
given him opportunity. to, assure hin
self Of the reality Of Langdale's ger
crosby.
Nj. and Mrs. Langdale returned froI
a Christmas visit on Monday morning
, and the lady went on alone TO the
home In Larchmont, whence she tel.
phoned to her husbands at his OHIO
about IL O'Clock. The chief part z
, her message was that she had foun
some very pretty presents that Ra
been sent by Miss Amy Branford an
! Miss Martha Macmillan. How did hs
husband account for this3 Had :
not told her OF a quarrel with "a
!, Macmillan a year ago1 Had y o Y
advised her against sending apgthin
| to Miss sBranford and Miss Macntiiar
Langdale had neglected. 30 tell h
wife about Macmillan,g call and ha
! wtiffully concealed his own malign jel
In the matter OF the hfty dollar checl
,1NoW therefore. he disclosed the one an
. afilI hid the other