The Columbus commercial., 1907-08-13

aHe sent a messenger, as he usually
does
Betty nodded The bank swan and
for an instant her brain reeled as she
turned asTar, perplexed and vaguely
conscious of impending evil
Ten thousand dollarsl
Even to Betty's vague business rea-
soning $4,000 seemed a good deal to
lose track of. But there must be some
good reason why Gordon had filed In
the check for SO much, for Miss Max
wells methods Of dealing with the
management of her estate had not
changed, and though she still signed
all her checks, she serenely washed
her hands of further responsibility,
and Gordon usually filed them In
Once at home she hurried TO her
desk. She had a prejudice against
keeping her check book in order, and
an appalling number of hastily scraw1-
ed stubs confronted her. She worked
busily, covering pad with figures and
counting up totals on her fingers. But
1t was slow work, and near the end
one stub stared out from the rest pro-
vokingly.
1t was blank.
She leaned her elbows on the desk
and, resting her chin In her hands.
stared hard into space. There was the
check unaccounted for, and he had
filed it out for $4,000 No one knew
how many others he had used. He
was welcome to the money She would
not fight 1T if she could. But he had
seemed so different, and she had trust
ed him. Slowly her head sank on the
desk, and the heiress of the Maxwell
millions cried her eyes out like any
ordinary lovesick girl.
1t was ten hours later-ten dreary,
interminable hours-that the clock on
Betty's dressing table chimed l.
Betty shivered. No sleep had come
to her eyes. Getting out of bed, she
slipped into a dressing gown She
would read. Anything would be bet
ter than lying in bed open eyed and
sleepless moaning over James Gordon
Her book was in the library. She
opened her door and ran hurrfedly
down into the hall below Pushing
open the library door very gently, she
entered the room, then uttered a faint
scream
The room was lighted by the faint
rays of bullseye lantern.
Standing at her desk with his back
to her, opening her check book, was
Tom Cornish.
Starting convulsively at sound of her
cry, he turned and confronted her,
white to the lips Betty" he stam-
mered.
Miss Maxwell stood very still.
'Tom," she said, "why did you do
it?"
But Tom had fallen into a chair and
hidden his shamed face in his hands.
ITS all up" he said hoarsely I'm
dead broke, and | thought / stood a
chance to stake myself once more. I've
had the DEVILS own luck lately /
lost every cent of that other check
Betty looked at him as If in a dream.
1.-THE check-your check. / was dead
broke-debts everywhere-and | got
hold of your check book. I knew Cor
don did about as he pleased-and 1t
was your signature all right. l meant
TO give 1t back to you, Betty, as soon
as my luck turned, really did"
But to his mystification Betty was
looking at him with shining eyes. ut
was you who cashed the check for
ten thousand" she repeated softly. 1T
was you-it was you"
1t was weeks before she told Cor
don, and he, being a wise young man
in his generation, said no word of her
bygone injustice, but his arms went
round her, and he held her close, while
she, crying quietly, hid her face against
his coat.
mo other man would have under
Stood" she whispered softly.