The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-07
Our Daily Short Story

seen ner. ana Sne must nave UeSn III
earnest. She wasn't the kind OF girl
to let a man-@and as memory gripped
him, he plunged gloomi1y on.
1t was several days later that Miss
Maxwell. blues owned and demure,
turned into the entrance of a bank on
lower Broadway and walked calmly to
the paying teller's window
II suppose you know that this over
draws your account, Miss Maxwell,
said that gentleman handing out
packet Of fresh banknotes.
The girl stared at him in astonish-
ment. mo, / did not know--I had
not thought" she said nervously.
That last check was rather large
ten thousand
"Ten thousand" repeated Betty
weakly.
Yes. We did not question it, of
course, because Mr. Gordon so often
draws large amounts" He looked at
her keenly. 1T was all right, sup
poser"
Yes. oh yes" said Betty unsteadily.
TT was all right. III suppose Mr..
Gordon cashed itT'
HE sent messenger. as he usually
does"
Betty nodded. The bank swan and
for an instant her brain ree1ed, as
she turned away, perplexed and
vaguely conscious. of impending evil.
Ten thousand dollars?
Even to Betty's vague business rea-
soning, ten thousand dollars seemed a
good deal to lose track of. But there
must be some good reason why Cor
don had filled in the check for so
much. For Miss Maxwelfs 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 fur
Their responsibility, and Gordon usual
ly filled them in.
Once at home she hurried to her
desk. She had prejudice agains.
keeping her checkbook in order and
an appalling number of hastily
scrawled stubs confronted her. She
worked busily, covering pad with
figures, and counting UP totals on her
fingers. But it was slow work, and
near the end one stub started out from
the rest provokingly.
1t was blank.
She leaned her elbows on tho desk.
and resting her chin in her hands
stared hard into space. There was
the check unaccounted for and he had
filled it out for ten Thousand dollars.
No one knew how many others he had
used. He was welcome to the mon
ey. She would not fight it if she
could. But he had seemed SO differ
ent-and she had trusted him. Slowly
her head sank on the desk and the
heiress of the Maxwell millions cried
her eyes out like any ordinary love-
sick girl.
1t was ten hours later--ten dreary.
interminable hours, that the clock on
Betty's dressing table chimed one.
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 Cor
den.
Her book was in the library. She
opened her door and run hurriedly
down into the hall below. Pushfns Z
open the library door very gently she
entered the room--then uttered a faint
scream.
The room was lighted by the faint
rays of a bulls eye lantern.
Standing at her desk with his back
to her. opening her check book, was
Tom Cornish.
Starting convulsiyely at sound of
her cry he turned and confronted her,
white to the lips. Betty" he STAN
mered.
Miss Maxwell stood very still.
"Tom," she said. why did you do
it?
But Tom had fallen into chair and
hidden his shamed face in his hands
IT'S all up" he said hoarsely. I'm
dead broke and 1 thought 1 stood a
chance to stake myself once more j..
I've had the DEVILS own luck lately
l lost every cent of that other check ."
Betty looked at him as IL in a
dream.
1.-THE check--your check, was dead
broke debts everywhere--and 1 got
hold of your check book. I knew
Gordon did about as he pleased--and
1t was your signature all right. l
meant to give 1t back TO you. Betty, as
soon as m luck turned, 1 really did
But to his mystification, Betty was
looking at him with shining eyes. 1T
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 wise young man