Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-07-23
By Edith ~. Doons.
copyrighted, 1907, by NJ. n. Cunningham.


well serenely. Il understand perfectly.
/ shall appoint you
chairman OF the finance committee"
suggested Gordon.
"Yes," said Miss Maxwell. II will
be the committee"
We'll shall DO my best" said Cor
don, laughing. but the committee
will please remember that 1t has Ger.
tain active duties"
"I don't see why 1t should have any"
she retorted. Practically, you have
already managed the estate for the
past Ave years. You were invaluable
to father"
Perhaps | was" Gordon returned,
though | don't remember II, and he
never mentioned II. However, | appre-
ciate your confidence and will serve
you faithfully: but (gravely) what II |
should make mistakes? Is 1t wise to
intrust the handling Of so much money
to one mani"
II should think 1t might depend
good deal upon the man. said Miss
Maxwell softly.
So Gordon fitted up an Office In a
downtown skyscraper. where he sat Mt
table strewn with papers and pink
taped. legal looking documents, fgur-
Ing and writing late Into the nights,
and Miss Maxwell, having arranged her
financial affairs to her liking, annexed
q meek. elderly relative as chaperon
and turned her attention to other diff
ficulties.
Her first, chlefest and most immedi-
ate difficulty was her cousin Tom Cor
nish.
1T isn't that do not like you" she
painstakingly explained for the hun
dredth time. You know do. AS
sister. now, T.
"Oh. drop IT, retorted Tom inele-
gantly.
"And anyhow | shall never marry"
80 It's all up?'
81 think | have been telling you that
for the past five minutes said Miss
Maxwell impatiently.
"You know what / meant all along"
he said sullenly. "Some one has been
giving you resume Of my vices"
"Your vices are nothing to me nor
your virtues either. II you The
words died on her lips. For the first
time in all their lives his arm closed
around her. Convulsively he held her
to him, bending his head till his lips
met her soft brown hair.
Betty, live got to-tell you-rm
in no end of trouble. I need you'll
need your help =
BY a single vehement effort Betty re-
leased herself.
How dare you? How dare you"
she RACED, then came to dead stop.
Her eyes grew wide with dismay and
fixed upon the doorway at the end OF
the room.
"Mr. Gordon" she said In a con-
strained voice.
II was Gordon indeed. He, was quite
at the other end Of the long room, but
not 80 fur that the late tableau could
be unseen by him, and the distress or
her face was intensified In his as he
bowed hurrledly and the yellow por-
there fell behind him.
Betty blushed furiously. A person
| looking on and not understanding
might, of course-she turned suddenly
| to Tom, who stood staring at her un-
easily.
Now co.. she cried desperately.
"Gow
Meanwhile Gordon had found his hat
and the sidewalk and walked blindly
down the avenue, forgetting the papers
he had gone for-forgetting everything
except n girls flushed, dismayed face.
| 1t was scandalous that she should be
allowed to drift into complications with
that fellow. II was all very well that
Cornish was her cousin, but what or
the fellows character-a gambler,
fortune hunter? Yet what could he
do? All day he had looked forward to
seeing Betty. Well, he had seen her.
And she must have been In earnest.
She wasn't the kind Of girl to let
man-and as memory gripped him he
plunged gloomily on.
It was several days later that Miss
| Maxwell, blue gowned and demure,
turned into the entrance Of bank on
lower Broadway and walked calmly to
the paying tellers window.
"I suppose you know that this over
draws your account, Miss Maxwell"
said that gentleman, handing out a
packet of fresh bank notes.
The girl stared at him In astonlsh-
ment. mo. I did not know. l had not
thought" she said nervously.
THAT last check was rather large
ten thousand
"Ten thousand" repeated Betty
weakly.
"Yes. We did not question 1t. Of
course, because Mr. Gordon so often
draws large amounts" He looked ut
| her keenly. 1T was all right. ! sup
pose"
ayes; oh, yes" said Betty unsteadily.
TT was all right. II suppose Mr.
Gordon cashed lt?'
"He sent messenger, as he usually
| ioes."
Betty nodded. The bank swan and
for an instant her brain reeled as she
turned away, perplexed ana vaguely
conscious OF impending evil.
Ten thousand dollars!
Even to Betty's vague business rea-
| soning $4,000 seemed Il good deal to
| lose track Of But there must be some
| good reason why Gordon had filled 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 ut hOm. she hurried TO her
| desk. She had prejudice against
keeping her check book in order. and
IN appalling number of hastily scrawl-
ed stubs confronted her. She worked
busily. covering pad with figures and
counting up totals on her fingers But