The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-09-13

II want FIVE thousand"
Impossible"
"Oh, is it2 Just think it over, Bob
my friend. What about your daugh,
teri"
"Ahi" burst from behind Robert
Harrtson's hands, In a sudden groan.
"Ah! / thought that would rouse
you. Here's Miss Molly, you see, en-
gagged to the son of Sir John Brandon.
What about that engagement II / go
and tell Sir John who Robert Harrison
is?"
Enough |" cried the millionaire.
Enough! l give in. But l can't give
you the money now. Come tomorrow
night, or, stay-I've a dinner party to-
morrow-say the night after"
mo, won't, I'll say tomorrow; 1t
suits me better"
People were always willing to come
to one of Robert Harrison's dinners.
This evenings party had been no ex-
ception to the rule. No one was anx-
ious to shorten the evening, but at last
one or two prepared to say goodbye.
~ want to beg you all to stay little
longer" said the host. 81 have a little
surprise, a-a-kfnd Of entertainment.
VIII you all follow meT
They all trooped after him to the
millionaire's study. Folding doors,
covered on the shady side by thick cur
tains separated the room from another.
These doors had been opened tonight,
but the curtains still draped the open
ing, and opposite 40 them chairs had
been placed.
Smiling rather oddly. the host disap-
peared into the study, and carefully
drew the curtains together behind him.
Then the door into the study from
the outside was heard to open, and a
mans voice said jauntily, "Well, Bob
Here l am, you see Now then, where's
the tin?"
Was that Robert Harrison's voice
that answered in cringlng, wheedling
manner, Certainly, Mr.. Gregson- of
course only, won't you reconsider it
Do-do let me off," whined the rich
mans voice, and the other took up the
strain mockingly. LET you Off Oh,
yes, I'll let you ofr-when I've done
with you. Pay up or take the conse-
quences"
rs your mind quite made upT Mr..
Harrison seemed to be walking about
the room as he said this
Quite, you thief, you miserable rob
ber! Pay me my $4,000, or I'll tell the
whole neighborhood that you are the
man who robbed the Carberton bank
thirty years ago."
'"Then tell them now" rang out In
the millionaire's deepest tones as he
dashed the curtains back, revealing
call the neighborhood" In various atti-
tudes of establishment.
The blackmailer stood holding to the
back of his chair, the picture of be-
wildered rage.
IT'S just this |" painted the black
mailer. He's a theft He left CARRIER
ton thirty years ago."
"Quite true" said Mr.. Harrison
smoothly, taking up the tale ~ left
Carberton thirty years ago-ran away,
in fact. At the same time $500 of the
bank money disappeared. 1 did not
know 1t at the time; l heard of It
more than a year afterward. The fel-
low clerk who was the thief knew him
self to be dying of consumption, and
he wrote to me and confessed what he
had done and how he had always al
lowed me to be blamed for the theft.
The money had been gambled away al
most at once. He told me to show the
letter, If l must, after he was dead,
but begged me, If could, to be gener-
GUS for the sake of the young wife he
was leaving. | destroyed the letter
and simply adopted the name of Har-
rison. | had run away simply because
was tired of my life In the bank and
longed for wider fields This Is my
story. can ask you to believe It;
cannot prove It,"
"But cant" said a voice from the
All turned in astonishment. It was
Mrs. Cartwright. Deadly pale, and
very much, she stood facing
them all. 'The thief" she said slowly,
was my first husband. James Trevor |"
Mrs. Trevor! Is 1t possible? And
l did not recognize you'll"
II did not recognize you, Robert, you
have changed so much, or l would not
have kept the secret as l have done. 1t
has weighed on nay mind all these
years; but you had disappeared, and
thought 1t could not matter. Before
James died he wrote out a full confes-
sion and signed 1t before witnesses. If
ever Robert is in trouble for want Of it
you can produce 1t them he told me.
have kept II ever since. Forgive me
j"
Every one began shaking hands at
this point, except, to the general sur
prise, Sir John Brandon. He stood
all this time, with his eyes
fixed ON the features of Robert Harri-
son, and an unreadable, somewhat puz-
zled expression on his own face. AL
bert Gregson, still holding to the back
NJ a chair Ind hnen almost for0oktan