Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-09-12
Sylvia's
Fortune.
BY GERARD HOPKINS.
: Copyright. 1907, by Jessie Morgan. :
>

eessseeeeessseesseseesesss
In well appointed but not iuxurt-
sus library two men stood staring at
each other. The younger, white faced
and startled, leaned with one hand on
q mahogany table. The other, ohHr
and more calm. smiled with conscious
pride and triumph.
'-orvtlle weston!" gasped the young
er man. "You hereT'
"You seem scarcely pleased to see
me, Marsden." replied the visitor
coolly, as he took a chair. II just
arrived OF course you understand" 7"
"N-no. What do you wantT'
II have Just learned of your re
markably good fortune. It liz not
every fellow who escapes states pris-
on to be made custodian Of a young
girls wealth."
Hush, She is in the house. You
know l was innocent of that crime"
"Innocent?" sneered Weston. "Of
course, every fellow is innocent until
he is proved guilty. The crime was
committed"
Young Marsden almost reeled. He
glanced nervously toward the library
door. 1t was nearing midnight
II know" said Weston "She is
with your uncle and aunt at the thea
ter, But before they reach home wen
have a talk I'm broke, Marsden"
$50 am /"
Il know YOU are. 4 fellow just ad-
mftted to the bar can't he expected to
have made a pile But you've got Syl-
via Ford's fortune in your Keeping"
Marsden. who was not the hardened
man of the world his unwelcome Wis
itor was. turned still whittier and
glanced apprehensively toward a small
safe.
Weston laughed.
You give yourself away so plainly
So It is there, is it: What is ftp Cash7
Bonds? Something negotiable2 Sit
down. l want to talk to you"
Feeling himself weak and powerless
in the hands of this man he hated and
feared. Marsden sank into a chair
Remember old Whitaker" asked
Weston in a soft, reminiscent voice as
he eyed his companion with the gaze
Of a hypnotist. What a fad there
wns that summer at the lake for the
signatures of celebrities, And Whit
taker had Just brought out q book.
He was all the rage there then, and
you had the fever as well as the worn-
en-. You had an autograph book,
singularly convenient one. Rememher
Whitaker put his signature on page
-perilously near the bottom-remem-
berg"
Marsden's breath was coming fast
and painfully.
And remember a month after thar
Z draft for $1,000 was cashed signed
by Whitaker. and, although he swore
be never gave Il, his name was at
tached, and be had 10 admit the sigma
tureE"
1.-THE book was stolen" whispered
Marsden. You know who took II"
'oh, no; knew nothing about II.
But the book. with the missing paee
torn ont could easily have been iden-
1T was never found
''0h. YES; it was found. 1t : in ex-
istence today And the detectives are
not through with the case vet 1
know where the book IS. Marsden.-
But l am innocent did not use
the page"
But who would believe you. You
owned the book. You asked Whit
taker 70 sign his name You said you
wanted him on a page all by himself.
lie neglected TO add a verse. He left
the page blank except for his name
You needed money You had money
after the draft 10 bearer was cashed.
ReuemberF"
My uncle gave me that"
who would believe it, Don't vou
know, Fred MarSden, that the produc-
ton u that book now. the fitting Of
the Qage where It was torn out. your
name on the cover. would he evidence
difficult to refute:"
MY God. yes"
And You, just starting out on your
cancer, in love with the most beautiful
girl in your set with the world before
you. would probably be sent to prison
would surely be sent to prison. Do
Eou think Of THAR
You dare not. You cannot
Il dare. can and viii II ron do not
ooey me Listen know that you
Ire cotrustee with your uncle Of syl-
ria Fond's fortune. and l know from
7our wild look toward the safe that
'one OF II Is thena- | want money. I
VII have money one way or another.
Iou have the investing Of the money
md can give me what you have here.
lou viii never he suspected You
VII rise. marry Sylvia and IN time
an make it good You win not be
VIII he harmed. On
he other hand. prison for your $4,000
4 Nhirtaker's good cash. disgrace
nd the loss Of Sylvia"
A wild look came iurp NlarsdeD's
ace He was young He had had no
Warning Of the arrival Of this man he
Inspected Of having stolen his auto
raph book fad OF college days. Il
Tas almost enough 10 condemn him
0 be seen With Weston He drew
fvn pictures of his uncEe's susraciun.
nd he knew that what Weston said
7as true lie did have $500 Of svi-
IN Ford's mone~ il the safe. he had
atended 10 i1v s. safely Tor her the