The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-09-14


In a well appointed but not luxuri-
Gus library two men stood staring at
each other The younger, white faced
and startled. leaned with one hand on
mahogany table The ether. older
aud more calm. smiled with sJnscious
pride aud triumph.
"Orvilie Weston" gasped the young
or man You hereT'
.YOn seem scarcely pleased to see
me, Mafsden." replied the visitor
eooliy, a. be took chair. Il just
arrived OF course you understand"
EN- no What do you wantr"
Il have Just learned Of your re
marknbly good fortune. II Is not
every fellow who escapes states pris-
on 10 be made custodian Of a young
girls wealth"
''HnAhl She u In the house You
know { was innocent Of that crime. 4"
'lnnocentT' sneered Weston, 'Of
course every fellow Is innocent until
he IL proved guilty The crime was
committed"
Young MarEden almost reeled. He
glanced nervouMiY toward the library
door. IL was nearing midnight.
II know" said Weston. she II
with your uncle aud aunt At the thea
ter. But before they reach home we'll
have n talk. I'm broke. Marsden."
''3o am 4"
II know you are. A fellow just ad'
mittod 10 the bar can't be expected b
have made pile Hut you've got syi'
via Ford'a fortune In your keeping"
Maraaen, who was not the hardened
man ~ the world his unweicoms Wis
itOr was, turned still whittier and
glanced appFehenslvely toward q small
safe.
Weston laughed.
You give yourself away no plainly,
30 II II there. il ~ What II ltf Cash
nonda1 Something negotiablef siI
down / want % talk 10 you"
Feeling himself weak and poweriena
in tho hands OF this man he hated aud
feared. Marsden sank into chair,
"Remember old Whitaker asked
Weston IN soft, reminiscent voice "a
Re eyed hts companion with the gaza
OF hypnotiat. what a fad there
was that summer ~ the lake for the
signatures o. eelebFltiesl And Whit
taker had just brought out = book
lie was all the rage there then. and
you had the fever as well as the won
en- You had an autograph book, q
slngulariy convenient one, Remember
Whitaker put his signature on q page
periioualy near tho bottom remem
heFqr
Marsden'a breath was coming fasI
and painfully,
"And Teuent,cr a month after thai
a draft for $1,000 was eaahed. signed
by Whitaker. and. although he swor,
be- never gavo Il. his name was ct
tached. and he bad 10 admit the sigma
turoT'
Il the book was stolen" whispered
Maraden. "You know who took t."
"0h. no; / knew nothing about II
Ttut the h0ak. with the missing Page
torn ont, could easily have been iden
titied ~ your own You know that"
at was never found"
soh. yea. u was found II Il In ex
iatcnee totlay Aud the detectives ars
not through with the case yet
know who're the book II, Maraden."
"flut ] an, innocent | did not U.S.
the page
shut who would believe your yol
owned the hook You asked Whit
taker a. sign his name You said yol
wanted him on a page all by himself
tie neglected to add verse He LEFT
tln page blank except for his name
You needed money You had none,
after the draft To bearer was eashed
RemegnberY
@My uncle gave the that"
'who would believe IT. Don't 20,
know. FIRED Marsdrn. that the produc
ton Of that book now. the lifting 81
the page where Il WAS torn out. You
name GA the cover would be- evidene,
difficult 10 rrfuteYs
my God. YES
"ARd you. Just starting out ON you
carver. Ia hove with the most beautiful
wirl IN your set. with the world hsfor,
ycn. would probably he sent to pFisos
would surely he sent Ia prison. n,
y0u think AZ that9'
"Yon dare not You cannotF'
Il dare, eau aud win II you do no
obey me. Listen I know that 70,
arr eetUstee With your uncle % SRI
via Ror,i's fOrtuae. and know fran
youF VIA lDok toward the safe tina
some 81 Il Is there I want money.
win have money enc way ur another
You have thu investing ~ the monel
and can give me what you have hers
You win never - suspected Ya,
win fisn, marry Sylvia aud In tim
can make Il goed You VIII not B.
harmed nol,iy ain ~ harmed o.
the other hand. prison TOR your &too
og Mhittaker's s,u,d cash. disgrace
and the loss ~ sylvia"
A Wild hoos came into Marstlea'
race he was young Tie had had u
warning II the arrival ~ this man h