The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-22
THE EVENING STORY
SyIyia's Fortune.
(By Gerald HopkinsA

library two men stood staring at each
otner. The younger, white faced and
startled, leaned with one hand on a ma
hogany table. The other. older and moro
CAIN smiled with conscious pride and
triumph
Orville Weston!' gasped the younger
man. You here?"
You seem scarcely pleased to see me,
tMarsden'" replied the visitor coolly, as
course you understand"
N-no. What do you want?"
u nave just learned of your remark
able good fortune. 1t is not every fellow
VINO escapes state prison to be made
custodian of young girls wealth"
Hushi She is in the house. You
know was innocent of that crime"
'Innocent?' sneercd Weston. ''Of
course, every fellow is innocent until ne
is proven guilty. The crime was COM
mitted."
glanced nervously toward the horaFy
door. 1t was nearing midnight
II know" said Weston. she is with
your uncle and aunt at the theater. But
before they reach home wen have a
talk. I'm broke, Marsden."
80 am t.
IT know you are A fellow just adj
mitted to the bar can't be expected TO
have made pile. But you've got sylvia
Ford's fortune in your keeping.
man of the world his unwelcome VISITOR
was. turned still whittier, and glanced op-
prebensively toward small safe
Weston laughed.
You give yourself away so plainly:
So it is there, is it? What is it? Cash!
Bonds? Something negotiabieE SIT
down. 1 want to talk to you"
Feeling himself weak and powerless
in the hands of this man he hated and
feared Marsden sank into 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 was
that summer at the lake LOT the sig ma
lures of celebrities? And Whitaker hau
lust brought out a book. He was all
thes rage there then, and you had the
fever. as we'll as the women: You nad
an autograph book-a singularly con-
venient one. Remember, Whitaker put
his signature on a page-perliously near
the bottom-remember!
Marsden's breath was coming fast
and painfully.
And remember month aIter that
n draft for "a, 900 was cashed, slgned
by Whitaker, and although ne s"ore
he never gave it, his name was at
tached, and he hao 10 aoiiile 'iie sie
1.-THE book was stolen whisper
ed Marsden. "You know who took
L
But the book, with the missing page
torn out, could easily have been iden,
tilted as your own. You know that.
"It was never found"
ooh, yes, it was found 1t Is in
existence today. And the detectives
are not through with the case yet.
know where the book is, Marsden."
''But 1 am innocent. 1 did not use
the page
taker to sign his name. You said you
wanted him on a page all by himself.
He neglected to add verse-he left
the page blank except for his name
after the draft to bearer was cashed.
my uncle gave me that"
"Who would believe it? Don't you
know, Fred Marsden, that the pro-
duction of that book now, the fitting
Of the page where 1t was torn out.
your name on the cover, would be
evidence difficult to refute? ?"
my God, yes.'
"And you, just starting out on your
career, in love with the most beauti-
full girl in your set, with the world be-
fore you, would probably be sent to
surely be sent to pris-
on. Do you think of that?"
"You dare not! You can notr'
81 dare, can, and will if you do not
obey me. Listen. 1 know that you
are cotrustee with your uncle of Syl-
via Ford's fortune, and I know from
your wild look toward the safe that
some of 1t is there. want money. I
will have money one way or another.
You have the investing of the money.
You can give me what you have here
you will never be suspected. You
will rise, you will marry Sylvia, and
not be harmed-nobody Will be
harmed. On the other hand-prison
for four thousand of Whittaker's good
cash, disgrace, and the loss of Syl-
VIA
A wild look came into Marsden's
face. He was young. He had had |
40 warning of the arrival of this man
ne suspected of having stolen his
autograph book. fad of college days.
The perspiration poured from him.
him to be seen with Weston.
1ncle's suspicion. And he knew that
what Weston said was true. He did
he safe. He had intended to invest
t safely for her the next day. He
owed her. The thou of having
1er suspect him of using Whittaker's
pure. so lofty in sentiment, that he
feared even though the guilt could |
not legally be fastened on him, the
1oubt would turn her from him. And |
here was the cool master of the sit |
1ation with his cold pitiless eyes bent |
IN the young trustee weakening his |
power of resistance every moment
You know it is safe,' said Weston |
n his soothing voice. "You have the |
power. You are merely borrowing the |
money. You will earn enough to pay
interest on it, and 1t will be easy to |
avoid showing any securities. They
ire elsewhere If your uncle wants |
hen1-till you make enough to pay
he money back. You see would not |
Job an orphan, Marsden. Oh, no. |
I'm only asking the money of you for !
I'D times sake, and you can pay It |
back to Sylvia. You will be happy, |
Marsden. with Sylvia's love. and I |
'han always be shut out of the sun