The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-16
AN
UNPROTESTED
E
BY Ednb n. Doane.
copyrighted, 1907, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham.

When all the legal formnlities wcr,
ended and the fortune that had beer
Robert Maxwcll's was finally handed
over to his beloved daughter Eliza
BETH" that young lady regarded hel
new found responsibilities in dismay
and promptly proceeded to shift then
to other and broader shoulders. James
Gordon had been her fathers secretary
and his shoulders were presumably bet
ter fitted for the burden.
But you cannot hand me ovcr your
fortune to carry, as IL 1t were n book
or a parcel" said Gordon dlstractedly
though inexpressibly cheered by this
| profession of confidence. You do not
underestimate
ooh, yes, l do" returned Miss Max
well serenely. Il understand perfectly.
l shall appoint YOU
Chairman of the finance committee y
suggested Gordon.
Yes" said Miss Maxwell. 81 will
be the committee"
"Well, l shall do my best" said Cor
don, laughing. But the committee
Will please remember that it has GER
tain active duties"
II don't sec why 1t should have any,"
she retorted. practically, you have
already managed the estate for the
past five years. You We're Invaluable
to father"
Perhaps l was" Gordon returned,
though l don't remember 1t, and he
never mentioned it. However, l appre-
clate your confidence and will serve
you faithfully; but ~(gravely) what if l
should make mistakes? Is it wise to
intrust the handling Of so much money
to one MANI"
II should think it might depend a
good deal upon the man." said Miss
Maxwell softly.
So Gordon fitted up IN office in a
downtown skyscraper, where he sat at
a table strewn with papers and pink
tapped, legal looking documents, iigur-
ing and writing late into the nights,
and Miss Maxwell, having arranged her
financial affairs to her liking, annexed
a meek, elderly relative as chaperon
and turned her attention to other DIFF
fculties.
Her first, chiefest and most immedi-
ate difficulty was her cousin Tom Cor
nish.
1T isn't that I do not like you," she
painstakingly explained for the hun
dredth time. you know I do. AS a
sister, now, u
ooh, drop It'll" retorted Tom inele-
"And anyhow l shall never marry"
$50 It's all up?'
II think l have been telling you that
for the past five minutes" said Miss
Maxwell impatlently.
"You know what I meant all along"
he said sullenly. Some one has been
you q resume of my vices"
"Your vices are nothing to me nor
your virtues either. If 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, 1--we got to-tell you-Tm
in no end Of trouble. I need you'll
need your help-1"-
By a single vehement effort Betty re-
leased herself.
"How dare you? How dare you?"
she ragged, then came to a 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.
1t was Gordon indeed. He was quite
at the other end Of the long room, but
not so far that the late tableau could
be unseen by him, and the distress Of
her face was intensified in his as he
bowed hurriedly 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 I'M
#l".5
"Now gow she cried desperately.
COOP
Meanwhile Gordon had found his hat
and the sidewalk and walked blindly
down the avenue, forgetting the papers
be had gone for-forgetting everything
except q girls flushed, dismaycd face.
1t was scandalous that she should be
allowed to drift into complications with
that fellow. 1t was all very well that
Cornish was her cousin, but what Of
the fellows ch%aracter-a gambler, a
fortune hunter? Yet what could he
do? All day he had looked forward to
Betty. Well, he had seen her.
And she must have been In earnest.
She wasn't the kind Of girl to let a
as memory gripped him he
gloomily On.
1t was several days later that Miss
Maxwell, blue gowned and demure,
turned into the entrance Of a bank on.
lower Broadway andswalked calmly to
the paying teller's window.
II 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 astopish-
ment. mo, I did not know. 1thadn6t
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 30 often
draws large amounts" He looked at
her keenly. 1T was all right, I sup
poser"
YES; oh, yes" said Betty unsteadily.
1T was ak right. IL suppose Mr.