The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-08-08
STRONG AND STEADY
BY noRATlo aLerR. JR.

CHAPTER XXIII.-( Continued.)
Leaving Walter busily engaged in sell
ing books, we will glance at the Drum
mond household, and inquire how the
members of that interesting family Jared
sfter Walters departure.
Joshua's discomfort increased daily. He
was now eighteen, and his father abso-
lutely refused to increase his allowance
of twenty-five cents a week, which was
certainly ridiculously small for a boy of
his age.
While he was thinking this matter over
a dangerous thought entered his mind.
His father, he knew, had small brass
nailed trunk, in which he kept his money
and securities. He had seen him going
to it more than once.
II wonder how much he's got In 1t, y
thought Joshua. "As it's all coming to
me some day there's no harm in my
knowing"
There seemed little chance of finding
out, however. The trunk was always
locked, and Mr.. Drummond carried the
key about with him in his pocket, If he
had been a careless man, there might
have been some chance of his some day
leaving the trunk unlocked, or mislaying
the key but in money matters Mr.. Drum
mond was never careless Joshua would
have been obliged to wait years, if he
bad depended upon this contingency.
One day, however, Joshua found in the
road bunch of keys of various sizes at
tached to a ring. He cared very little
to whom they belonged, but it flashed
upon him at once that one of these keys
might fit his fathers strong box. He hur-
ried home at once with his treasure and
ran upstairs breathless with excitement.
He knew where the trunk was kept. Mr..
Drummond, relying on the security of the
lock, kept it in the closet of his bed
chamber.
Joshua made his way at once to the
closet, and, entering, began to try his
keys, one after the other. The very
last one was successful in opening the
trunk.
Joshua trembled with excitement as he
saw the contents of the trunk laid open
to his gaze. He turned over the papers
nervously, hoping to come upon some rolls
of bills. In one corner he found fifty
dollars in gold pieces. Besides these,
there were some mortgages, in which he
felt little interest. But among the con-
tents of the trunk were some folded pa
pers which he recognized at once IS Unit
ed States bonds. Opening one of them,
he found it to be a Five-Twenty bond for
Eve hundred dollars.
Five hundred dollars! What could he
not do with five hundred dollars! He
could go to the city and board and enjoy
himself meanwhile, till he could find
place. His CALLING dependence would be
over, and he would be his own master.
True, it would be a theft, but Joshua
had an excuse ready.
1T will all be mine some day." he said
to himself. Its only taking a part of
my own in advance"
He seized the gold and the bond, hast
fly concealing both in his breast pocket,
went downstairs, first locking the trunk,
and putting it away where he found it.
He got out of the house without his
mother seeing him, and made his way to
a railway station four miles distant,
where he purchased ticket for New
York.
He took seat by window, and, as
the car began to move, he said to himself,
in exultation, "Now I am going to see
iife."