The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-10-29
My Promotion.

tOriginal,1


When Alice Coale told me that sh |
was engaged to Tom Martin fei
sickening sensation about the hear
that could only come to young per
son. l might feel a bitter disappoint
ment today, but it would not be of tin
same kind Alice looked at me sur
prised. why, what's the matte,
John?" she said.
Nothing" l replied, endeavoring t,
pull myself together. "Only I'm afrai.
Tom mightn't turn out good enough
for you-that's ALL"
"Oh. that's all, is it? Well don
worry about that. A fellow as smart
as popular, as trustworthy. as Ton
is good enough for a far better CIR
than l. Mother says she'd rather
trust to his judgment in business mat
tiers than to that of older heads
ooh, l only meant he wasn't gooL
enough for you"
"You numbering, good natured stupid
John" she said, taking my hand anl
pressing it caressingly. You will al
ways be my dearest friend"
That was very kind of her.
A few months later | was startled
by one of those mysterious rumors thai
are spoken under the breath for 3
brief period before they become pub
lie property. 1t was that Tom Martir
had been borrowing money from any
one who would lend it to him. Then
1 heard that he had disappeared. Fol
lowing closely on this came the news
that Mrs. Coale had given him all hel
money for investment. and he haC
either sunk it or taken it with him
Since he had paid none of his debts
it was presumed that he had taken il
with him.
Detectives visited his room and tool
away every scrap of paper they could
find there, though Tom before leaving
had left nothing to show where he haG
gone. He had borrowed book al
me, and went to his room to see il
l could find it. 1t was lying on hi:
table, and l carried it home with me
That evening l took it up and opened
it. Between the cover and the It'll.
page was library card on which
were entries of several books taken gu
within few weeks. The book he hat
borrowed from me was "Australial
Sketches" l wondered what kind o
literature he had been taking from tn
library. Curiosity, mingled with
| feeling that l might gather some cley
with reference to his acts, led me tn
dow t0 fol 1,o nd To 10 hra n,
and have a look at the books he ha,
been reading. What was my astonish
| ment to find that one was upon Ger
trail America, three upon Hondura
and a fifth on the rubber industry Q
that state.
After some thought these were m
deductions: Tom had at first though
of going to Australia. but had change
| to Central America He had selecte
Honduras and when he got ther
would invest the money he had take
in either the rubber trade or rubbe
forest. More likely the latter, since
would give him better chance to hid
from the world.
The day after l reached these col
illusions started for Florida and frol
there sailed for Honduras Landin
at Puerto Cabello, l went into the il
terror. l made inquiries for an Anne
lean who had come to Honduras
negotiate for rubber tract I'll
state is not large one, and any or
going there with money would not r
main unnoticed by its people. {
course it would be useless to inqui
for one by the name of Martin, for tt
skulker was doubtless using an a
sumed name.
1t was just two weeks to a day whe
l learned of man answering Ma
tins description who was dickering Fl
rubber tract some ten miles awe
from me. l went to where he was al
on porch in small town came upC
the man was hunting. When he sa
me he collapsed. l told him that all
; wanted was Mrs. Coale's money or
much of it as he had left If he wou
give me this he might stay where
was for all me as long as he like
If not he would go back to stand tri'
He turned over eighteen $1,000 Un
ed States bonds. which was what I
manned Of Mrs. Coale's little fortur
receipted for it and started home.
found that Alice had taken po
ton and gone to work. The evenil
: of my return I called on her and b
mother. This was the first time
had seen them since their misfortur
Mrs. Coale chided me for having Ike
away in the hours Of their troub
while Alice maintained cold reserI
! didn't know whether to attribute
to the cause her mother mentioned
some other. In truth. she seem
, stunned. I'm not naturally facile
! opening subjects and sat for sol
: time. speaking only when l did spe
: on commonplace topics. trying to fral
) what l should say concerning the {
) ject of my call l knew l would ma
the mother glad, but was all in t
dark about Alice. Finally, despair
3 of finding proper words, l took
bonds from my pocket and tossed thu
. on the table.
ta1Nhov,ro ro,,rc cold st fro nj