Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-04-30
papers IN his u unobtrusive silence.
effacing himself from the general talk.

SNHNA0 ~ AAS oouol uuOUlIuSlNe SllcuCe.
eHaclng himself from the general talk.
"You ere telling me about Cynthia's
father" said Dallas.
"Oh, yes" said Mrs. Bennett, taking
up the thread of her tale. "He was
looked on as n of the most honorable
bankers in the city. And so he was
until his misfortune"
"Misfortune?"
"More misfortune than crime. His
wife was a girlhood friend of mine, so
J perhaps I am prejudiced in his favor.
A famous financier-a dear friend of
his-induced him to make a very large
! loan that proved to be a mistake. He
went to the inancier for advice as to
how to recoup the loss. The fnancier
told him of an investment by which
he could get all the money back with
out any risk and could make good the
loan. Mr.. Garrison took his advice,
used the banks funds for the purpose
and-the investment proved worthless.
The bank was insolvent. Mr.. Garrison
shot himself"
"Horrible! HorribleW murmured
Dallas.
"The horrible part of the whole story
came out later" said Alwyn Bennett.
cit seems the ~financier had deliberately
ruined MI. Garrison and was on the
other side Of the deal by which the
banks funds We're lost. In other
words, he persuaded his friend to put
money in what he knew was a losing
venture, then took that money himself"
HE did it willfully," chimed in Mrs.
Bennett, knowing his friend would be
ruined and that the banks money
which he lured Mr.. Garrison into in
vesting was going to swell his own i'll
gotten fortune"
81 did not think any one lived who
could do such things" shuddered Dali
las. "Poor Cynthia"
Cynthia suffered least of ALL" said
Mrs. Bennett. "She was little more
than a child at the time. Her mother
died of grief, and her brother-a prom
Using, clever young fellow just enter
ing college-disappeared."
Deserted Cynthia?
Not so bad as that. He probably
went away sooner than face his IA
theirs disgrace and began life some
where far from home. That was nine
years ago, yet v e since then he sends
Cynthia a little money every month
not much, but no doubt all he can
scrape together above his bare living
expenses. She has tried in every way
to get in touch with him. but she can't
locate him anywhere. There is no
clew except that monthly money order.
I never knew him very well-in fact, !
only saw him once or twice-but I've
heard he was a fine, manly boy. The
shock must have been worst of all on
him"
$50 a man lost his good name and
his life, his wife died, his sons life
vas wrecked and his daughter impov-
e%rished," unused Dallas, "and all that a
%financier might grow a little richer. l
can't believe it!!'
A little ashamed of displaying such
vehemence in the presence. Of n of
her uncle's dependents, the girl glanced
toward the table. But the secretary
! had gone.
"My husband" prattled Mrs. Bennett
complacently, always said that the
men who rose highest in the money
world reached their lofty places over
the despoiled bodies of hundreds of
victims. Thank God, my boy has no
such parental record to look back or.
My husband was one man in a mil
lion-the soul of honor both in bust
ness and in private life. You've read
Of his splendid civil war record. Then
he went into business as a contractor
and engineer and earned a fortune,
every dollar of which was honest.
That's something to be proud of in
these money loving times"
"What was the name Of the financier
who ruined Mr.. Carlson" asked Dali
las, still haunted by the narrative she
had just heard.
mo n knows. 1t was suppressed
at the time. The facts in the written
confession left by Mr.. Garrison be-
came public property: but, through po-
litlcal influence, the name Of the man
responsible for the tragedy was sup
pressed. Here I sit chatting on dole
full topics, while those two young peo-
pie are running all over the place un-
~chaperoned. Excuse me, won't you,
and I'll look them up?"
She smiled at Awyn as she left the
room, and his answering smile showed
how fully he understood and appre-
ciated her motive in leaving him alone
with Dallas Wainwright. Perhaps Dali
las, too, understood, for she made as
though to follow Mrs. Bennett out into
the lawn. But Alwyn stepped between
her and the window.
"Don't go just yet" he begged. "I've
so much to talk over with you. When
they came In we were speaking Of that
paragraph about Gibbs and yourself.
You don't love him. do you. Dallas?
Tell me you don't"
"What right have you to ask me such
a question:
"Only the right that my love for you
gives me, dear heart. You must have
known I loved you even though I've
never said it before. I love YOU. Dali