Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-08-26
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CHAPTER XIV.
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drawing room and the library, and he
chose the latter instinctvely. as less for
nal and more appropriate for an inter-
view based on his dual social and busi-
ness relations with the Porters. Whea-
ton heard the swish of Evelyn's skirts in
the hall with a quckening heartbeat. Her
black gown intensified her fairness; he
had never seen her in black before, and
it gave a new accent TO her beauty as
she came toward him.
1T was a great shock to us down town
to hear of your fathers Illness. He seem
ed as well as usual yesterday"
Did you think so? l thought he look
ed worn when he came home last evening.
He has been working very hard lately
Wheaton had never seen her so grave.
He was sincerely sorry for her trouble,
and he tried to say SO. There was some
thing appealing in her unusual calm the
low tones of her voice were not wasted
on him.
Father asked me to send for you this
morning but he had grown so i'll in
few hours that took the responsibility
of not doing it. But something in par
ticular was on his mind, some papers that
Mr.. Fenton should have. They are in
his box at the bank, and l was to give
you the key to it. 1t is something about
the Traction Company, You can attend
to this easily?'
Yes, certainly. Mr. Fenton spoke to
me about the matter this afternoon. 1t
Is very important and he wished me to
report to him as soon as | found the pa
pers No doubt they are in your fathers
=
thodical." He smiled at her reassuring-
ly and rose. She did not ask him to stay
longer, but went to fetch the key. 1t
was a small, thin bit of steel.
I'll return the key Tomorrow after
I've found the papers Mr.. Fenton wants"
Very well. l hope you will have no
difficulty. Father evidently wished all the
papers he has concerning the company to
be given to Mr.. Fenton. Now, this prob
ably is of no Importance whatever but
several years ago father gave me some
stock in the street railway company. 1t
came about through a little fun-makng
between u.s. We were talking of railway
passes-you know he never accepts any"
Wheaton blinked-"and l told him I'd
like to have pass on something, even If
1t was only a street car line"
She was smiling in her eagerness that
be Should understand perfectly
!, "And he said he guessed he could fx
that by giving me some stock in the COM
pany. l remember that he made light of
it when l thanked him, and said it wasn't
90 important as it looked. He probably
forgot it long ago. l had forgotten it
myself never got the pass, either but
] brought the stock down thinking that
Mr.. Fenton might have use for IT. She
went over to the mantel and picked up a
paper, while he watched her; and when
she put it into his hand he turned it
over. 1t was a certificate for one hun
dred shares, issued In due form to Evelyn
Porter, but was not assigned.
''It may be important" said Wheaton,
regarding the paper thoughtfully. Mr..
Fenton will know. 1t couldn't be used
without your name on the back" he said
indicating the place on the certificate.
"Oh, should l sign it?' she asked, in
the curious futtering way In which many
women approach the minor details of
business. Wheaton hesitated he did not
imagine that this block of stock could be
Of Importance, and yet the tentative bust
ness association with Miss Porter was so
pleasant that he yielded to a temptation
to prolong it.
"Yes, you might sign it," he said
Evelyn went TO her fathers table and
wrote her name as Wheaton indica ted.
"a witness is required and l will sup
ply that" And Wheaton sat down at
the table and signed his name beside hers,
while she stood opposite him, the tips
of her fingers resting on the table.
Evelyn Porter" and James Whea-
ton" He blotted the names with Porter S
blotter Evelyn still standing by him.
slightly mystifed as women often are by
the fact that their signatures have q
value. He felt that there was something
intimate in the fact Of their signing
themselves together there. He was thrill
ed by her beauty.
On his way down the slope to the car.
Wheaton felt in his pocket several times
to be sure of the key. There was some
thing the last bit uncanny in his posses
sion Of it. Yesterday William Porter
would no more have intrusted the key OF
bis private box to him than he would
have burned down his house. He read
into his errand a trust on Porter's part
that included Porter's daughter, too but
he got little satisfaction from this. He
was only the most convenient messenger
available His spirits rose and fell as
he debated. He went to the side door
Of the bank and knocked for the watch.
man to admit him.
"Gong to work tonight, Mr.. Whea.
TOM" asked the watchman.
"There are some papers in Mr.. Porter's
box that must give to Mr.. Fenton to
night They are in the old vault" This
vault was often opened at night by the
bookkeepers and there was no reason why
the cashier should not enter 1t when be
pleased The watchman turned up thC
lights so that Wheaton could manipulate
the combination, and then swung open the
door. Wheaton thanked him and went In
Two keys were necessary to open all oi
the boxes; one was common to all and
was kept by the bank. Wheaton easily
found ii, and then he took from his
pocket Porter's key which supplemented
the other. His pulses beat fast s b