Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-10
The Argus Daily Short Story
HEIR MIDNIGHT MEETINC---BY GEORGE HAMPTON
Copyrighted 1908 Associated Literary

She waited until the house had
grown still. and then. slipping from the
bed where, wakeful and restless, she
had been tossing for an hour. she pro-
ceeGed cautiously to the stairs and
down to the library floor.
Her acquaintance with the house
dated back only as far as the day be-
fore, when she received the telegram
announcing the death of her uncle,
Grover Pelham.
Dreadipg a stumble over an unchart-
cd piece OF furniture, she exercised the
utmost care. AS she parted the por-
there's of the library door she became
conscious of another presence.
Waiting until her eyes accustomed
themselves TO the darkness. she made
out the faintest suggestion of figure
knecling at the other side of the room
and key turning in an inner lock Of
the safe explained the situation well
enough.
Miss Morley remembered that the
electric light button was close to where
she stood. AS one hand Strengthened
out horizontally toward the intruder
she flashed on the light with the other
The burglar turned with a whirl and
wilted before the eloquence of the
outstretched revolver and Miss Nor
ley's dominating pose.
''Who are you?" the burglar demand
ed sulleniy, peering intently in his eff
fort to recognize the figure almost
wholly enveloped by the curtains.
"a guest here" Miss Morley return
ed. with a curious interest in so much
or so little-of the burglars face as
the mask permitted her to see. who
are you, and what are you doing in
| Mr.. Pelham's safe?'
Just taking the dimensions to fill It
up with stocks and bonds as sur
prise party for his heirs was the sar-
| castle response
| "Ah! You know the old gentleman
Is dead, then?" Miss Morley asked.
| YES. praise be, And If you had
minded your own business would
have managed nice little squaring of
accounts with him..
what did he ever do to your" Miss
Morley demanded, little resentment
in her voice as>she let the curtains fall
away and stood forward in all her gra.
cious charm before the disguised in.
truder.
Instead of answering, the burglar
as the light fell full upon her, dropped
back pace in manifest surprise. She
waited, and in his turn he startled her
Helen Morley"' was all he said, IL
the quiet tones of one who Is too great
~ astonished to give way to emotion.
Seeming then to understand the folly
of mask, he removed it and crum
pied 1t into his pocket The two faced
each other in silence
The man and the girl had looked for
ward once to a life together. He was
cashier of. a bank until some funds
went wrong and the law sent him t.
prison for five years. After that hi
never came back to her, though sht
heard of him drifting about the coun
try.
John Gorham. And this is the wa,
you come backr' the girl just whisper
ed. "What-what did he ever do t,
you" she demanded again mechan
ically and as though she were gainin:
time.
IL never took that money" Cor
ham declared Grover Pelham hate,
me because my mother did not car
for him as he had wished. 1t was b
who managed my undoing-to punisl
my dead father. he said. You didn'
know that?"
Il The girl shook her head. The re
volver hand dropped down upon tn
table. and she half ayerted her fac
land fcrcrish eyes.