Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-07-16
S----"
CIAITER XIV.

ton heard the swish OF Evelyn $ skirts In
the hall with a quickening heartbeat. Her
black gown intensified her fairness he
had never seen her in black before, and
it gave Ii 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. lie seem
ed as we'll as usual yesterday"
Did you think SO! | thought he look
ed worn when he came home last evening.
He has been working very hard lately
Wheaton had never seen her 50 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 a
few hours that l 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 I was to give
you the key to it. 1t is something about
to this easily"
Eyes, certainly. Mr.. Fenton spoke to
me about the matter this afternoon. 1t
ID very Important anu ne WiSHeu me "
report to him as soon as | found the pa
pers. No doubt they are in your fathers
box" he said. HE is always very me-
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"
stVary wall hnnn will ho vo 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
years ago father gave me some
stock in the street railway company. 1t
about through 4 little fun-making
between us. We were talking of railway
Know he never accepts any"
Wheaton blinked-"and l told him I'd
like to have a pass on something, even If
it was only a street car line"
She was smiling in her cagerness that
ne Should understand perfectly.
And he said he. guessed he could fix
hat by giving me some stock in the com
l remember that he made light of |
t when l thanked him, and aid it wasn't
important rs it looked. He probably |
orgot It long ago. I had forgotten it
nyself|1 never got the pass, either! BUT
brought the stock down thinking that |
II. Fenton might have use for it." She
'ent over to the mantel and picked up q
sper, while he watched her: and when
le put 1t into his hand he turned it
yer. It was a certificate for one hun
ed shares, issued in due form to Evelyn
orter, but was not assigned.
1T may be important" said Wheaton,,
g rding the paper th%oughtfully. Mr..
,nton will know. 1t couldn't be used
thout your name on the back" he said,
the place on the certificate.
"Oh, should l sign it," she asked, in
e curious futtering way in which many
omen approach the minor details of
Wheaton hesitated he did not
lagine that this block Of stock could be
Importance, and yet the tentative bust
.ss association with Miss Porter was so
that he yielded to a temptation
prolong it.
"Yes, you might sign it." he said.
Evelyn went to her fathers table and
rote her name as Wheaton indicated.
"a witness is required and l will sup
y that" And Wheaton sat down at
lie table and signed his name beside hers,
lille she stood opposite him. the TIPS
her fingers resting on the table.
Evelyn Porter" and James Whea-
m" He blotted the names with Porter's
lotter, Evelyn still standing by him.
lightly mystifed as women often are by
fact that their signatures have .
alue. He felt that there was something
,timate In the fact Of their signing
themselves together there. He was thrill, ,
d by her beauty. ,
On his way down the slope to the car =
Wheaton, felt in his pocket several time, :.
? be sure of the key. There was some. :
hing the last bit uncanny in his nos,e.. =
OF 1t, Yesterday William Porter y
,ouid no more have intrusted the kew ~ !,
is private box to him than he womb =
ave osrned down his house. He read :,
ITO MS errand a trust on Porter's mart
vt Included Porter's daughter, too but :
GOT little satisfaction from this. He ',
- only the most convenient messenger ).
ai,aole. His spirits rose and fell as q q
ueoateo HeNwent to the side door
~ - sdn,;. knocked for the watch d
Going to work to-nixhN. Y, r.
~" asked the Waterman. S
There are some papers in Mr.. POTTERY: Il
( that ! must give to Mr.. Fenton to- a
They are in the old vault" This h
nit was often opened at night by the "
,kkeepers and there was no reason why "
cashier should not enter it when he g
ased. The Waterman turned up the O
Its so that Wheaton could manipulate \
combination, and then swung open the n
+. Wheaton thanked him and went in. L
keys were necessary to open all of q
boxes; one was common to al and y
! kept by the bank. Wheaton easily o
nd it, and then he took from his a
Porter's key which supplemented J!
other. His pulses beat fast as he 9
/ the lock yield to the thin strip of >
and in a the box lay open v
ore his eyes. \ He had flashed on the a
light bulb in the vault and recog- y
I'd instantly Porter's inscription
raction" op a brown bundle. He then Il
med his own box and took out his W
action certificate and carried it with
rter's packet into the directors room, nj
sat playing with the package, which I ia
3 sealed in green wax with the plain : 7
Il insignium Of the bank. The racket ct
9 larger than he had expected it to Be r
Z no idea of the amount Of stock
contained and he knew nothing OF I
onds. He felt tempted to open it; d.
clearly that was not within his In d
ect5ooA He must deli-eE It intact .