The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-11
BY J. r. Greenleaf,
Copyright 1911. by the Associated
Literary Press

Rustling along among the dead
fGIyes. down The brown path to the
river, on an evening in late Septem-
Der Frank Arnold. the junior MEM
her of the frm of Ellsbree Arnold.
Attorneys. spied pitiful. shaken,
brown, Bingham heap curled up on
an old bench.
Seating himself beside 1t he drew
the dainty head with It's shining red
gold braids to his shoulder. took
little wet wad out of one of the small
hands and replaced 1t with a large
square of linen from his own pocket.
Jennie darling. tell your old man
all about it as soon as you can get
your breath" he said.
"Oh. Frank" she staInmered. be-
tween gasps, Father has lost all he
has paid on this home"
'Why--how's that" he asked. as
he slipped n large white hand under
the round chin.
'Be-be-~because he's just been
over to see the executor of Mr.. Har-
ris' will and he says that there Is
no record of any payments at all
upon the contract"
What. No records? J thought
he had been paying FIVE dollars
month for years.
'Sure--he has"
Where are his receipts, thenf"
asked the lawyer.
In the house--and that IS the
hopeless part of it--for not one of
them Is signed--and---" Down came
the flood OF tears again.
'Do you mean to tell me that your
father accepted them thus defective ?"
He says that Mr.. Harris told him
they were just as much record or
the transaction az If they were sign
ed" she answered.
Well, I declare! and | suppose
next he will feel justified in recalling
his promise to let me have you, now
that the work OF years has to be done
| over" growled the lover.
THAT is what he said at first but
I Influenced him to promise that II
YOU would take UP the case for us
against tho Harris estate and, win 1t
l might marry you If you do sue
coed the home would be ours" fall
tered Jennie.
THAT puts It on better footing,
dearest, for with such fee in
sight"
I'm an old Bingham dress" in
terrupted she,
"a man ought to win every tune.
finished the lawyer.
"Then YOU don't consider It an en-
tIrely hopeless case?" asked the girl
| ms she raised her head to look him
| in the face. :.
"I can't tell yet, but I'll do II II
ANYBODY can. And now want 10
make n little bargain with you. first
! OF all. You must pay me good. big
retainer at once and then. from time TO
| time. you'n have to give me more for
! disbursements as the case progresses,
Miss Chamberlin," announced the at
| torney,
How much will that be- asked the
| girl with quickened respiration, for
/ I'm t1reatifttfit' ft4Sietfs he know, as It
will have to come out OF the money
II have put away for my OUTFIT"
| "Well, let's gee answered Frank. Il
will have to have two--l rather guess
about three. kisses for the
| '-0h, Frank. you are such tease
YOU scared me--but here" she cried.
discharging the obligation then and
| there" and-I'll pay you little more
ever time ] see YOU" she added with
/ a sigh of contentmens.
/ And how soon will you marry me
I if I VIM" persisted the lover.
"Just the minute you get decis-
| ion--verdict---in our favor" replied the
7 girl
THAT settles it," said Frank. "and
now let's go into the house and make
your father acknowledge his new of1er
| and then I'll take the papers and so
! to work at once. But after all can't
! understand why Mr.. Harris should do
such thing. He had reputation FOR
being very close and shrewd and queer
but never dishonest
"He wanted to marry mother and
has always had crouch against father
| because she loved him better re-
/ spouoed Jennie.
| ha have
known that large part of your faith
| er's ability to pay was due to your
| years of hard work
| and he always seemed to like me,
| too. for they say i resemble the poor
/ little mother he loved so long broke
In the girl.
will turn up that we don't look for at
this time" volunteered the young EEL
low.
| But when he had gathered together
| the facts he was very doubtful OF
success for there was absolutely no
| evidence of the receipt of these sums
to be found anywhere in the DOCKS or
! papers of the deceased; and he went
/ into the court of the genial Judge NIX
on with IA heavy heart for he had only
the fact that this series OF unsigned
receipts was In the script OF Alr. har-
! ris, to prove the payment or ABOUT
| six hundred dollars.
| Just In the early twilight OF the
short November day. In which had
been tried the case of the estate OF
George Harris VS.. chamberiin. Arnold
was hurrying up to the home of his
fiancee His haste was such that he
passed through the door without ring
ing and had hardly closed 1t behind
him when there was precipitated into
his arms a plump little woman in q
Bingham dress.
ooh Frank. I'm so happy! You've
won! You've won! You've womb was
his greeting.
How did you know"
by the way you walked into the
yard, sir! I know you."
| You're right darling, but now you
want to get off that dress. don't you?
before
"Be--be-before what?" she STAN
mered.
Before the minister comes!''
why. Frank Arnold didn't prom