Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-09-14

mas been watching you for some time.
When you tried to sell these things to
old Defries for one-quarter their real
value he instantly recognized where
they came from. He telephoned
straight to our place. You've been
Swallowed by detectives ever since,
There's a man outside watching this
place now"
my God!" exclaimed Underwood.
Why are they bounding me like
this?"
Approaching Bennington quickly, he
grasped his hand.
Bennington" he said earnestly,
you and I've always been on the
square. Can't you tell them it's all
right? Can't you get them to give me
timer"
Before the manager could reply the
telephone bell rang sharply. Under
wood started. An expression of fear
came over his face. Perhaps the firm
had already sworn out a warrant for
his arrest. He picked up the receiver
to answer the call.
What name is that?" he demanded
over the telephone, The name was re-
peated and with a gesture Of relief he
exclaimed:
Howard Jeffries!-what on earth
does he want? 1 cant see him. Tell
him I'm"
Bennington took his hat and turned
to go:
well, l must be off"
Don't 60" exclaimed Underwood,
as he hung up the receiver mechan,
ically. ITS only that Internal ass
Howard Jeffries!"
q must" said the manager. AS he
went toward the door he made a close
scrutiny Of the walls as if searching
for something that was not there.
Stopping short, he said:
81 don't see the V%elasquez."
"No-no," stammered Underwood
n~eryously. Its out-out on proba.
ton. Oh, it's all right. / can account
for everything"
Mr.. Bennington continued his in
spection.
81 don't see the Gobelin tapestry"
he said laconically.
"Oh, that's all right, too, if they'll
only give me time" he cried desper-
ately, Good God, you don't know
what it e to me, Bennington! The
position I've made for myself will be
swept away and"
Mr.. Bennington remained distant
and unsympathetic and Underwood
threw himself into a chair with a GEES
ture of disgust.
Sometimes l don't think | care
what happens" he exclaimed. Things
haven't been going my way lately. |
don't care a hang whether school
keeps or not. If they drive me to the
wall I'll do something desperate.
I'll"
A ring at the front door bell inter
rupted him.
Who can that be-" he exclaimed,
startled. He looked closely at his
companion, as If trying to read in his
face If he were deceiving him.
Probably your friend of the tele-
phone" suggested Bennington.
Underwood opened the door and
Howard entered jauntily.
Hello. %fellers, how goes it?" was
his ocular greeting.
He was plainly under the influence
Of liquor. When he left home that
evening he had sworn to Annie that
he would not touch a drop, but by the
time he reached the Astruria his our
age failed him. He rather feared I'm
derwood, and he felt the need of a
stimulant to brace him up for the
strike" he was about to make. The
back door of a saloon was convenient
ly open and while he was refreshing
himself two other men he knew
dropped in. Before he knew it, half
a dozen drinks had been absorbed,
and he had spent the whole of SIS
which his wife had intrusted to him
out Of her carefully boarded savings.
When he sobered up he would real
lie that he had acted like a coward
and a cur, but just now he was feel
ing rather jolly. Addressing Under
wood with impudent familiarity, he
went on:
THE id boy didn't seem to know
If you were in or not, so I came up
anyhow" CHANGING at Bennington,
he added: Sorry, If I'm butting in"
Underwood was not in the humor
to be very gracious. Long ago young
Howard Jeffries had outgrown his USE
fulness as far as he was concerned.
He was at a loss to guess why he had
come to see him unlimited, on this
particular Sunday night, too. 1t was
with studied ~coldness, therefore, that
he said:
"Sit down-Im glad to see you"
You don't look it," grinned How.
ard, as he advanced further into the