El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-05
BY Oliver MerIand.

Y TANSITTART was going to smash
" At least, it looked ominously like
it. Nobody said open1y-nomin-
ally. nobody was supposed to even sus-
pect that it was likely. But men whis-
pered it to one another in the City; and
when men whisper about a thing it is
Oftener far more serious than if thew
talked about 1t in their lOudest voices.
There's about one chance in a million
for me-" he told himself IF the Orient
al Bank floats. I'm safe; if /. closes
down, I'm finished And it will close
down. unless a miracle happens, and
Lily will know that the gods have given
her her revenge"
Vansittarts world would have been
aStonished, perhaps cynically amused,
had 1t seen him now. After locking the
door of his room from the INSIDE TO
render intrusion impossible he opened
a secret drawer in his desk by touching
spring, and took from it a bundle of
letters and photograph
The letters were love letters, and
the photograph that of a girl.
A fair haired girl. with a pretty face,
without NanSittartS pitileSS power
but brave and patient. with love and
faith in her eyes. And the letters had
been written by a girl to the man to
whom she had given her heart, whose
wife she expected TO be.
BY JOvei" muttered Vansittart, as
he put the letters down. she's had to
II Fate is going to give it to her at
last"
It had been an ordinary. common
place story of a mans SelfiShneSs and
a girls outraged trust and love. Van
sittart had been engaged to Lily Gordon.
girl clerk in the city. before he had
begun to rise, and had left her without
a word TO fight life's battle for herself
as soon as he begun to grow rich.
4 was a eur. a mean cur" he NUT
tered But it is too late to think of it
now L go down she'll know. Will
she be glad, 1 wOnder?"
He tried to laugh, but there was
harsh discordance in the sound. Re
placing the letters and the photograph
in the desk, he went out
He felt that he could not sit there
waiting for ruin to come.
There was man in the city. another
Spectator named James Harper. whom
AthOl Vansittaart had helped many
times, by whose side he had stood in
Harper had not the power to save him
in his turn; but Vansittart felt that
lie must talk to someone if something
IN his brain were not to snap.
So he went to him now
Harper was a keen featured man.
with a trick of half curving his lips
in what promised to be a smile and
never came one. He was alone in his
office when Vansittart entered and
his hand cordially.
You've come to talk over things, old
chap" he said. I'm glad Of it: I'd like
to cheer you up. But wait a minute"
He closed the inner door.
Anything wrOng?"
"Oh, no; only a new girl I've got to
help with my letters, and I don't want
her to hear too much of our talk. Bust
ness is one thing, but A confidential
chat between friends is another I
hope it's not so bad with you as some
fools are making out2"
I'm afraid some fools are rather
wise" returned Vansittart ~rimly. It's
no use blinking things. I'm done for
II the Oriental closes down"
Harper's tone was sympathetic, but
he was pretending to pick up something
he had dropped on the floor, and his
eyes were very eager
Look here, Harper" VanSittart said
with an effort I've come to you be-
cause I believe you're the only true
friend I've got. As I said. I shall pull
through if the bank stands firm. But
[ don't think it can It's in a bad way
Itself, and if it can't raise a big loan (
practically at once. it will close its ]
ioors. And if it does that, can't face 1
he music"
Surely it's not so bad as thatY'
81 tell you it isl" VanSittart answered !
iercely. = shall owe more than I can
Jay. 1 shall be disgraced as we'll as /
-uined- But I'm not going to stop to /
ace it. Harper if-if anything hap /
lens to me, do your best to prevent too !
much mud being thrown on my name. |
is all you can do"
ion in his tense expression if not on his l
fps Harper knew it. but he did not |
,ndeavor to stop him or to argue with