The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-23

asked Mr.. Sharp. looking u WILLIE"
curiously. -.
81 don't care" Bill answered. Il
want to know how much can lay my
hands upon"
Mr.. Sharp looked in his books and
answered.: "A trifle over two mil
lions. You know you have been break
ing into your capital rather freely dur
ing the last year or two. Why?"
Because I'm engaged to be mar
ried,' William answered. mo, we've
both always lived pretty well. and I'm
afraid that what is a close fit for one
will be a closer fit for two. And my
father used to tell me that some day
he would show me how to double my
capital any time wanted to. Do you
know how to do 1t, Mr.. Sharp?" he
asked. looking frankly at the senior
partner.
The senior partner stared back 20
hard that his glasses blurred.
"Well--er-it can be done. OF
course" he answered. But you un-
derstand that there are certain risks
attaching, Mr.. Anderson. For instance.
suppose the stock in which you spec
ulated| went down instead of up, or up
instead Of down-why. it might be
serious"
Il guess can trust you, MI.
Sharp" answered Bill, wringing his
hands. my father used to tell me
always to be bull. Can't you be a
bull for me?"
Well answered MIR. Sharp. Il hap
pen to have a good thing or two In
mind, Suppose you try f1utter In
oil. Then know a nice mine out in
Nevada that wants some capital to
develop it. And then half million or
so In Mexican copper. think can
give you good run for your money,
SIR"
IAN right, l leave 1t to you." said
William, and wrung his hand again
and went away.
Three weeks later Sharp and Sharp
shut up their Offices for good and went
away, leaving W llliam with pile Of
stock that was pronounced to be worth
half cent on the thousand dollars
said half cent representing the in
trinsic value Of the paper Of excellent
quality on which 1t was printed.
you ought to be worth about nine
hundred dollars" said the government
agent. after he had gone through VIII
liam's affairs. Yes, Sharp and Sharp
took every penny they could get their
hands on. wish Id interviewed
sooner. We've had them under OBJ
servation for months, but--well, we
didn't think they'd get anybody to
fall for them like that"
HUM" said Bill, and put on his hat
and walked round to see Miss Har-
greaves.
Louise, DEAR" he observed. i've
lost every penny | had"
80 Mr.. Sunderland was telling me
yesterday" she answered. What are
you going to do. Bill?"
I'm going west" he answered. my
father told me anybody can make
money out west. guess I'll have to
make another fortune before l ask you
to set the date for me. Will you wait,
dear?"
She looked at him in amazement.
She had long known that it would be
impossible for her to marry Bill She
had tried to tell him SO five or six
times, but each time he had SO domi-
mated her by his simplicity and can
dor and good nature that it had been
impossible to make him understand.
And she llirted twice since they had
been engaged! And now he wanted
her to wait! 1t was easy to promise
but-well, she knew that he would
expect her to wait. And he would be
wretched if she were false to him; per-
haps il would shatter his faith and
make him like other men. TO play
false with Bill-why, it would be like
sacrllege. If she did that she could
never be quite happy again.
It'll write to you" she gasped,
and fed, choking. up the stairs. That
afternoon she wrote Hill a long letter.
She told him that she could never
marry him, that the loss Of his for
tune made not the slightest difference,
but that she was not worthy of him.
SO he must let her go and never see
her again.
1t would have shattered any mans
faith, that letter. Bill read it and
stayed away. lie had made all the
preparations for his departure when
sharp aud sharp were caught in Mon
treal with one million, nine hundred
and seventy-eight thousand dollars OF
Bill's money sailed away William un-
packed his suit case and went round
to see Miss Hargreaves.
Its all right, dear" he told her.
when she came down at his earnest
plea. I've got it nearly all back, but
need some one to take care OF it for
me. VIII you name the day when
you'll begin to be my banker?"
But. Bill" she cried, didn't you
understand my letter?"
Yes, sure" he answered. But that
was when was beggar."
You think | wrote that lust be-
cause-b because you were poor?" she