Evening star., 1914-01-25

summoned by the Kansan to Seattle, re-
turned on the boat, carr wing with him suit
case filled with deeds that were to be put
on record, now that Burmah's desire to keep
the Colonel in ignorance of what was being
done was removed.
The newspapers had ignored his circular
letter, having concluded that this was
only a scheme to advertise Port Hatch,
which no one but lunatic could hope to
resuscitate. And the latter conclusion had
also been the one of some thousand Others
who had invested in that Inflated town
when it was on the boom, and they had
jumped at the offer of Burmah Jones, and
gleefullv accepted what they got, and
charged the money lost to the profit and
loss accounts of their books. Still Others
had written him personally before selling,
and been induced by his replies to hold on
awhile longer.
He was playing his game honestly, from
start to finish, and had no time to waste
over his own change of heart. He accepted
that as he had everything else in life, con-
sidering all the yesterdays dead, and all past
actions irrevocabe His resolution to be
honest was frequently tested as by fire, and
his patience suffered now and then; but he
kept grin1v in the path that he had laid for
his future steps, and did not swerve for an
instant.
He sat now with feeling of utter relief;
for on that day his work was done for better
or for worse.
THE door opened, and in came Lester,
whom he had not seen in all the interim,
smiling, well groomed, and less tanned than
on that evening when Bur1nah had bade
him goodby after handing him the list and
checks.
WELL said Burmah, after greeting him in
his restrained way, Il understand from the
letters you sent me that you have been able
to make good.
"Yes, replied Lester, a did. I've got
the deeds for all of it up in my grip.
bought all that | was told to buy, and was
short but eleven hundred dollars. l paid
that out of my own pocket
Burmah wheeled in his chair and took out
his checkbooks. He figured for a moment,
his pen scratched across the blanks, and he
turned back and handed Lester FIVE slips OF
paper.
"Sorry to have to cut it up that way,
Burmah said apologetically; "but the fact
is that too have made good. Those checks
clean me out. I've got JUS two hundred dol
lars left in the banks, and seventeen in my
pocket.
A shade of pity crept into Testers eyes,
and he held the checks out again toward the
said. al can stand a part of it, think.
You'll need more money than you have
left to make your new start.
No." answered Burnah resolutely, Il
never start to do a thing and change unless
l have to. My part of the big play of Port
Hatch is over with, no matter how she goes.
I see that board of railway directors arrived
here again this morning. The newspapers
were gloatin' over it
Eyes, answered Lester.
"And you're goin' to see en-
"Yes. l shall see them at once, and do
what | can to influence them
And do you think you've got your pull
to work so they'll reconsider"
Lester smiled emerge tically, appeared on
the verge of saying something regarding
what he hoped to do, and then said, ayes,
perhaps never can tell.
Burrnah sat quietly in his chair, stockv |
and imperturbable, apparently unruff1ed by
the fact that this day was to decide whether |
all his efforts in the Colonel's behalf, and his
own ruin, had been mere folly. He seemed
to have nothing more to say, and e:ter, |
watching him, felt the same admiration that
had come to him on that night in the club. |
He fought desire to break down the man S
barrier Of re serve, to make him express some