The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-11-14
CHAPTER v.
The Forfeit Of the Bond.

The telephone in Enoch Wentworth Z
room rang insistently. He had gone
to bed three hours before, and he
struggled to shake of sheer. stupid
drowsiness. He rushed to the tele
phone. Its. ring had become per
emptory.
"Hullo." he called briskly.
"Hullo, old chap" Merry answered
him gaily. The top o the morning to
you
Good morning" Wentworth's alert
ness died in second. Something
flashed back to his mind, something
unpleasant, and an ugly frown corru.
gated his brow.
"Grouchy this morning." cried
Merry with a laugh. "Or say. did
wake you from your beauty sleep?"
You certainly did"
"Old man. I'm sorry, blamed sorry
Some day I'll show you I'm grateful.
couldn't sleep last night, l lay think
ing of something l can do for you
when my production begins to pay.
I'm going to drag you away from the
everlasting grind Well go to Switzer-
land next summer and carry out your
dream. Wen sit on mountain tops.
crane our necks over the edge of a
crevasse. and skid down a glacier"
I'D rather 60 back to bed," growled
Wentworth.
You lazy old duffer. you may go in
a second. only l want to talk to you
about the luckiest sort of accident
Last night ran across a fellow who 8
rolling in money. He's crazy to get in
on a theatrical venture. We can catch
him, l know. l want you to have a
big share, to manage the thing and
make all you can out of it"
Did you tell him 1t was-your
play?" Enoch's tone was brusque
NO. l thought I'd break that gently
he might imagine l couldn't have SC
much versatility; that my play nigh,
be OF the brand some actors turn out
Good" cried Enoch. warmly. You
have more sense than gave you credi,
for"
Really? Now, old pal, go back tc
bed. But tell me first when l can see
you want long talk with you"
Make it four. I've pile OF work
to do before that time"
"All right, four o'clock. Good-by."
Wentworth hung up the receiver and
passed a hand across his forehead; i,
was cold and damp He did not re
turn to bed, but dressed hurriedly
pausing once or twice to stare at him
self in the mirror. His face looked un
familiar. 1t seemed to have aged
There were lines about the clean
shaven mouth he had never noticed
| before.
At four o'clock Enoch sat in his
| library. He was 80 absorbed that hs
did not hear a step in the hall. Wher
he lifted his eyes Merry stood before
him. Wentworth stared for q secone
before he took the outstretched hand
Merry had changed. He looked
young. handsome and vivacious-hs
was better groomed. A few stems o
Roman hyacinths sat jauntily in hi
| buttonhole. His trimness seemed ode
| in contrast to the old whimsical care
lessness. as If he had already achieved
fame and was living up to it, dressing
| up to It, These were the thoughti
that flashed through Wentworth's miht
while Merry took his hands affection
ately between his own. Andrew wa
only few years younger than Enoch
but occasionally he fell into fond, dem
| onstrative ways which were boyish
| Wentworth drew his hand away sud
denly and pointed to the low chair OF
posite. His friend sat down half per
picked, half anxious. ,,;ei.ts.ss..
"Say, old man, aren't you well? Yo'
look groggy."
SIN well enough"
you're working too hard. you a
ways did!" faac aa
wentworth did ~ answer. His eve