The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-03-05
THE EMPTY ENVELOPE
BY EVELYN LEE.

! 10 nlmSelf. HIS worried face, his
| quickened breath told of unusual men.
tai stress.
1t was in the brokers' office where
! Worth was employed that he stood
wrestling with his conscience. Only
the bookkeeper was in the outer room.
! The vault was open. To this Worth
mad ready access at all times, but
now he skunk toward it and into 1t
with the stealthiness of thief.
Mrs. Malinda Parr'-he knew the
labeled manila envelope well, knew
that it contained one $500 bond, Rex
Construction gold 6.
It was a somewhat out-of-the-way
| trust. Their client, struggling
widow, had purchased the bond. For
safe keeping, she had always left it
with the Office. Twice year she had
appeared to collect the interest. That
was all.
A friend had come to Worth IN dire
| distress. He must have 5000 at once,
| or he would be involved in serious
| trouble
And, through mistaken loyalty to a
person who did not deserve it, Worth
made his first misstep.
His plan was to take the distracted
bond to money lender he knew, Dor.
row 5000 on it, and when this was
paid off return the security to the of.
fee vaults, and nobody would be the
wiser
Worth slipped the familiar envelope
into his pocket One hour later he
left the Office. His feelings were
tense, he seemed to have suddenly
assumed a load that weighed down
body and spirit.
Worth reached the hotel where he
had arranged to meet his friend. He
had decided to tell him of the fear
full sacrifice of business honor and
peace of mind he was making for his
sake
An hour went by. The friend did
not come. He would never come, as
Worth later learned. The friend was
a scamp, had learned that the police
were already on his trail and had fled
the city. Worth waited YEARLY. Fl
nally he arose to leave the hotel.
"Fire!"
The cry took Worth momentarily
out Of himself He saw smoke and
flames issuing through an open arch
ing leading into one of the parlors
The heavy silken draperies all
around the room were getting ablaze
He tore down the fire-kindled curtains
at the door. Then he shouted to a
group of terrified women huddled neal
one of the windows:
Get out into the hail. There is no
danger yet"
Worth tore off his coat. He used
1t as an extinguisher, beating at the
blazing curtains of the windows. He
was perspiring, singed, his face and
hands blackened as the advance fire
patrol came to the spot. Some one
asked his name. He saw the blaze
under control, and, pretty well *
cited and exhausted, passed down to
the street.
Worth did not return to the office al
once. He went to his room to tidy up
There he made a discovery that
thrilled him. The envelope was gone
from his coat pocket He FASTENED
back to the hotel. With eager delight
he left it again, for he found the en-
velope where it had switched out OF
his coat. He started for the office
glanced within the envelope, and
found it-empty!
Some one has distracted it from
the envelope" he unused desperately
Il dare not make any move towards
its recovery without exposing my OWL
wicked foolhardiness!"
Worth placed the empty envelope
back in its place in the vault. That
evening he planned what he would do
By saving and skimping he might put
aside $500 by the next interest date
He could sell some jewelry he had
His name got in the paper as the
hero Of the hotel fire. 1t made Ada
Mason, his fiancee, very proud of him,
but her joy was dampened by a great
change in the man she was to marry.
He called upon her less frequently,
He no longer planned Of how they
would furnish the little fiat they had
discussed so comfortingly in the past.
Vainly Ada tried to learn what
trouble he was brooding over.
Then at the end Of month Worth
broke down one evening. He con.
fessed all to Ada. Never did ten.
der, loving heart move to rescue and
consolation as this dear little soul.
Yes she said, you must make
reparation, and l must help you," and
her sister wondered at her now con.
slant attention to fancy work.
AT the end of five months Worth
had the exact amount needed to cover
bond value and interest. 1t was a
happy moment when he went to the
vault to place the money in the en-.
velope. 1t was gone! He went to
the bookkeeper, fearing some new
complication in the case
"The Parr envelope?" he tried to
say carelessly.
ooh, threw it out yesterday" was
the Indifferent explanation. Had no
business there"
"Why-why-"
Mrs. Parr took her bond away
nearly six months ago. l ought to
have removed the empty envelope
then. Why, what ails you!"-for
Worth had dashed from the room. 1t
seemed as if he must shout, laugh,
cry, pray Oh, the relief of it! Oh,
the joy of it!
Copyright, 1914, by W. G. Chapman.l
named person, tO-wit:
ION nnIIChV