The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-08-14

tie Of whisky. I want to keep It BY
my side. On my honor, l will not
touch a drop Of It unless | feel the
tremens coming on. 1t will help me
out to know I've got IL, If | reach the
limit of endurance"
"Donel" cried Pearce, "and l know
you'll conquer"
Elston did. At the end OF a week.
once more clothed again in his right
mind. he took a walk with Pearce. AS
they reached a quiet spot he took out
the bottle. It's contents we're intact.
He gave it a fling against a rock and
1t shivered into a thousand pieces.
That's the end of drink for me-
he said, quietly but determinedly.
Now a queer thing came about.
Pearce got to questioning Elston about
his past. He found that his only liv-
ing relative was a sister, a .milliner
in a town fifty miles distant. Elston
had kept away from her on ccoun
of his drinking. Pearce suggested
that he go and see the sister.
I've got an uncle living in Mar
den," he explained. I'll get you work
there. You will be happier and safer
near your sister"
The first moment Pearce set his
eyes on Dorothy Elston, the pretty
milliner, with her sweet, winning
ways, he fell in love with her. He
got his old uncle in Marden to en-
ploy Elston. The uncle was an eccen-
trio r%ecluse, something of a scientist
and had a vast collection of curios
and was a good deal of a naturalist.
Two months went by Pearce made
a good many visits to Marden. He
got on famously with Dorothy Elston,
and her brother was keeping away
from strong drink. His employer had
sen him away from town on a mission
of Importance one evening, and Pearce
stayed with his uncle that night, leav.
ing early in the morning before his
uncle was awake.
Serious news reached him in his
own town before nightfall. His uncle
had been robbed of a large amount of
jewelry. The fact of Pearce being at
the house and leaving as he did, led to
gossip, and then suspicion. Elston
could prove that he was absent when
the old man, nov turned soul and
suspicious, had been robbed. The
latter did lot prosecute, but he ig-
nored his nephew and former heir
that.
Elston returned to Marden greatly
perturbed over the charge that affected
the man who had been his best friend.
All one day he prowled about the
old house, trying to figure out how
and why his employer was robbed.
At last Elston rested suspicion
upon a stranger who had come to the
Town the day before the robbery, and
had been found intoxicated on the
public streets the ensuing evening.
The man was serving a thirty days
sentence for the misdemeanor.
One day another stranger met Els
on and scraped up an acquaintance
him. He informed Ekton that
he man in jail was a friend of his.
Il want to get some money to him
10 he a buy little n~ecessaries," ex-
'iolhSu Iho man. 1Ou re dCQudlnleQ
lere and you can get into the Jail.
give him the money, will you
III, yes, and this cigar"
Elston assented. The mission would
enable him to get closer to the pris-
On the way to the Jail, how
ever, he happened to notice the cigar.
t felt soft in the center. He sus-
'ected something and Investigated. 1t
vas to discover a note packed into
mall compass, and reading:
81 can't hang around here for fear
# exciting suspicion. Your share of
he loot is hidden in the loft of the
I'D shed back of the house we rob-
Immediately Elston set the officers
IN the trail Of the man who had given
lin the money and cigar. He was
..aptured, confessed, and Pearce was
estored to the good graces of his
lncle.
Donald Pearce blessed the hour he
lad reclaimed from the dregs the re-
ormed derelict who saved his good
lame. and led to his gaining the
l%earest, sweetest wife in the world.