The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-09

Whoever devised the Mutual Ton
tine found ready soil for planting their
policies in and about Ruddendale. At
the end of thirty years most of the
investors in the scheme were plant
ed" themselves, as the phrase went,
and finally there we're only two sur
vivors-Adam Warner and Ezra Moss.
Here was the scheme; One hun
dred subjects were taken at one hun
bred dollars each. The surviving
members of the syndicate, as it might
be called, when fifty had died, were to
receive six per cent on their invest
ment annually up to their death. The
heirs of the final survivor we're to re-
ceive the amount in the pool at his
demise.
All this figured out a liberal com
mission for the agent or trustee and
for the bank where the funds we're de-
posted. After thirty years all but two
members of the original group were
dead. 1t was then estimated that
the amount the final survivor would
receive would be approximately sixty
five thousand dollars.
- <AauAAA w a hNl ahu
seemed to have no disposition to die.
1t was true that both were now over
eighty n were not able to go about
much. Warmers heir was a grandson,
Cyril Warner, in the navy. All the
rest of his relatives had died off. The
heir or rather heiresses of Ezra
Moss were his widowed daughter.
Mrs. Newell, and her only child,
twenty and charming, Marcia.
Mrs. Newell was sordid. She hoped
to receive the opulent fund at stake.
Mr.. Moss had nc income except six
dollars a year. nothing but his con
tingent dependency. Mrs. Newell did
sewing and Marcia taught school. The
returns barely kept the household
wheels moving. Again, in her anxiety
to do all that was possible for the
health and comfort of her father, Mrs.
Newell spared no expense, which was
a serious drain on their limited reve-
nue..
Old Adam Warner lived alone, ex-
cept for a faithful man servant almost
as aged as himself-David Mack. This
man was terribly jealous of his mas
ter. AS Warner grew old and feeble,
he shut out everybody from the house,
he devoted all his time and care to
Warner.
One morning the neighbors OBJ
served Mack come out of the Warner
home in a fearful state of excitement.
He was wringing his hands and acting
altogether perturbed. Bent on his way
m fouyp ko na;I no a+tontior 81 avn
one until a closer acquaintance than
the others hailed him.
why David" spoke this man,
whatever is the matter?"
'1t's-I mean-n-nothingl" STAN
mered Mack, like one distracted over
some vital matter and seeking to
evade any questioning regarding it.
"Pm-I'm in a hurry. Master is
that is, l want to get some medicine
for him, SO l can't delay"
"You can wait long enough to heal
some news that will interest both you
and Warner, l reckon" submitted
his friend.
'Heyl What's that?" demanded
Mack, pricking up his ears.
Ezra Moss"
What about him?"
"Dead-he passed away early this
morning. suddenly, but painlessly."
Are you surei Are you sure!'
fairly shouted Mack, all a-tremble.
Miss Newell just told me, and
they've sent for the undertaken"
"Then-then!" ~quavered Mack.
your master wins the Mutual Ton.
tine. Sixty-ive thousand dollars
whew. That will be great news f9l
his son, Cyril, in the navy"
Mack turned like a shot, homeward
bound.
Hold oni" challenged his friend
aren't you going after that medi-
cine?"
"Oh, no. This news of his luck will
make my master all well again!"
The news soon spread over the
town. All due sympathy was ex
pressed for Mrs. Newell and Marcia,
for MI. Warner had some means and
they nothing. Mrs. Newell was bit.
terly disappointed. Marcia said little,
but she was saddened for her moth
er's sake at the struggle and poverty
that doomed ahead for them.
At noon that day a messenger from
the bank arrived at the Warner home
He knocked for admission at the we'll
guarded door. A window was raised
overhead.
E'Well, what is it?" inquired a
cracked feeble voice, and looking up
the bank messenger recognized a ia
miliar great shock of snowy white
hair and whiskers, a pair Of blue cog
giles, the green and white sweater that
Adam Warner always wore.
"Oh. it's you. Mr.. Warner" cried
the clerk. well, I've been sent by
the bank to officially notify you that,
as the last survivor of the Mutual
Tontine fund, 1t is at your order"
'Ye-es, l heard that Moss was dead.
Outlived him, Ell? and me nigh two
years olderl Well, I'll come or send
for the money tomorrow or next day"
Two days passed by. The morning
of the third saw David Mack rushing
out OF the Warner home to shout out
~distractedly to his neighbors that his
master had just died. The statement
was soon verified. Scores viewed the
remains. BY a strange coincidence the
funerals of the two veterans happened
within the same week. 1t was an
~ood tbot tho will NJ Adam War.