Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-14
1t Was = Whale of a Story the
Reporter Found When Iced
Committed Suicide.

wilderment. A good story? Why. II
was a whale, a tr~iple-decker of q
story! And a story plainly written!
Charles Iced. the eminently wealthy
investment broker, had been the Mys-
terious Unknown who shoveled mil
lions so carelessly into the smashed
ship company. With the last glimmer-
ing Of hope he had written the wealthy
aeiress, Miss Selma Ashton, that her
millions had been a part of those
swept away. But why Selma Ashton
unless she had made a recent demand
FOR money that fastened the climax?
The blotter, turned upside down
against the mirror, had spelled out
the substance of the brokers last note
He consulted again the memorandum
slip. Undoubtedly, he had it correctly.
Iced was the mysterious hacker OF
the Titan Company. The Titan Com
pany smashed. Selma Ashton incon-
veniently required money. Iced
tackled the banks and trust companies
mentioned on the slip for aid but with
out success. Then-a subject for the
coroner.
Mrs. Pressley's lips compressed az
she read David Dwight's note. The
thought of his marriage to the beau
tiful eatur just across the tea
things was repugnant to her.
Selma Ashton checked the laugh
upon her lips, a roguish CLEAN light
ing her eyes. Under lowered lashes
she unused aloud.
Hes a dear, old man." she muir.
INJURED as though to herself, studying
the shades of disgust upon Mrs. Press
ley's countenance with infinite relish.
He's got simply millions and his wits
would get 1t all. and they say a private
physician devotes all his time to keep
ing him alive from hour to hour"
Mrs. Pressley's nose upturned.
He's so sweet n kindly" Selma
sighed. And even though he is old
and feeble you can see for yourself
the flame of love burns strong in his
heart. Right on the heels of his note
he u he will come to put his
important question. A perfect Loeb
invar, my dear!"
She threw back her head, BURSTING
into peal after peal Of ringing laugh
ter. Mrs. Presley drew herself erect
uncertain, whether to assume an air
of injured dignity or to join in the
mirth.
You dear old thing!" Selma
gasped. "Of course, I haven't any idea
OF marrying him.. In the first place
he's old, and in the second place he's
not the man I want. and in the third
place he isn't the mar l want to marry
and never could be. But you were SO
funny when you thought me in earn
est. Just for that I'll forgive your
scolding about my asking Mr.. Iced
to send me a hundred thousand dol
lars. Now, we must be ready to re-
ceive the eager wooer."
Her companion ordered the butler
to clear the tea table. then slowly fol-
lowed the beautiful girl up the stairs.
She never quite knew how to take
the heiress, how to fathom her moods,
her fad and fancies. Still 1t was good
o know that her riches, her wild ex-
travagances, her luxurious self-indul-
renee had not warped her soul when
1t came to the big things. the things
that went toward making eternal hap
piness or misery for herself.
She could hear Selma Diminishing
her maid and moved into the hall, ac-
compsnying her to the drawing room.
She nurriedly started to withdraw at
. Ilutter of the door-bell but halted
inQuiringly Is the butler entered with
q note for his mistress.
The companion gazed with in
~creasing wonderment at the young
heiress. A few moments before she
had walked down the stairs with the
radiant creature, a happy, care-free
girl. And now, in the space of time
1t took for her eyes to travel across
the lines of a briefly scrawled note,
all the girlishness had faded away,
leaving the hard, speculative express
sion there of a cold. calculating
pcheming woman.