The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-10-21

Inv SAIA otuAVA y hhh a. oSso
ishment. "No, I did not know. ]
had not thought" she said nerv-
ously.
"fhat last check was rather large
ten thousand
"Ten thousandw repeated Betty
weakly.
eyes, we did not question it, Of
course, because MI. Gordon so of
ten draws large amounts" He look
ed at her keenIy. ct was all right,
I suppose2"
Eyes; oh, yes" said Betty un-
steadily. at was all right. II
suppose Mr.. Gordon cashed it,"
HE sent a messenger, as he usu-
ally does"
Betty nodded. The bank swan
and for an instant her brain reeled
as she turned away, perplexed and
vaguely conscious Of impending
evil.
The thousand dollars!
Even to Betty's vague business
reasoning $4,000 seemed a good
deal to lose track Of. But there
must be some good reason why Cor
don had filled in the check for so
much, for Miss MaxwelPs methods
of dealing with the management Of
her estate had not changed, and,
though she still signed all her
checks, she serenely washed her
hands of further responsibility, and
Gordon usually filled them in.
Once at home she hurried to her
desk. She had a prejudice against
keeping her check book in order,
and an appalling number of hastily
scrawled stubs confronted her. She
worked busily, covering a pad with
figures and counting up totals OF
her fingers. But it was slow work,
and near the end one stub stared
out from the rest provokingly.
1t was blank.
She leaned her elbows on the
desk and, resting her chin in hel
hands, stared hard into space
There was the check u%naccounteC
for, and he had filled it out fol
$4,000. No n knew how many
= others he had used. He was wei
come to the money. She would no
| fight it if she could. But he hat
5 seemed so different, and she haC
trusted him. Slowly her head sanl
on the desk, and the heiress of thu
: Maxwell millions cried her eyes on
like any ordinary lovesick girl.
1t was ten hours later r tel
y dreamy interminable hours - tina
e the clock on Betty's dressing tabl
chimed l..
Betty shivered. No sleep ha'
come to her eyes. Getting out o
bed, she slipped into a dressini
gown. She would read. Anythini
would be better than lying in be-
open eyed and sleepless moanin
u over James Gordon.
d Her book was in the library. Sh
opened her door and ran hurried
down into the hall.below. Pushin
open the library door very gently
she entered the room, then uttere
a faint scream
The room was lighted by tn
- faint rays of a bullseye lantern.
IT Standing at her desk with hi
back to her, opening her chez
l. book, was-Tom Cornish.
Starting convulsively at sound G
t her cry, he turned and confronte
her, white to the lips. Betty h
stammered.
d Miss Maxwell stood very still.
"Tom," she said, "why did 20
do it?"
But Tom had fallen into a cha
I" and hidden his shamed face in h
d hands.
s. "It's all up" he said hoarsel,,
It "Tm dead broke, and / thought
stood a chance to stake myself ono
l. more. I've had the devils ow
luck lately. l lost every cent {
ls that other. check"
g Betty looked at him as if in
.e dream.
d, "Thc check-your check | W;
4 dead broke = debts everywhere
r and l got hold of your check boo.
IL l knew Gordon did about as
pleased--and it was your signatuI
r all right. ! meant to give it bac
J. to you, Betty, as soon as my lu(
ID turned, l really did"
lg But to his justification Bet
was looking at him with shinir
y. eyes. at was you who cashed Il
is check for ten thousand" she r
ID peated softly. at was you-it WI
lg you"
r 1t was weeks before she told Go
Is don, and he, being a wise your
man in his generation, said no VOL
i of her bygone injustice, but h
rs arms went round her, and he he
ry her close, while she, crying quietl