The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-13
huge OF stark wrath that blotted out al
the normal personality NJ Tho man

silver scattered about the top Of the
ounet. With one Of those pieces
Lauras bill could be paid.
jenkins resolved to act upon the
thought. At nightfall he went softly
toward the doctors house. He knew
tnat there was back door, always
open, except for the flmsy screen that
covered it. He had seen that during
his visits, and remembered that, once
over the fence, he could not be seen
from the windows. He found the
renee, scaled it, and crouched cover
ing on the other side.
! The house was dark, except for q
4 single light in the dining room. Jen.
! klns could see the silver even now.
1t cleaned derisively upon the buffet.
HIS gorge rose. He walked steadily |
toward the back door. 1t stood wide |
open. 1t was not even clasped. |
Thieves were unknown, almost, in
prosperous Sequah.
Perhaps somebody was on the prem.
ises, though. There must be servants.
He knew the doctor had housekeep-
er. But it was not likely that she
would be on the first floor. Jenkins
walked in very softly and took q sill
yer candlestick from the buffet. He
knew by the touch that it was of pure
metal. That alone would more than
pay Laura's bill No doubt he could
pawn it somewhere in town.
He stood irresolute, holding it in his
hands. Then, all at once, he heard
the front door click open. Doctor
Evans was coming in. There was still
time TO escape with his plumber
through the back. But fear paralyzed
jenkins; the irresolute man had found
himself again and the enterprising
criminal who had arisen in him, like
some Mr. Hyde, had betaken himself
to the neither gloom from which he
sprang.
Jenkins put down the candlestick
and sprang behind the curtains. He
heard Evans enter his office. Through
the open door he saw him sit down
) at his desk. The doctor pulled out a
! pocketbook and heaped up an i'm
] mense pile of bills before him. Jen-
kins could not see their denomination,
but he knew that each was for five
dollars, the spoils of his few hours OF
: office work that day.
There must have been three hun
dred dollars there. jenkins felt his
\ fury rising again. The sleek, SNUG
devil. Counting his money, while
II Laura would be put out of the hospital
H the following day.
A 1t did not occur to him that she
| would merely be transferred to the
4 free ward The man was mad at the
81 moment The loss of his lifelong posi-
j ton had bereft him of his senses. He
/ crept forward and watched the doctor
with parted lips. His hand, stretched
E out, closed upon the candlestick.
That set new thought running
HI through his head With that candle
4 stick he could batter out the man.
1 brains. He could take the none.
\ from the dead hand and go. None hat
p seen him enter, and none would Sc
\ him leave in the darkness. Money
= good money. was better than candle
Z sticks.
Three hundred dollars! He ha
,e never had so much money in his LII
before.
He clutchcd tho cand!cstick in hi
al hand; and Just then Doctor Evan
re looked up with start.
G. who is there" he called.
IS Jenkins put down the weapon. II
lie was the old man once more. the wea
le man. incapable of anything but tn
trained groovemoving thoughts.
We Doctor Evans approached the dinin
room and suddenly switched on a
ne electric light beside the door. 1t r
an vealed Jenkins, standing by the blu
fet, shaking and white. The doctt
er stared at him, and suddenly JenkiI
as saw recognition in his eyes.
N why, Mr.. Jenkins, how long hay
'e' you been waiting for me?' he aske
ar And jenkins perceived that his d
re sign was unsupported. Doctor Eval
must have thought that the serval
ss had admitted him through the fro
ue entrance.
re- We're you anxious about 20
- VIE! ne dSkeu. mere 10 MUM
i'll TO worry about. She is doing We
5 we'll. And, by the way, she asked
he to give you this. She expected "
ILL., tonight and was sure that ! won
lu- meet you on the way out OF the ne
as pital. She said It was important, al
en- wanted you to know as soon as pos
'ut BILE
lot And he handed Jenkins another l.
on ter from the leather company
he Jenkins took it and looked at t
ng envelope. This one was typewritt
TOO. II could not be the check. st
ith a check was due. Jenkins had +
ext gotten that. The envelope was ope
i've Laura had read the contents.
nst Jenkins took out-the check and
M letter He read:
md
Dear Mr. Jenkins:
not We have decided to close our ag
ing CIV in Sequah. Poor business con
wo tons. and other affairs, of which
hat will learn on your arrival here, ha
ey caused a reorganization OF our bran
hat system This requires the services
rob a superintendent with a thorou
.ith knowledge of the business. VIII
4rs. accent the post at salary OF I
thousand?
-. Jenkins put the letter in his poe
Nuo - rbool, hands with the doctor