The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-02-02
THE EMPTY ENVELOPE
BY EVELYN LEE.

Bryce Worth whispered the words
to himself His worried face, his
quickened breath told of unusual men
tai stress.
II was in the brokers' Office where
Worth was employed that he stood
wrestling with his conscience. Only
the bookkeeper was in the outer room.
The vault was open. To this Worth
had ready access at all times, but
now he skunk toward it and into 1t
with the stealthiness of a thief.
Mrs. Malinda Parr"-he knew the
labeled manila envelope well, knew
that it contained one $500 bond, a Rex
Construction gold 6.
II was a somewhat out-of-the-way
trust. Their client, a struggling
widow, had purchased the bond. For
safe keeping, she had always left 1t
with the office. Twice a veal she had
appeared to collect the interest. That
was all.
A friend had come to Worth In dire
distress. He must have 5000 at once.
or he would be involved in serious
trouble.
And, through mistaken loyalty to a
person who did not deserve it, Worth
made his first misstep.
His plan was to take the distracted
bond to a money lender he knew, Dor
row 5000 on 1t, and when this was
paid off return the security to the Of
flee vaults, and nobody would be the
wiser.
Worth slipped the familiar envelope
into his pocket. One hour later he
left the office. His feelings were
tense, he seemed to have suddenly
assumed a load hat weighed down
body and spirit.
Worth reached the hotel where he
had arranged to meet his friend. He
had decided to tell him Of the fear
full sacrifice of business honor and
peace of mind he was making for his
sake.
An hour went by. The friend did
not come. He would never come, as
Worth later learned The friend was
a scamp, had learned that the police
were already on his trail and had fed
the city. Worth waited YEARLY. FL
nally he arose to leave the hotel
Fire."
The cry took Worth momentarily
out of himself. He saw smoke and
flames issuing through an open arch
ing leading into one of the parlors.
The heavy silken draperies all
around the room were getting ablaze.
He tore down the fre-kindled curtains
at the door. Then he shouted to a
group OF terrified women huddled near
one of the windows:
Get out into the hall. There is no
danger yet"
Worth tore off his coat. He used
1t as an extinguisher, beating at the
blazing curtains of the windows. He
was perspiring, singed. his face and
hands ~blackened as the advance fire
patrol came to the spot. Some n
asked his name. He saw the blaze
under control. and. pretty well ex-
cited and exhausted. passed down to
the street.
Worth did not return to the Office at
once. He went to his room to tidy up.
There he made a. discovery that
thrilled him. The envelope was gone
from his coat pocket. He fastened
back to the hotel. With eager delight
he left 1t again, for he found the en-
velope where it had switched out Of
his coat. He started for the office,
glanced within the envelope, and
found it-empty!
"Some one has distracted 1t from
the envelope" he unused desperately.
II dare not make any move towards
its recovery without exposing my own
wicked foolhardinessi"
Worth placed the empty envelope
back in its place in the vault. That
evening he planned what he would do.
BY saving and skimping he might put
aside $500 by the next interest date.
He could sell some jewelry he had.
His name got in the paper as the
hero of the hotel fire. 1t made Ada
Mason, his fancee. very proud of him,
but her joy was dampened by a great
Cudukc III the man Sic was W mdIIy.
He called upon her less frequently.
He no longer planned of how they
would furnish the little fiat they had
discussed SO comfortingly in the past.
Vainly Ada tried to learn what
trouble he was brooding over.
Then at the end of a month Worth
broke down one evening. He con-
fessed all to Ada. Never did a ten
der. loving heart nov to rescue and
consolation as this dear little soul.
Eyes," she said, you must make
reparation, and | must help you" and
her sister wondered at her now con,
slant attention to fancy work
At the end of five months Worth
had the exact amount needed to cover
bond value and interest. II was a
happy moment when he went to the
vault to place the money in the en-
velope. It was gone, He went to
the bookkeeper. fearing some new