The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-01-29
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"s'ha.s TIE Use ~ Worry
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~ LptnAD EoLr~o> ,

In the Kitchen btE2ath Jtiuiss":' $
bedroom the clock whirred and began
to sound the hour. At the first jan
Cling StrOhe JCInigln lifted his head
and became aware. with IL quick throb
Of gratitude. that he had been asleep.
The question WAS, fo" how Ions: ::
There WAS no daylight ut the curtuined
window. but he was sure that ii must
be nearly sunrise. ana in alert anxiety
he counted the strokes of the clock.
Nine. ten. CLEVELAND silence. Jer-
nigan groaned wearily. He had been
in bed only thirty minutes. after ALL
Through the doorway of the adjoin-
ing room, where his wife slept with
the two children, he blnked at the
white, dim hummock Of LizZies back
and listened to her placid breathing.
Noiselessly he drew on some clothes.
found pair Of slippers and glidcd
swiftly down the dark stairway.
With hand on the knob of the
front door he turned and peered into
his narrow parlor The blue glare
from an arc lamp in the street family
illuminated the parlor table, revealing
the bank book on it and his private
account book and the sheets OF paper
covered with penciled figures. He has
tily secreted them before he went out
OF doors.
arxoie hA 20,
Ellice at the Rudale mill. as his father
had been before him. He was q skill
! ed and honest accountant. The tor
menting figures had nothing to do with
his NemplOyer's affairs. They repre-
sentedN his own endeavor to deal with
two years he had diminished by nearly
$1,000 the modest capital which he
had inherited from his parents.
He looked morosely down the desert
ed street toward the huge mill. It's
windows glowed; its looms chanted
perity. On hill near by was the state
ly. old fashioned Ellice mansion. with
its tall columns of white stone. Mr..
Ellice was evidently entertaining an
evening party there. The lamps OF
motorcars shot their golden beams over
the lawn, and Jernigan heard va.
grant strain of dance music.
His vague plan waste stroll as far
as the Office of the mill before turning
back.
Behind the building he halted in be-
wilderment. \ light cleaned from
rear window. Somebody was in the
office!
Now. it was impossible for .Jernigan
to believe that any one had rightful
business there by night without his
knowledge. SO he crcpt close TO the
window. He saw Il man standing be-
side the Office table. On the table were
books OF account and sheets of paper
covered with pencied figures. The
man bent over them. then paced the
room. then returned do%gcdly to the
table. then paced The room again. Jer
nigan cauGht his breath. fer the man
was John E.iice.
The hGoEkeeper stared. rs il in =
thcater. at Il counterfeit presentment
Of LiGlseif pacing his own parlor. FL
Ices unbuttOned coat showed q loose
pajama jacket; he wore slippers. and
his hair was ruGlcd like that of one
driven from his bed. His face. as he
bent att the table under the light,
was drawn and white.
Jernigan interpreted the picture
swiftly. Indeed. there was only Il sin
gle possible meaning for him. and this
was meaning which swept every
thing else out of his simple soul as a
gigantic and appalling torrent sweeps
humble valley. The sight of an FL
lice of Rudalc in the torment of fnan-
cial worry was to II Jernigan what the
sight Of Il collapse of the great pyra
mid would have been to an ancient
Egyptian. Other affairs of life for Jer-
nigan were totally obliterated by awe
stricken CONSERVATION ana a sympathy
almost reverent.
4
Ellice snapped off the electric lamp.
pushed the papers into Il drawer OF the
ldDic 'ilu IVA hNst IT, az 'AHl
his daughters dance would be over,
and he wondered if he could Steep.
Then he smiled grimly. knowing we'll
enough that it was not dance music
which had kept him awake. His neck
contracted sharply. as If something
was pcrched on his shoulder.
His thoughts whirled back to the pa
pers In the table drawer. Had he for
gotten to jot down the loan from the
Samson Trust? OF course he had! He
began TO compute the interest for the
coming term. And what, in heavens
name. would lie his next months bal
ance with the Atlas people? True, he
might tide over this year. but He
threw open tho outer door with n gcs-
ture OF hopeless desperation and de-
scended the steps.
"Who's that? Not Jerniganf'
YES, sir" faltered Jcrnigan. Tiff
you can spare me minute!'
"Why. certainly"
E,lice managed to pull himself to-
rether. He glanced at his clerks up
tu-ned coat collar and tremuous chin.
you're not III. AlbertT
"No. sir; Just out for little air"
..Quite right approved Ellice Best
hing in the world after hard days