The herald., 1915-01-28
THE EMPTY ENVELOPE
BY EVELYN LEE.

Worth was eWploSeu tho' ~
wrestling with his conscience. only
the bookkeeper was in the outer room
The vault was open. To this worm
had ready access at all times ou'
now he skunk toward it and into IL
with the stealthiness Of thief.
Mrs. Malinda Parr"-he knew the
labeled manila envelope well, kne"
that 1t contained one $500 bond 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 lett IL
with the office. Twice year she hao
appeared to collect the interest. Tha'
was all.
A friend had come to Worth In dire
distress. He must have $500 at once
or he would be involved In serious
trouble.
And. through mistaken loyalty to
person who did not deserve 1t, Worth
made his first misstep.
His plan was to take the distracted
bond to a money lender he knew, Dor
row 5000 on II, and when this was
paid of return the security to the OF
Ace vaults, and nobody would be the
wiser.
Worth slipped the familiar envelope
into his pocket. One hour later ne
left the office. His feelings were
tense, he seemed to have suddenly
assumed a load that 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 we're getting ablaze.
He tore down the fire-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 OF 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 one
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 ONCE al
once. He went to his room to tidy up
There he made 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 1t had switched out Of
his coat. He started for the office
glanced within the envelope, ant
found it-empty!
Some one has distracted It from
the envelope" he unused desperately
81 dare not make any move towards
its recovery without exposing my owl
wicked foolhardiness!"
Worth placed the empty envelop,
back in its place in the vault. Tha'
evening he planned what he would do
BY saving and skimping he might pu
aside $500 by the next interest date
He could sell some jewelry he had
His name got in the paper as tn,
hero Of the hotel fire. It made Ad.
Mason, his f1ancee. very proud OF him
but her Joy was dampened by a grea
change in the man she was to marry
He called upon her less frequently
He no longer planned OF how the.
would furnish the little fiat they ha,
discussed SO comfortingly in the past
|; Vainly Ada tried to learn wha
trouble he was brooding over.
Then at the end Of a month WORT
broke down one evening. He cor
fessed all to Ada. Never did a ten
der, loving heart move to rescue an,
consolation as this dear little soul.
YES" she said, you must max
PREPARATION, and I must help you," an
her sister wondered at her now COZ
slant attention to fancy work.
At the end OF five months Wort
had the exact amount needed to cove
bond value and interest. It was
> happy moment when he went to tn
vault to place the money in the er
velope. 1t was gone, He went I
, the bookkeeper, fearing some ne,
complication In the case.
"The Parr envelope?" he tried I
say carelessly.
"Oh, I threw It out yesterday" wa
' the Indifferent explanation. Had n
: business there"
"Why-why-"
Mrs. Parr took her bond ava
nearly six months apo r ouobt =