Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-11-25

Uav he'd be so lonely he q marry H'i
And she's forever naggiug at me to
marry Henry and limiting TO father
that"
The old cat
Yes" warmly agreed Marjorie.
Isn't She This morning. as ] was
coming into the breakfast room
heard her saying 10 father: III you
don't look out she will be marrying
Mr. Hugh Scott instead Of his broth
err"
she said that" exclaimed Hugh.
What did your father
Father had no chance to answer
her at all / walked right in on them
and | said to her: i am going 10
marry whom | choose. But | don I
think you can.
Good for YOU" applauded Hugh
Clever girl"
She was mad as wrath and so was
father. Oh. / hate it at home.
Listen. darling" said Hugh draw
ing her close to him. Il have an IDEA
an idea that's so crazy it's inspired.
What Mrs. Hardy said proves our
secret isn't a secret any more. lLo'-
ers' secrets seldom are. ! tindD Ana
now that she's put your father on his
guard he'll try TO keep US from seeing
each other at all. Here's my idea
let's get married: now, today. this
noon"
What"
Il mean it. We can go out now.
The nearest justice of the peace can
marry us. And we can come back
here as II nothing had happened. Then'
if your father says: Keep away from
Hugh Scott" YOU can tell him: Hugh
Scott is my husband!
"But-but." she hesitated, the reck-
less idiocy of the idea firing her girl
ish blood. is it quite fair TO dad,
to"
is 1t quite fair TO you" he retorted.
TO have Mrs. Hardy influencing him
against you? Oh. sweetheart ! love
you so, And I'm so miserable with
out you, Make me happy Marry me
today"
Again he caught her in his arms,
holding her close to him, his lips to
hers. Aroused by his enthusiasm and
wholly carried away by his plea for
happiness, she cried:
Yes, Yes, dear! 1t is the only
way we can keep from being parted.
I'll do it."
Hand in hand, laughing. like two
children, they ran to the door. Al the
threshold Hugh paused.
Wait a second" he said. TT
against the rules to leave valuable pa
pers lying loose on the desks. And
hereafter I'm going to obey rules and
settle down to my Office work as a
married man should. III begin by
putting this stuff in the safe"
AS he spoke he turned toward the
wall desk at which he had been sit
ting. It was Uttered with papers of
various sorts, including an envelope
that contained $4,000 worth of bonds
just a long and labeled manila
wrapper whose contents represented
more actual cash than the yearly sal
airy Of the president OF the United
States.
With one careless sweep of his
hands Hugh jumbled the mass of pa.
pers together so that he could bundle
them into the safe. The gesture set
the documents to jostling roughly
| against one another.
The bond envelope was at the rear
of the desk, where Hugh had tossed
it, after jotting down the numbers
And now, the sudden jostling o.
the other papers against it, sent the
envelope topping. unnoticed. dowr
this space, like letter dropped into
a postbox. Down it went, sliding t
the floor and hidden from sight b,
the blackboard of the desk.
Hugh did not notice its fall.
Meantime, in Turnbull's private OF
fee, Henry Scott and his employe
had reached a decision on the busI
ness question they were discussing.
IF 1t comes to question Of furthe
collateral in the Bogardus loan.
Henry said, as he was leaving tn
room, Hopkins says we can put u
that block of bonds he deposited wit
US. The face value is $4,000; an
they mature-they mature in fol-
get the date. But Hugh will know.
left them with him an hour ago"
He stepped to the door of the QUITE
Office and then reported:
Hugh isn't here He must be on
at lunch. But. for once, he's put a
his papers back in the safe. He"
IF he has" growled Turnbull. lit
the first time on record He must b
i'll. Just take a look through the SAT-
will you, and find the date when thos
Hopkins bonds mature?"
Henry crossed to the safe an
opened it.
Patiently he sought to put the p;
pers to rights. at the same tim
searching for the bond envelope.
The envelope was not there.
His brow clouding, Henry went bac
9 to the private Office
The Hopkins bonds" he said. hes
I tatingly. ARE missing"
2 Missing" roared TurnbuH. ieapir
to his feet. Missing? Seventy-s
h thousand dollars worth of negotiab