The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-12

Won. take my edvice-marry Tom
Blake that day. And IN make your
peace with your father atterward."
Marjorie sped to Tom with this In.
sp!red suggestion. And the wedding
date was accordingly fixed for June /.
Tom, aglow with delight at the
prospect, and at the promise Of q raise
in pay. hurried back to the ONCE
after his lunch.time chat with Mar
!orie.
It was a busy day. and. during the
afternoon q detail OF work arrived that
had to be completed in haste. Tom
at once volunteered to stay after
hours to finish It.
As he at last laid aside the com.
pleted task and reached for his hat
and coat he heard o rap at the door
OF the outer office. Answering the
summons he admitted James Sullivan,
a customer OF the arm.
Hello. Blake" the visitor greeted
him, pulling a wallet from his pocket.
Il sold my old car this evening for
$3.50. Here It is. In ffties. Please
ask Lampson to keep It on deposit
here till ! get back to town."
But" objected Tom, only Mr..
Lampson and the cashier have the
combination of the safe. What shall
do with this overnight? Where shall
! put TT"
"oh. Just take personal care Of r.
suggested Sullivan.
He was gone. leaving Tom looking
down p~erplexedly at the fifty-dollai
bills in his hand. Tom. after q mo.
mcnt's thought. went to the telephone
and called up Roger Lampson at the
latter's house. telling his employer OF
Sullivan's deposit.
put It somewhere for the night"
replied Lampson, "and turn It over to
the cashier in tho morning. Thanks,
Just the same, for calling me up to
let me know"
Tom opened a drawer OF his desk;
then RECONSTRUCTED. and decided the
money would be safer in his own
keeping. Office thefts were not uncom.
mon and there was always the danger
of fire.
So he took out a long envelope
wrote his name and the firms address
on It, put the money in the envelope,
sealed 1t and placed II In the inside
pocket of HIS vest. Then he locked
the Office and went out into the street.
The hour was late and he was
sleepy as we'll as hungry. SO he took
o short cut through a network Of
squalid streets to bring him to his own
boarding place. He had gone only q
few blocks when he noticed on a cur.
tanned street window the sign:
"Harding's cafe"
The window was not o%ver.clean and
the street was uninvitlng, But hunger
is seldom %fastldious.
Choosing a meal from the list dis.
played on the greasy and much.
thumbed menu, he gave his order and
sat back to wait.
Lizzie Reisen was a lady who lived
by her wits. And she had good sharp
wits to live by. She did not care for
her patronymic, and carly in her hec.
tic career she had changed 1t to "Lu.
lette Fortescue." But an unapprecia.
tive police force had renamed her
"Light.Fingered Liz"
Liz entered the main TOOL Of the
cafe and glanced around with q seem.
ing carelessness which. none the less,
took in every detail and every patron
Of the place. Her rowing glance at
last paused-at sight OF something
that promised to be interesting.
At an alcoye table sat a well.dressed
young man In front OF whom a waiter
was just then setting a cup of coffee.
AS the waiter leaned over him. Liz
saw the young mar raise his hand
nervously toward one side Of his vest.
That tip was quite enough for Light.
Fingered Liz. She crossed to the
alcove.
Pardon me-" she said, politely. do
you mind II I sit here? The outer
room is so smoky"
mot at ALL" said Tom absently.
The girl picked up the menu and
studied 1t. But her fingers seemed to
be awkward. For she let the greasy
card fall to the floor. It struck neal
Toms feet. He stopped. to pick It up.
During the fraction OF a second that
his head was below the table edge,
Liz's hand shot forward with unbe
lievable swiftness, dropped something
into the cup OF coffee and returned as
quickly to her own lap.
Tom Blake was aware Of a rackins
headache, a rankly bad taste in his
mouth, a n of nausea He sat up
and blinked. He-yes. he must have
been fast asleep.
His watch was gone. So was hi.
chain. And his vest was unbuttoned
His fingers few to the inside pocket
It was empty.
A gurgllng cry, like that which ID
.wrung from the dying, burst from
Toms dry lips.
What was to be done? And, from
long habit. conscience answered:
TELL the truth" But his cooler jude
!ment realized that in the present case
tho truth uaa fha npa thJnn ..,ta