The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-29

mrs. Austln ieft the TWO young people
alone together. Scarcely had she
gone from the room, when Leila
turned impetuously to Brent and said:
"1'm so glad you came today. Be-
cause l want, to ask Q favor Of you
A big fayori Two, been thinking II
over for two or three days. You are
q Wan street man. Do you sup.
pose you could sell my shares in
the Leila A for $4,000? That's the
favor I wanted to ask you. I'll give
the money to Tom and be can put II
in something that will earn q living
for us"
Halsey Brent was doing some ep
tremely rapid thinking. He know Tom
Carter was IN authority on mines
whose professional Judgment was
highly priced. II Carter said there
was q fortune in the Lola A" there
was every reason 10 believe It was
true.
It'll try, Of course" he said. doubt
fully. Let me mako inquiries on the
Street and call in q day or 80 to tell
you the result"
When he left the Austin house-af
ter an unusually brief call-Halsey
Brent stopped at the nearest tele
graph office and dispatched q one
hundred-word telegram to an Oregon
mine expert with whom no had had
business dealings from time to time.
Two days later he received the fol-
lowing telegram from the expert:
Made secret inspection, of Leila
A. mine. pretending to be looking for
Job as blast operator. Rich vein has
Just been struck. From samples
secured. It promises to be biggest gold
discovery Of past ten years. You will
make no mistake In paying anything
up to 100000 for It as It stands.
Carter has left for New York"
Carefully putting the telegram IN
his inner coat pocket, Brent set out
for the Austin house.
While he waited for Leila In the
living room at the top Of the front
staircase he pulled out his checkbook
from his inner pocket.
The checkbook's corner stuck In
the lining Of the pocket. He pulled
It out with so sharp q Jerk that three
envelopes tumbled out with 1t. Two
Of these fell on the table and he
picked them up in nervous haste. The
third-a yellow envelope-nuttered
unnoticed to the floor beneath a table.
Sitting at the table Brent filed in
8 check for $4,000 to the order Of
Leila Austin Carter" He was blot
ting It as Leila herself came into the
room. @
Good news!" he hailed her. i've
sold your stock!"
Good! Good" she exulted. Thanks,
hundred times"
He left her an hour later, the Ger.
tihcates in his pocket-a thrill Of de-
light surging through him at thought
Of the easily acquired wealth that had
Just come TO him. He stopped at a
florists and sent Leila great armful
ot,American Beauty: roses. .:.ae
The flowers were delivered at the
Austin house within q few minutes.
Leila buried her face in their fragrant
mass Of petals. then handed them to
o servant to arrange In q vase.
The servant carried tho vaseful Of
flowers into the living room and set
II on the table there. As he did 30
one Of the topheavy roses was 1ostled
out Of place and fell to the floor. The
servant stopped to pick It up. His
eye fell on . yellow envelope, half
hidden under one Of the big carved
feet Of the table.
Curiosity made him draw the mes.
sage from the envelope. Before be
could read It Leila came in.
To account for his action the man
handed her the dispatch, saying:
II Just picked this UP from under
the chair where Mr.. Brent was sitting.
He must o dropped 1t out Of his peck
ct. It seems to be q telegram"
Leila took the sheet Of paper he
proftered. CHANGING idly at It she saw
the words Leila A. mine" In an,
other second sheNwas eagerly reading
the report the mining expert had tele.
graphed TO Brent.
"He-he knew there was an enor
nous fortune in our mine!" she muir.
INJURED, dazedly. "He knew Il! And
knowing that, he has paid me tho
$4,000. He has cheated me, as q
counterfeiter cheats q predetermined
farmer! lworse-he has robbed Tom!
He has made me rob Toni"
snatchingA up the telephone, she
called Halsey Brents ONCE. A clerk
answered that Brent had not yet 70.
turned.
TELL him to come here at once!
The minute he gets to hts otnce!" she
ordered.
He must give back the stock to
me! He shall give It back!" she told
herself, hercely. And then I'll never
let him speak to me again. And Toni"
her angry eyes softening. tom was
right after ALL Darling old Tom!
Our dream 10 coming true-our gold.
en- dream-his and mine!"
It seemed to Leila an unbelievably
long time before Halsey Brent's name