The Benson signal., 1916-09-09

pressed by the episode that had
brought to Bulger his doom. When
the estate came finally into his hands,
he found that it had dwindled to less
than fifty thousand dollars.
''It is tainted wealth." he told him.
self. "There is only one course, res
titution. Then for my old, humble,
contented life with lesson, shall
never forget"
Bliss went all over the private pa
pers of his half-uncle. He finally
unearthed the Robert Lane transac-
tiOn. 1t was a fragrant case. Getting
Lane into his clutches, .Bulger had
Systematically robbed him. He had
seized the home and business of the
merchant and absorbed it for COM
paratively small debt. When he came
to figure up the frightful sacrifice
and injustice that had beggared Lane,
he was appalled,.
Step by step Bliss wrought out the
need of justice. He proceeded sys-
tematically to restore to the account
of Robert Lane every dollar that had
been so unfairly wrested from him.
Then Bliss sought to find the old
mendicant. He shadowed him, when
the old man, counting the coins he had
begged, FASTENED down the street,
Bliss was electrified to see him enter
a florist shop and expend all his mon
ey for a bunch of roses.
Bliss continued to follow him, even
when Lane entered wretched tene-
ment house. In his eagerness the ex-
merchant left open the door of a room
in which lay beautiful girl upon a
couch, his daughter, Inez, wasted with
fever and in delirium.
Bliss was thrilled at the pathetic
wanderings of the sufferer. She was
in fancy once more in the rose garden
of their old hOme-the paradise that
Max Bulger had stolen from them.
From that moment there began In
the life of this young man sole i'm
pulse-restitution for the stricken
Lanes, father and daughter. Mystic
riOusly, for them, all at once lawyer
appeared who told them that there
was a likelihood of realizing some
thing from the Bulger estate. There
was removal to new living quarters,
the services of a skilled specialist for
Inez and then-oh! the wild 10Y of it
one day they found themselves in
the old home, with money in bank.
TY, 20 o% tn oil 0nnHi-
tions, except for intermediate depri-
vation and sorrow, was complete.
It was a labor of love to Bliss to
duplicate the old furnishings of the
house as fully as possible. The day
before the place was all ready for its
occupants, he was hanging a picture
in the very room that was to be the
boudoir of Inez Lane, when the step
ladder gave way. He was precipitat,
ed to the floor, insensible. A sur
geon sent for directed his removal to
the next house, as limb was broken
and aside from that Bliss had sus.
tanned severe contusions about the
head.
His lawyer came and arranged fol
his care in this home until he could
be safely removed. Was it he who
divulged to the Lanes the mystery
of their suddenly restored wealth
Was it the lady who owned the house
where Bliss lay as invalid who had
caught certain words referring to heI
new neighbors, uttered by Bliss in his
early siege of fever consequent OF
his injuries, who had given Inez clue
to the identity of Bliss? Rather was
it fate that led the gentle-hearted girl
to each day send fresh bouquet OF
flowers to the sufferer who had made
it possible for her to be among the
old delightful surroundings.
Then a closer acquaintance, a day
spent in the lovely garden Of "nex1
door neighbors," the truth known fully
and Inez Lane aware of how grandly
this noble-hearted young man haC
come into her life.
And he, who had made himself poor
to restore to the victim of his sordiC
relative his just due, found himself
rich, infinitely rich in the possession
of love, compared with which all the
treasures of earth were as drOss.