The Tomahawk., 1916-01-13
establishment like his without ampl

establishment like his without ample
means. .
"Now, to be entirely frank, uncle in
many respects was---well, queer, &C.
centric. Practically r, nothing was
known of his past life, and he always
avoided talking about it.. He used to
rail at banks, firm belief of his being
that their chief aim was to defraud
their depositors. 80 ~. ;:H::
$50 where was his money? -....
"The sequel showed that his bank
balance was comparatively small.
"The rest can tell you in few
words. -Four days before he died he
summoned Edward and me together to
his room. He handed each of US q
sealed envelope, instructing us that
they were not to be opened until he
was dead. There are your legacies,
said he, in effect. I have converted
everything into money and negotiable
securities; there's no use paying heavy
probate and inheritance fees and be-.
ing mulcted by INSCRIPTIONS lawyers
The old home already has been trans
ferred to you, Crystal, and the deed
recorded "' - -. - -
well, after uncle was buried Ed
ward and I opened our envelopes-and
I might add that it was only shame at
my contempt of his greed that made
my cousin keep his envelope intact
that long. His contained a, check Tor
$4,000, and mine-what would you
guess?-a check for $6S650! Nothing
else. ~ 80: ?''.:'.
'As say, make fair living; but
here I am saddled, with a huge man
sion and acres of ground that require
an army of servants to keep it up,
something that is utterly. beyond my
means. At the same time the idea of
parting with it is too repugnant to be
thought of. My grandfather built it;
my father was born and lived there till
he died; it is the only home ever
knew. And, oh, it is a paradise!
However, would have accepted the
situation, bitter as was the disappoint-
ment, and been resigned to make the
best of it, had it not been for the con-
duct of Edward Gray. On one pretext
and another he has remained.at Gray
Cables since uncles death. I don't
object to that, because under present
conditions I can't be there much my
self; but whenever I have a day or
two l run down to Unaminee, and at
such times am being confronted on
every hand by evidences Of Edwards
prying inquisitiveness.
'"This unpleasant trait first manifest
ed itself when he revealed a desire for
the cancelled check which my uncle
had given me. Why in the world
should he want. that?' Purely out of
sentiment, he assured me; he wished
to keep it as a memento of his dead
uncle. ;.
ITO be perfectly candid, I dislike
Edward; I don't trust him. I believe
him to be sly and tricky; SO I doubted
his motives. / told him that fQr the
same reason I might want to keep the
check myself, and reminded him that
he had one of his own that would
serve the same jspurtosea a day or
two later he again asked me for the
check, this time declaring that he
wished to have both. of them framed
and hung in the library. When 1
again.refused; to give, it to him he be-
gan making love to me and finally
proposed marriage.
."But ,;the.. climax revealed itself
about eteh days ago. At that time /
missed my check from the desk drawer
where I kept it. Edward was sup.
posed to be in Chicago, so couldn't
speak about it to him. Yesterday Il
went unexpectedly !. to- Gray Gables
and found the check back in it's proper
place." j.,
"Haye you the check with your
!. Hazard inquired
Miss Gray opened her handbag and
produced it; it was precisely like any
other check that has been properly.
drawn, Endorsed and presented tpE
payment. 1t appeared thus:..- I
ITO the Unaminee State Bank of
Unaminee, illinois,:
JUNG 9, 1919 4
PAY to the order. of Crystal Gray
$6s6.55 (six Hundred Eighty-six and
$500 dollars). :
H. sYDENoR GRAY."f I
Conspicuous upon the face, of the
instrument was. the bank'S 9ancellas.
ton stamp, which shPWH that the
check had been paid Jane ai1s1s. AS
it stood it repreasneed natting but g
record of the transac tions was worth
just SO. mpch waste:paper, and mo
more. ( :
The. detective, however, subjected
the slip to q careful examination. On
the back appeared merely the indorses
ment, Crystal Gray" but this side OF
the paper he scrutinized for several
minutes through a magnifying lenss
BY and by. heslaid 1T aside and regards
ed the GIRL curiously. s
We'll" he said at last, what do you
think about it," =
Il don't know what to think-un-