Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-10
B, LOUIS TRACY

by his young !, competitors for the
working and management OF the Gar
den City plant But, like the good
business man that he was, he decided
to visit the factory before conclud-
ing the deal As the weather was
pkcnomenally fine, and Garden City
lay some forty miles from the city,
ne brought with him his younger son,
the little boy, William, whom his
elder brother had not seen since the
family disturbance caused by the mar
riage.
Burton was unfeignedly pleased
when he saw the child, believing that
complete reconciliation was immi-
nent But he had not yet taken an
accurate measure of Elwood Ham
er's dour spirit. The millionaire
grufflv ordered the boy to remain
near the car. and actually refused to
shake hands with George, affecting
to regard him merely as the manager
of a business which he was about to
purchase.
Inside the office, he dealt only with
essentials. Herein he was reasonable
enough. Having read through the
agreement prepared by Burton's law
yer, be remarked that it seemed to
cover the ground exactly on the ar
ranged terms. Then he inspected the
buildings and machinery, and was
even graciously pleased to signify his
approval of certain new methods
brought in by his son.
All this took time, and grain of
hope again peeped into Johns soul.
He believed the man was only play
ing part, and gratifying his own
self esteem by not giving way too
easily. Elwood Hamer was actually
signing the purchase deed when
man rushed ii excitedly. holding a
small boy by the hand.
! This yer kid" he shouted, Says
that he saw little boy fall into that
blamed quicksand on Cotton Tree
swamp. A lady pulled him out, and
got him safe onto dry patch, but
she's gomez
Somehow George Hamer sensed
the dreadful truth.
"A 1adyw he cried hoarsely. what
lady?"
The messenger OF evil hesitated.
He hardly dared to blurt out all that
he knew
This yer KID he began again"
George seized the trembling urchin
by the shoulder.
Boy" he said in a voice broken
with despair, was it my wife?"
Yep" walled the child. III couldn't
help it. mister ran like anything A
heap of men are diggin' there now"
George raced like a mailman, and
the others followed. The president
showed no spark of real feeling, but
had the common sense to offer the
use of his automobile, knowing, prob
ably, that it would be taken with or
without his leave.
1t was then that he discovered that
his younger son was missing. In reply
to frenzied questionings the fright
ened chauffeur could only say that
the little chap had been playing about
1.-THE car and must have wandered off
alone without attracting his attention.
| The tragic tangle was soon UNI
| IdVclcu. II was JeorgeS small
brother who had fallen into the
quicksand, where his struggles were
seen by Janet, and the gallant woman
had rescued him at the cost of her
own life. The poor girls body was
never even found. She had been
swallowed by the treacherous slime,
and her frenzied husband had to be
taken away by main force lest he fol-
low her into the depths.
| Elwood Hamer, after rushing the
boy to the village on the pretense that
his clothing should be changed, in
case any noxious germs had found
Judgement on his skin, did not wait
a second after the little fellow was
given a bath and attired in borrowed
garments. When Burton inquired
about him the millionaire was already
we'll on his Way to the CITY.