The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-10-19

side.
After q few minutes of general talk,
Mrs. Austin left the two young people
alone together. Scarcely had she
gone from the room, when Leila
turned inrpetuously to Brent and said:
I'm so glad you came today. Be
cause | want to ask q favor OF you.
A big favor! I've boen thinking IL
over for two or three days. You are
a Wall 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. III give
the money to Tom and he can put it
in something that Will earn a living
for US"
Halsey Brent was doing some ex-
tremely rapid thinking. He knew Tom
Carter was an authority on mines
whoss professional Judgment was
highly priced. II Carter said there
"a a fortune in the Leila A" there
vas every reason to believe it was
true.
I'll try, OF course" he said, doubt
fully. Let me make inquiries on the
Street and call in y day or SO to tell
| you the result"
When he LETT tho Austin house-Sf-
ter en- unusually brief call-Helsey
Brent stopped ut the nearest tele-
graph orlco and dispatched @ one
hundred-word telegram to an Oregon
mine expert with whom he had had
business dealings from time TO time.
Two days later lie received the fol-
lowing telegram from tho expert:
Made secret inspection OF Jeils
A mine. pretending to be looking for
job as blast operator. Rich vein has
Just been struck. From samples I
secured. It promises to be biggest gold
discovery OF past ten years. You will
mako no mistake in paying anything
Up to s 1000, 900 for it as II stands.
Carter has loft for New York"
Carefully putting the telegram in
his inner coat pocket, Brent set out
for tho 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 = Jerk that three
envelopes tumbled out with It. Two
Of these fell on the table and he
picked them up IN nervous haste. The
third-a yellow envolope-1uttered
unnOtced to the floor beneath q table.
Sitting at the table Brent filled IN
y check for $4,000 to tho order Of
Leila Austin Carter" He was blot
ting It 90 Leila herself came into the
oom.
Good news" he hailed her. I've
sold your stock!"
Good! Good" ghe exulted. Thanks,
q hundred times"
He left hor an hour later. the Ger
tifcates in his pocket thrill Of de-
light surgtng through him at thought
OF tho easily acquired wealth hat had
just come to him. He stopped at a
florists and sent Leila q great lrmful
OF American Beauty roses.
Tho flowers wers delivered at the
Austin house within q few minutes.
Leila buried her face in their fragrant
mass OF petsls. then handed them to
@ servant to GrranCe in a vase.
The servant carried tho vasetuI OF
flowers into tho living room and act
It IN the table there. As he did so
n OF the topheary roses was iostled
out Of place and fell TO tho foor. The
servant stopped to pick It W. His
ego fell on q yellow envelope. half
hidden rnear ono Of tas big carved
feet Of tho table.
Curiosity made hin draw the mos
sage from the envelope. Before he
could read 10 Leila came in.
To account for his action the rsan
handed her the dispatch, saying:
II Just picked this up from under
the chair where Mr. Brent was sitting.
He must a dropped It out Of his peck
OF. II seons to 30 . telegram"
Leila tosk the sheet Of paper he
proRsrsd. Glaneing idly at II she saw
the wsrdr leila A mine" In An
other second she was eagerly reading
the repart the mining expert had tele-
graphed TO Brent.
"He-he knew there WAS an enor-
nous fortune In our mime" she MUIR
INJURED, dazodiy. He knew It! And,
knowing that. he has paid mo the
$4,000. He has cheated me, ss q
c~osnterfe'ter cheats q feebic-mindsd
farmer! Worse-hs has robbed Tom,
He has made me rob TONI"
Snatchiag up the telephone. shs
called Halsey Brent's Office. A clerk
answered that Brent had not yet re-
turned.
Tell him TO come here ut oncei
The minute he gets to his oflce!" she
ordered.
He must give back the stock to
ne! He SHALL give IL back" she told
herself. fisrcsly. And then I'll never
lot hin speak to ne again. And Toni"
her angry yes softeninK. -Ton was
right after all! Darling old Tom!
Our dream 10 coming true-our gold
en- drsam-Ais and mins!"
II seemed to Leila an unbelievxbiy
long time before Halssy Erent's nams
vas announced
He mounted the Eight Of hall stairs
and with . tender srnils hurried int
a 49,