The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-06-03

unkiudlN
The darkhaired woman turned at the door
Il wonder rather az Mr. Kerris putting you
here as you're his ward" she said. You have
told me that you think him very kind and
good man. Here. as his confidential You may
hnd-weu you may find some opposing evil
dence."
I know already that a solicitors business
does not lend itself 20 much kindness re-
turned Mabel
Miss Fouldes went out but she knew she
had been unfair The firm was Of the type
which dealt practically only with conveyancing.
There had been n time when 30 had hard
name. but that was In old ar kerrss day.
Miss Fouldes we'll knew that no man was more
considerable of people he had 90 proceed against
than the present head Of tho firm. Where ne
had To act against any one. and that person
was hardly used by the intricacies of the law.
no one was more anxious than John kerris 20
find an easy way OF settlement
Mabel was glad when she had gone. set
Ting herself TO her work as calmly as she
could she turned over document after docu-
ment They were musty lied with red tape.
and in some instances the ink had faded. They
mostly had penciled notes upon them In The
handwriting Of old Mr. kcrris. who Was now
dead.
some were obviously still Of use. and must
Ne kept: others had recently become out OF
date These latter she mcthodically put aside
for Mr. John TO see before destroying them
II was when She was thrce-quarters OF the
way through her task that suddenly she sat
back her breath coming quickly, her face
deathly pale.
The document she had Withdrawn and begun
to scan bore her dead fathers name. 10 related
10 a mortgage upon her old home, mortgage
whiCh-it the most wrctched among her
chudhood's memories had been iorecloSed
Mortgage" That very word was the bell
that tolled for the passing OF her happiness as
child and II had been her fathers funeral
kncll. Here in her hands she held his death
warrant n was marked 90 Mr.. Johns hand
writing. "Foreclosed."
~ had happened ten years ago. She was
only eight years old when the old place was
put under the hammer she well remembered
il. r. was sweet old home. beloved boy her
father. and 10 had been in the family many
generations. Unfortunate years iu farming,
and the failure OF certain s0cculatons which
ne had gone into. had caused her father hrSt
To mortgage his property. then altogether %
lose 10. Her mother had died some years be-
fore and her father never having been strong
man the final parting from the old farm and
his quiet country life brought on a breakdown
which killed him.
Even 90 have the thing recalled hy holding
the document In her hand was enough. but &C
have before her proof thar the mortgage was
none other than John Kcrrs was bitter beyond
telling. for she well remembered her iathel
saving that the man who had sold him up wa
rich and could have given him chance bu
refused o.
How differert-iu the light % what she kneU
how hypocritlCal had been John kcrrl-.s treat
ment of her He used 10 come down 10 he
school and hc never came without some pre-
sent which she knew now could not have beer
bought out of the slender amount OF none,
which had been saved out of the wreck. ioun