The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-11

ing children. Horace visited her occa-
sionally. When two persons desire To
marry and are prevented by obstacles
In most cases either the obstacles are
removed or they marry in spite of
them. Naturally both Mary and Hor-
ace looked forward to day when
they would be able 10 marry with a
fair prospect of providing the neces-
saries required, but the prospect was
not encouraging.
One evening Horace called on Mary
and seemed very much aggrieved. lie
said that the transaction on account of
which his father had been unjEstly
disgraced was turning out to he i'm
mensely profitable. Mr. Drummond
was entitled to one-half of the pro
ceeds. but there was no prospect of
his ever being indicated, to say moth
ing of reaping his legitimate profits.
Just think" said Horace ruefully.
had 1t not been for the rascality of
old Haskins you and l could now be
married and living I'm clover"
What was the nature of the trans
action?' Mary asked.
1T was patent right. The $atent
was offered to the firm Of Drummonl
& IIaskins 10y the inventor. My ia
the. approved of ii, but lIaskins de
clared that he would never put money
into patent right. Father was in
formed 10y the inventor that another
party had agreed To furnish the mcncy
needed for Introduction and develop
ment. IIaskius was away at the time
Father assumed the responsibility o.
buying the right for the firm. When
HaSkins returned he claimed that IA
Their had used the firms money for
his own individual purposes, which
was cmbeZzlement. Father had taken
the preliminary steps In his own name.
but had made the contract in the name
OF the firm IN duplicate. one copy for
the firm, the other for the inventor.
Haslins got hold of the preliminary
agreement and the contract. lie with
held the latter and produced the for
mer. which alone laid father liable
criminally."
what became of the contract drawn
for the invcntorY asked Mary.
He died while the trouble was first
preached. Father asked his widow for
1t. but she fell under the influence Of
IIaskins or probably was offered an
induccment to withhold It. Fathers
lawyer got out search warrant to
look for 1t. but the woman must have
been warned, because all her nus
bands papers had been removed from
the house"
1t seems to me-" said Mary thought
fully, that my father had something
to do with that matter"
your father and mine being cousins
and very fond of each other, 1t Is
: quite likely. Father has told me that
your father learned where the papers
had been hidden and got possession of
them, but he did SO illegally and was
obliged 10 hide chem to avoid being
: prosecuted cIimially. 1t was intend
ed that when lie could do SO In safety
e they would he produced Eut when
7 the time came they were not In til,
| hiding place where he had put them
He believed that some one In Mrs
e Budlong's interest had stolen them"
"Budlong"' said Mary. Il have seen
!. or heard that name somewhere
e POSSIBLY YOU heard your fathe
: mention 1t when talking Of this mat
( ter"
e During the rest OF Horaces visi
Mary could not get the name Budlonl
out of her head. She went to BET
: that night trying 70 remember wher
l and where she had known 1t. So In
= tent on it was she that she remained
awake till she heard the deep tones Of
e town clock strike the hour of mid
A night; then suddenly she remembered
e the Budlong papers.
r Throwing off the covers, she jumped
e out of bed.
3 Mary had packed a trunk Of odd
and ends that she did not care to par
3 with and had carried them away witt
:. her when she left her home. Havin,
n now but one room, this trunk and TIL
y one used for her clothing were kept II
g It Lighting lamp, she opened tn
e trunk first named and, getting out tn
bundle Of papers, opened 1t and sprea,
@ the contents Oh the table. BY l o'clocl
n she had opened and read many papers
/ few minutes after she opened on,
l. which proved to be contract for tn,
+ sale of certain patent rights to TIN
( firm of IIaskins & Drummond.
r Mary went back to bed, but not {,
j. sleep. She could hardly wait for da!
: to come, so eager was she to carry tn,
n news TO Horace that she had foun,
a the missing contract.
p The next morning Horace Drummon,
was awakened by maid, who inform
L, ed him that Miss IIariWell was below