The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-18

removed OF they marry In spite OF
them. Naturally both Mary and Hor-
ace looked forward to a day when
they would be able to marry with
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. He
said that the transaction on account of
which his father had been unjustly
disgraced was turning out to be i'm
mensely profitable. Mr.. Drummond
was entitled to one-half Of the pro-
eeeds, but there was NO prospect Of
his ever being vindicated, 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 / could now be
married and living in clover"
what was the nature Of the trans
actionY' Mary asked.
1T was a patent right The fatent
was offered to the firm Of Drummond
& Haskins by the inventor. My ia
ther approved Of it but Haskins de-
clared that he would never put money
into a patent right. Father was in
formed by the inventor that another
party had agreed to furnish the money
needed for introduction and develop
ment. Hasklns was away at the time.
Father assumed the responsibility OF
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 embezzlement. 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
Haskins got hold of the preliminary
agreement and the contract. He with
held the latter and produced the for
mer, which alone laid father liable
criminally."
what became of the contract drawn
for the inventorY asked Mary.
"He died while the trouble was first
preached. Father asked his widow for
1t, but she fell under the influence Of
Haskins or probably was offered an
inducement to withhold 1t. Fathers
lawyer got out a search warrant to
look for 1t, but the woman must have
been warned, because all her hus.
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 50 illegally and was
prosecuted crlminally. 1t was intend
ed that when he could do so In safety
they would be produced. But when
the time came they were not in the
hiding place where he had put them
He. believed that some one In Mrs.
Budlong's interest had stolen them"
"Budlong." said Mary. Il have seen
or heard that name somewhere"
POSSIBLY you heard your father
mention it when talking of this mat
ter"
During the rest of Horace's visit
Mary could not get the name Budlong
out Of her head. She went to bed
that night trying to remember when
and where she had known 1t. So in
tent on it was she that she remained
awake till she heard the deep tones of
a town clock strike the hour Of mid
night; then suddenly she remembered
the Budlong papers.
Throwing off the covers, she jumped
out of bed.
Mary had packed trunk Of odds
and ends that she did not care to part
with and had carried them away with
her when she left her home. Having
now but one room, this trunk and the
one used for her clothing were kept in
It Lighting a lamp, she opened the
trunk first named and, getting out the
bundle of papers. opened 1t and spread
the contents on the table. BY 1 o'clock
she had opened and read many papers.
A few minutes after she opened one
which proved to be contract for the
sale of certain patent rights to the
firm Of Haskins & Drummond.
Mary went back to bed, but not to
sleep. She could hardly wait for day
to come, so eager was she to carry the
| news to Horace that she had found
the missing contract.
The next morning Horace Drummond
was awakened by maid, who inform
ed him that Miss Hartwell was below
and wished to see him on very i'm
portant matter. He arose, made
hasty toilet and went down to the
living room. There stood Mary with
beaming eyes holding out to him
paper. As soon as he had read enough
| of It to realize what 1t was he sprang
forward, clasped her In his arms and
covered her face with kisses.
It was some time before Horace
could bring himself to a condition Of
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