Gilpin observer., 1917-01-04


learn to think right. Implicit trust in
mankind is the first onward step along
the road to redemption"
"You must not imagine that no prog
ress is made in the work of regenera-
ton merely because you have met
with failures on the way" she urged,
laying an impulsive hand on his arm.
''Look at Bill Reilly's easel And
Blanche Griffin's! The man was dar
when his former associates could have
extracted fortune from you. And
picture what 1t means to the girl to
abandon forever the glare and glitter
Of the night clubs.
"Come with me, Mr.. Burton. I will
submit two of my waits to a severe
test. 1t may be cruel, but If they sur
vive it they will benefit, while your
cynicism will sustain heavy shock"
John protested that he was by no
means cynical, but Grace laughingly
held to her purpose. She unlocked a
drawer in the desk at which she was
sitting, and took out roll Of currency
notes. She counted the money, which
amounted to quite a large sum. Then,
halving it, she placed one-half on the
desk and pocketed the remainder.
Crooking a finger at John, she led
him into the outer hall, where Bill
Reilly and Blanche happened to be
seated at the moment.
''Mr. Burton and I are going out"
she said to her prOteges. eve shall be
away couple Of hours, or longer. II
you two have nothing better to do, you
might take care of the office until I
return"
"Where are we going?" inquired
John, when Grace and he were out Of
earshot.
"For a spin in your car" she an
swered gaily.
'But is it wise to leave SO much
money on your table? There must
have been nearly two thousand dollars
in the pile. Is it even fair to tempt
those people in that wayY'
III I am wrong" came the earnest
answer, II shall suffer the loss with
resignation, and you will be strongly
intrenched in the position of the su-
perior male who can say 4 told you
so.' Meanwhile, let us forget these
problems for at least forty miles,"
John fell in with her mood. How
might any young man do otherwise?
They enjoyed the run amazingly, and
by some miracle contrived to talk light
ly Of that great world which both had
seen through such very different spec
tacles. They were absent a good deal
longer than the two hours stipulated
for, but, when they came back, found
Bill Reilly and Blanche Griffin seated
in the office. Each was apparently alb
sorbed in book, and the pile Of bills
lay untouched on the table.
Grace chatted with her humble
friends for some time before she af-
fected to discover the money with u.s.
tOnishment.
"How careless of me to leave those
notes on the tablet" she cried. "Why,
If you two hadn't been here, someone
might have crept in and walked off
with the lotl'
1t was peculiar. almost an unfor-
tunate coincidence that the girls art
In the very hour when the forces of
mischief were gathering within short
half-mile of the settlement building.
Mother" Flanagan and her chief
henchman were even then perfecting
plot which would place Burton in
greater peril than he had ever before
encountered during his adventurous
life, while George Coe was uncon-
sciously assisting in its development.
The young man had gone straight
from his fathers Office to the fiat in
which he had installed Virginia Griffin,
Blanches sister. This girl was pri-
marily responsible for his financial en-
barrassment. She was somewhat pret-
tier and younger than Blanche, and
her demands for money, jewelry, cloth
Ing and all the varied fripperies of a
fashionable existence were quite merci-
less In their frequency and extent.
At the instant his familiar ring was
heard on the electric bell she was de-
scribing him to Two-Gun Jake as "thnt
poor boob who has gone to try and
skin Il few more notes Off his fathers
wad."
Huh |" she cried, when the two were
startled by the sound of the bell. "Here
he comes now! He mustn't find you
or the mat, Jakew
Don't care If he does" growled the
gangster. IF that sister of his keeps
on reformin' the crowd, therell be none
of us left soon. First Bill has gone,
then Blanche. You'll be the next, sup
poseT
sometimes you get me that mad,
Jake, want to shake your muttered
the girl. selling him and thrusting him
forcibly into closet, which she locked.
She ran to the door and opened it.
George Coe, however, was not quite
such a fool as Blanche deemed him.
He noticed instantly that there were
fUsn Hon. .,I. n