The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-10-30

The lights Of Broadway faded away,
and he saw the cool, dim length of
village street He opened a white
gate In a white painted fence and went
up the path between prim rows Of
sweet scented lockwood. There would
be light In the dining room. and he
could see his fathers pale, sad, intel
lectual face his mothers gentle coun
tenance with tear dimmed eyes, and op-
posite the empty chair that was hisD
Leona Denman would be sitting. pale
and beautiful
They would look at his empty chair
and In their hearts blame him for
bringing disgrace upon them. His ia
Their was Leona Denman's guardian,
and when one night q few weeks pre-
viOus there had occurred a robbery of
some of Leona Denman's securities
some people had said that Sam Walton
had stolen and sold them and spent
the money ON himself They even de-
scribed the Details of the robbery,
which were interesting to poor Sam,
as he had been quite innocent of the
whole matter.
Unfortunately two circumstances Of
the past year gave some substance to
the theory that Sam Walton must be
the thief. During the past year he had
been spending money very freely on n
new business which he was starting
most successfully, and the Jealous ones
of the town were very ready to nod
their heads and say, "It is easy to see
now where the money came FROM
To make matters still more sus-
picious, he had been putting younger
brother through college, and many had
been the surmises as to where he got
the money.
He had completed the circumstantial
evidence against himself by going
away suddenly. He was proud, too.
and he had thrust aside Leona's soft
hand and had dashed himself with the
belief that his parents and the girl he
loved also thought him to be thief.
There was only one other on whom
suspicion might rest, and that was
Jeremiah Lakely, the elder Walton's
confidential clerk In the country bank
ing house. But jeremiah had proved
an alibi and was so open and frank
about the whole matter and told with
. such reluctance of the evidence against
his employers son that Sam In q frenzy
of anger had rushed away.
He had been In New York three
weeks and not even glanced at news
paper. He dreaded to see his own
name in startling letters across the
front page. Most OF his time had
been spent In q search for work, and
| he had not yet found it. He had Sc
cured board at a quiet uptown hotel
and paid for 1t In advance His last
week would be up the next day, and
he knew not where to go. He now had
| lonely silver quarter dollar In bis
pockets-and the leather bag. his prize
package.
In his room at the hotel he tossed
| the bag on the bed and gave himself
over to thoughts of what must have
happened at home in Ferndale. What
of his father, bis mother, Of Leona
Did they really believe that he was
guilty Of such low down trick as
stealing, and from the girl he hoped
to marry?
After awhile Sam pulled the leather
bag toward him and deftly unfastenei
1t with a trick Of his penknife. Ht
opened the bag and stared at the con
! tents.
There In the bottom, fastened togeth
er with a rubber band, were the miss
ing securities for which he was nov
under suspicion Of having stolen from
his fathers safe.
A half hour later Sam grasped hil
hat and went down to the neares
newsstand to buy copies of the evening
newspapers
He scanned them eagerly and fount
no reference to the affair Of the stolel
securities. Very likely 1t was an oil
story and had been replaced by som,
newer scandal It did not occur I,
him that 1t had never reached thu
newspapers.
He must go back to Ferndale, AMI
his money was spent. There remained
his gold watch That he pawned ant