The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-03
THE BEACON
BY MARY RANDALL.
tcopyrlsht. 1917. western New.pa per Union

was light Shining in the pGrlor al
cove window In the home of widow
Janet Graham.
The neighbors and townspeople gen
orally related weird tnle connected
with the familiar beacon. The widow
and her son, Verne Graham, had come
to Roslyn and had rented the pretty
little cottage. The young man was
brisk, Industrious, always had smile
on his face, and 1t was no wonder that
he attracted the attention of Marjorie
Dale, who was the nearest neighbor
Her life was devoted to the case of q
crippled father and IN invalid mother
She was one of those sweet. patient
souls whose face Is lrradiated with a
purity and gentleness almost ethereal,
and when Verne was called to more
promising position in the city her pride
mingled with that of the fond mother,
and they built great hopes as to his
business future.
A year went by and twice Verne Wis.,
tied home, and each week he wrote to
both the dear ones. When he had first
left them Mrs. Graham had looked ear
nestly into his eyes.
Verne" she said "you see the light
/ have placed In the window. 1t shall
! be there on the darkest night, your
beacon. Think Of It, cherish IT,"
| One day Mrs. Graham and Marjorie
were seated conversing, when q keen
eyed, hard-faced man Knocked at the
door. He edged his way into the room,
glancing about sharply.
Il am looking for Verne Graham"
he announced in tone of assurance
and command that somehow chilled
the hearts Of mother and fiancee.
"He is not here" Mrs. Graham adj
vised the visitor. at is three months
since we saw him last. Even his usual
letter missed us last week. oh, siri
| trust there is no trouble"
Sorry to say there is" bluntly re-
sponded the stranger, land | am a de-
tectlve looking for him. He disap.
peared from his work ten days ago,
taking with him twenty thousand dol
lars Of the funds of the company In.
trusted to his charge"
MY son thief" cried Mrs. Ora.
ham. 1T Is false"
The man shrugged his shoulders in I,
differently.
II do not believe hlmw breathed
Marjorie. agitatedly. ''There is some |
error, some plot, oh be assured of [
that. Mother Graham, I am going /
straight to the city TO ferret out all |
the details of this terrible thing"
Marjorie Dale was received at the
place where Verne Graham had been a
cashier by the manager, Mr. Thorpe.
The man was coidly polite and matter
of fact. The money and Verne Graham
had vanished together. this man told
Marjorie.
Marjorie carried a breaking heart
back to the little country village. She
told her story amid the tears to the
stricken mother. ooh, 1t is vain I"
cried Marjorie. "verne will never
come back"
''He will come" solemnly declared
the mother. "Of his innocence or guilt
what can | say. but he Is always my
son, always welcome, no matter how
black his sins may be. Some night
Verne will come back TO the light in
the window"
Then came break In their compan-
onship. Marjories father died and
brother insisted on Mrs. Dale making
ler home in his household Marjorie
vent to the city and became a nurse
n public hospital. one night the
word went round that terrible rail.
'oad accident would send In many suf-
erers for treatment. After the sur ,
icons had attended TO one victim In /
Ter ward he delegated the patient to
farjorie's charge. The man WAS in
ensible and had sustained frightful .
INJURIES. Marjorie was startled as she r
him. He was the plant =
Mr.. Thorpe, whom Marjorie I
ad called upon in regard to the dis /
ppearance of Verne Graham. I
Marjorie sat down by the cot. She
ecame conscious that the eyes of the
atlent were fixed upon her. She met
he glance.
'Tve seen you before" spoke Thorpe.
You were the sweetheart of Verne
raham.'
"Try and keep quiet" directed Mar
,rie gently. 1T will harm you to
nix"
"Fve got to talk almost shouted
lie man, in Wild strain of excitement,
want you to send at once for Mr..
Toodson, the head of our house. 1t
vital, II must be done, and more for
our sake than my own
Marjorie consulted the head nurse
nd Mr.. Woodson was sent for. He
rived within the hour. As Marjorie
aced a chair by the bedside OF the
ltient and moved out of hearing, the
tier called out insistently:
"No. no-she must hear, too. Mr..
'oodson, Verne Green never stole that
Tenty thousand dollars. II was ! who
d IL. / worked out got against him
Id hired some persons as wicked rs
yself TO hold him in captivity. Take
iwn my confession and the details of
here this man whom have so cruelty
-onged can be found and rescued
Thorpe breathed his last the next
1rning. The wealthy and humane
company him on the journey that
IS TO restore to loyal. faithful girl
r lover. to n patient, loving mother