Catoctin clarion., 1918-02-28
A Wise
Investment
BY SARAH ESTElLE BALLOON
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union. }


"Then have lost my two thousand
dollars" propounded old Hugh Roberts
mournfully.
"Every cent Of II, and past recovery.
You have simply been swindled out
right" advised Lawyer Griscom.
Hugh Roberts ran his fingers nerv-
Ously through his sparse white hair
and look Of despair came into his
faded eyes.
"It's the end, then" he said DESC
lately. ITS twice and out. First I
advanced that young fellow Warren
Lee my five hundred dollars savings
on the patent that disappeared with
him. Then along came this oil prop
Osition. 1t looked reasonable; one
hundred acres cut up into small lots.
You paid fifty dollars a lot and
bought forty of them. You see, the
company was to bore for oil. If one
Of my lots happened to be the place
where they struck oil I was to get
ninety per cent Of the entire produc-
tiOn. Think Of 1t +! rich for life, and I
nice bungalow on the old homestead.
But that's all past now. must think
of Esther and l want you to sell the
little place."
"Oh. don't do that, Roberts," remon-
strated the lawyer
"Yes, it's got to be-" insisted the
other firmly. II owe it to Esther, my
little niece and faithful housekeeper.
have planned to leave her well pro-
vided for. Now all can do for her Is
to turn what little have left into cash.
and arrange to have my stepsister take
care of her for the money She must
not know l am going away. / want to
slip out of her life quietly"
"But how are you going to live, your
self?" inquired the lawyer sOlicitously.
II have arranged all that" tersely
replied Roberts, and that settled it.
There was no redress as to the in
vestment of Roberts in the oil specu-
lation. The company had bored ten
wells, just as they said they would, but
no oil.
One morning all Glenville knew that
Hugh Roberts had disappeared. Es-
ther, who loved him dearly, was broken
hearted when, gently as he could Mr..
Griscom told her the depressing facts
of the case. There was another grief
nursed in secret by the fair young girl.
Roberts had referred to first in
vestment about year previous. War
rem Lee had incidentally met Mr.. Rob-
erts, enthusiastic over his invention.
which required five hundred dollars to
complete. He pledged his honor that
he would give Roberts one-half in
terest If he would advance the amount.
"When l come back 1t will be to
make you rich," he had answered the
old man.
"And when that lucky day comes"
he had whispered to Esther, II am 60
ing to ask you to become my wife,"
Therefore no marvel that Esther tried
to cherish hope amid all her troubles.
for, although they received no word
from the young inventor, memory or
his earnest, honest face bade her re-
tain her faith in him. She took up her
home with new relative and patiently
awaited the awards of fate.
Roberts had gone straight to the site
of the great oil field that had no oil.
He had claimed possession of his forty
oil lots, which no one disputed, for the
land was absolutely valueless. Rob
erts built a little shack, he purchased
COW with broken leg and nursed
it back to health. He planted some
vegetables and sold milk to a cross
roads tavern two miles away eking out
wretched living and peered at by
those who passed his farm" He was
persistent, gloomy, reticent, and barely
spoke to anyone, leading the life Of a
hermit, hoping the end would come
soon.
A year passed by and Roberts re-
garded with suspicion, distrust and re.
sentiment hanger-on of the tavern
named Dick Essen. He and chum
tried to get into the confidence of Rob-
erts as to who he was and where he
came from, and seemed nightly In
terested in prying into his affairs.
comrade one day, after Roberts had
ordered them from the house.
"Thats sure-we've got to act"
"Yes, and by force. See here, were
sure Of that thousand dollars. It's
worth risking little time and money"
Now, this had happened: Essen had
come across an advertisement. 1t Of
fered one thousand dollars for infor-
nation that would disclose the where
abouts of Hugh Roberts. 1t described
him accurately Apply to Samuel
Griscom, Glenville."
The next evening Essen and his con-
frere entered the little shack, pounced
upon Roberts, bound him, drugged him,
and placed him in closed-in automo-
bile. Then there was twelve-hours'
swift dash across country. AS first
dim consciousness returned to Roberts,
he was amazed to find himself at Glen
Vile, in the Office Of Lawyer Griscom.
"You are welcome visitors" he
caught the brisk tones of the latter,
land l will pay you the thousand dol
lars gladly"
"What does this mean" murmured
the dumfounded Roberts.
Happiness and fortuneT cried the
lawyer joyfully 1--WE have been seek
ing you everywhere. Old friend, your
cherished bungalow Is reality at last!
Warren Lee has made good, his inven-
ton is glorious success, and. as his