Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-19
A Wise
Investment
By SARAH EsTrIE BALLOON

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Then I 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 n look OF despair came Into his
faded eyes.
"It's the end, then" he said desc
lately. ITS twice and out. First ]
advanced that young fellow Warren
Lee my Ave hundred dollars savings
on the patent that disappeared with
him. Then along came this oil prop
osition. II looked reasonable; one
hundred acres cut MP into small lots.
You paid ffty dollars lot and
bought forty Of them. You zee. the
company was TO bore for oil. II one
OF my lots happened to be the place
where they struck oil I was TO get
ninety per cent OF the entire produc.
ton. Think OF u rich for life. and
could have built the dream Of my life.
| a nice bungnlow on the old homestead.
But that's all past now. ! must think
Of Esther and I want you 10 sell the
little place"
"Oh. don't do that, Roberta" rsmon'
strated the lawyer.
Yes. it's rot to be-" insisted the
other firmly. Il owe II to Esther. my
little niece and faithful housekeeper.
I have planned 10 leave her well pro-
vided for. Now oil can do for her Is
to turn what little have left into cash.
and arrange to have my stepslster take
care OF her for the money. She must
not know nm going away. want To
slip out OF her life quietly"
"But how are you going TO live, your
selff' inquired the lawyer solicitously.
| II have arranged all that" tersely
replied Roberts, and that settled II.
There was no redress as TO the in
vestment OF Roberts In the oil specu-
lntion. The company had bored ten
wells. Just as they said they would. but
no oil.
One morning all Chenille 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 a FIRST In
vestment about q yenr previous. War
rem Lee had incidentally met Mr.. Rob-
erts, enthusiastic over Ms invention.
which required Ave hundred dollars to
| complete. He pledged his honor that
he would give Roberts n one-half In
terest II he would advance the amount.
"When I come back 10 win be 20
make you rich" he had answered the
old man.
"And when that lucky day comes"
he had whispered to Esther. II am go
Ing to ask you 10 become my wife"
Therefore. no marvel that Esther tried |
10 cherish hope amid all her troubles. |
for. although they received no word |
from the young inventor, q memory OF |
his earnest, honest face babe 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 strnight To the site |
of the great oil field that had no OIL |
lie had claimed possession of his forty
oil lots, which no one disputed, for the |
land was absolutely Vnlucless. Rob
cris built little shack, he purchased
COW with n broken leg and nursed
u back 10 health. He planted some
vegetables and sold milk To cross
roads tavern two miles away, eking out
wrctchod living and peered at by
those who passed his "fnrm." He was |
persistent, gloomy, retlcent. and barely |
spoke Co anyone, leading the life OF n |
hermit, hoping the end would come
soon.
A year passed by and Roberts re-
garded with suspicion, dlstrust and re-
sentiment a hanger-on OF the tavern
named Dick Essen. He and a 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.
"He's our man." spoke Essen TO his
eomrade one day. after Roberts had
ordered them from the house.
that's sure-we've got 20 act"
"Yes. and by force. See here, we're
sure OF that thousand dollars. It's
worth risking little time and money"
Now, this had happened: Essen had
come across an advertisement. II Of
fered one thousand dollars for infor-
nation that would disclose the where
RbOuts of Hugh Roberts. II described
him accurately apply 10 Samuel
GrlscOm. Chenille"
The next evening Essen and his con-
frere entered the little shack. pounced
upon Roberts, bound him. drugged him.
ana placed him In a closed-in automO-
bile. Then there was twelye-hours'
swift dash across country. As a first
dim consciousness returned o.Roberts.
he was amazed TO find himself at Glen