The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-14
THE BEACON
BY MARY RANDALL.

night, no matter if it was the bright
est moonlight, always and ever there
was q Hght shining in the parlor al
cove window in the home of widow !
Janet Graham.
The neighbors and townspeople gen.
orally related a weird tale connected !
with the familiar beacon. The widow
ana her son, Verne Graham. had como
to ROslyn and had rented tho nrott,,
little cottage. The young man was
brisk, industrious, always had q snila
on his face, and it was no wonder tbot
he attracted the attention of Marjorie
Dale, who was the nearest neighbor.
Her life was devoted to the case of q
crippled father and an invalid mother.
She was one of those sweet. patient
souls whose face is irradiated with
purity and gentleness almost ethereal.
and when Verne was called to a more
promising position ia 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. II shall
be there on the darkest night. your
beacon. Think of it, cherish it,"
One day Mrs. Graham and Marjorie
We're seated cOnversing, when a 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. cit is three months
since we saw him last. Even his usual
letter missed US last week. Oh, sir!
l trust there is no trouble
Sorry to say there is" bluntly re-
sponded the stranger, land l am de-
tective 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 theft" cried Mrs. Gra-
ham. at is false :"
The man shrugged his shoulders in
differently.
Il do not believe him. - breathed
Marjorie, agitatedly. There is some
error, some plot, oh, be assured of
that. Mother Graham. 1 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 q
cashier by the manager, a Mr.. Thorpe
The man was colby polite ana matter
lief fact. TheLaSaes 3kal C,4sl9 GxsSts4
had vanished together, this man told
Marjorie
Marjorie carried a breaking hear
back to the little country village. She
told her story amid the tears to th(
stricken mother. "Oh, it is vain =
: cried Marjorie "Verne will never
come back"
t ''He will come" solemnly declared
i the mother. 'Of his innocence Or gull
: what can I say, but he is always n!
son, always welcome, no matter hov
black his sins may be. Some nigh
Verne will come back to the light ii
Il the window"
II Then came a break in their compan
Il onship. Marjorie's father died and /:
Il brother insisted on Mrs. Dale maxim;
II her home in his household. Mariori
Il went to the city and became a nurs
II in public hospital. One night TIL
II word went round that 4 terrible rail-
Il road accident would send in many SUI
ferers for treatment. After the SUI
geons had attended to one victim il
her ward, he delegated the patient t
n Marjorie's charge. The man was In
u sensible and had sustained frightfr
g injuries Marjorie was startled as sh
= recognized him. He was the plan
= manager, Mr.. Thorpe. whom Mariori
= had called upon in regard to the dis
+ appearance of Verne Graham.
Marjorie sat down by the cot. Sh
1t became conscious that the eyes Of tn
+ patient We're fixed upon her. She mC
the glance.
e 'Tve seen Won before" spoke Thorp
= You We're the sweetheart Of Vern
~ Graham"
* cry and keep quiet" directed Ma
= iorie gently. at will harm you I
talk"
ly ''Fve got to talk.' almost shoute
n the man, in wild strain of excitemen
u want you to send at once for VI
ee- Woodson, the head of our house.
IN Is vital, it must be done and more f
he your sake than my own"
- Marjorie consulted the head nur!
and Mr.. Woodson was sent for. /
arrived within the hour. "A Marjor
placed chair by the bedside of Il
patient and moved out of hearing. Il
les latter called out insistently:
mo, no-shc must hear, too. NJ
WoodS0n, Verne Green never stole tn
twenty thousand dollars. 1t was | WI
ite did it. | worked out plot against hi
and hired some persons as wicked
myself to hold him in captivity. TIA
IN down NV aor