Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1918-01-19
The BEACON
BY MARY RANDALL.

No matter how long or dark the |
night, no matter if 1t was the bright.
est moonlight, always and ever there
was light shining i'm the parlor al. |
cove window In the home of widow |
Janet Graham.
The neighbors and townspeople gen. |
orally related u weird tale connected |
with the familiar beacon. The widow |
and her son, Verne Graham had come |
TO R0slyn and had rented the pretty !
little cottage. The young man was
brisk, Industrious, always had n smile
on his face, and IL was no wonder that
he attracted the attention of Marjorie
Dale, who was the nearest neighbor.
Her life was devoted to the case of a
crippled father and an invalid mother.
She was one of those sweet. patient
souls whose face Is irradated with a
purity and gentleness almost ethereal,
and when Verne was called to a 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.
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 IL, cherish It,"
One day Mrs. Graham and Marjorie
/ CnntpI ant,xnrstn,v x-bnp
| eyed, hard-faced man knocked ut the
door. He edged his way into the room,
| glancing about sharply.
II am looking for Verne Graham"
he announced In a tone of assurance
and command that somehow chilled
the hearts of mother and fiancee.
"He Is not here" Mrs. Graham ad.
vised the visitor. at Is three months
since we saw him last. Even his usual
letter missed us last week. Oh, sir
trust there Is no trouble
"Sorry to say there is,' bluntly re.
sponded the stranger, "and 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. Ora.
ham. ut Is fnlse!'
The man shrugged his shoulders in
differently.
81 do not believe hint" 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 Mt the
place where Verne Graham had been q
cashier by the manager, a Mr.. Thorpe.
The man was coldly polite and matter
of fact. The money and Verne Graham
had vanished together, this man told
Marjorie.
| Marjorie carried breaking heart
back to the little country village. She
told her story amid the tears to the
stricken mother. "Oh, II 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 10
the window"
Then came break in their compan.
iOnship. MarjOrle's father died and O
brother insisted on Mrs. Dale making
her home In his household. Marjorie
went to the city and became a nurse
In public hospital. One night the
word went round that terrible rail.
road accident would send In many suf.
ferers for treatment. After the sur.
geOns had attended to one victim In
her ward, he delegated the patient to
MarjOrie's charge. The man was In.
sensible and had sustained frightful
injuries. Marjorie was startled as she
recognized him. He was the plant
J manager, Mr. Thorpe, whom Marjorie
had called upon In regard to the dis
appearance Of Verne Graham.
Marjorie sat down by the cot. She
became conscious that the eyes Of the
patient We're fixed upon her. She met
, the glance.
give seen you before" spoke Thorpe
"YOu We're the sweetheart Of Verne
Graham" .r.,
"Try and keep quiet" directed Mar.
jorle gently. 1T will harm you to
talk"
"Tve got to talk!" almost shouted
the man, In a wild strain of excitement
II want you to send at once for Mr..
WOOdsOn, the head Of our house. II
Is vital, II must be done, and more fol
your sake than my own"
Marjorie consulted the head nurse
and Mr., WOOdsOn was sent for. He
arrived within the hour. AS Marjorie
: placed chair by the bedside of the
patient and moved out of hearing, the
latter called out mistakenly:
mo, no-she must hear, too. Mr.
WOOdson, Verne Green never stole that
, twenty thousand dollars. 1t was who
4, did 1t. / worked out plot against him
: and hired some persons as wicked ms
myself to hold him in captivity. Take
down my confession and the details OF
where this man whom l have so cruelty
wronged can be found and rescued"
Thorpe breathed his last the next
morning. The wealthy and humane
Mr.. WoodsOn mt once insisted that she
accompany him on the journey that
: was to restore to n loyal, faithful girl
her lover, to Il patient loving mother