The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-02-21
The BEACON
~ MARY RANDALL.
tcopyrisht. 1877. western Newspaper union.)

~ ~A4~ w
was q light shining in the parlor al.
cove window ID the home of widow
Janet Graham.
Inc neighbors and ~townspeople gen.
orally related q weird tale 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 a smile
on his face, and 1t was no wonder that
he attracted the attention OF Marjorie
Dale, who was the nearest neighbor.
Her lie was devoted to the case Of q
crippled father and an invalid mother.
She was a Of those sweet, patient
souls whose face Is irradiated with a
purity and g%entleness almost ethereal,
n when Verne was called to q more
promising position In the city her pride
mingled with that Of the fond mother,
n 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 frst
left them Mrs. Graham had looked ear.
nestly into his Y A#
Verne" she said, "you see the light
I have placed In the window. It shall
be there on the darkest night. your
beacon. Think oe it, cherish it."
One day Mrs. Graham and Marjorie
were seated conversing, when a keen.
eyed, hard-faced man knocked at the
door. BE edged his way into the room,
glancing about sharply.
Il am looking for Verne Graham
he announced In a tone Of assurance
and command that somehow chilled
the hearts Of mother and fancee.
HE Is not here" Mrs. Graham ad.
vised the visitor. ut is three months
since we saw him last. Even his usual
letter missed III last week. Oh, sir
I trust there is no trouble"
Sorry to say there u.s." bluntly re-
sponded the stranger, 'and I am a de-
tective looking for him. He disap'
5sared 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 a thiefp cried Mrs. Ora,
ham. ut is falsey"
The man shrugged his shoulders In,
differently.
II do not believe him" breathed
Marjorie, a~gitatedly. "There is some
error, some plot, oh! be assured OF
that. Mother Graham, I am going
straight to. the city to ferret out ali
the details Of this terrible thing"
Marjorie Dale was received at the
place where Verne Graham had been Q
cashier by the manager, q MI. Thorpe
The man was coldly 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. "Oh, it is vain +
cried Marjorie. "verne will never
come back"
"He will come" solemnly declared
the mother. "Of his innocence or guilt
what can I 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 ID
the window"
Then came a break in their compan
lonship. Marjorie's father died and 9
brother insisted on Mrs. Dale making
her home in his household. Marjorie
went to the city and became a nurse
In a public hospital. One night the
word went round that a terrible rail
! road accident would send in many sui
,ferers for treatment. After the sur
geons had attended to one victim II
her ward, he delegated the patient tt
Marjorie's charge. The man was in
sensible and had sustained. frightfu
| Injuries. Marjorie was startled as sh(
recognized him. He was the plant
manager, Mr.. Thorpe, whom Marjorie
had called upon in regard to the dis
appearance Of Verne Graham.
Marjorie sat down by the cot. Shl
became conscious that the eyes Of thu
patient were fixed upon her. She me
the glance.
ssTve seen you before spoke Thorpe
s*You were the sweetheart Of Verne
Graham"
'Try and keep quiet" directed Mar
jorie gently. 1T will harm you Il
talk"
.sT've got to talk" almost shouted
the man, In q wild strain Of excitement
VI want you to send at Onc for Mr.
Woodson, the head Of U house. /
Is vital, IT must be done, and more To-
your sake than my own"
Marjorie consulted the head nurse
and Mr.. Woodson was sent for. ii
arrived. within the hour. AS Marjori.
placed a chair by the bedside Of th,
patient and moved out Of hearing, th,
latter called out insistently:
mo, no-rshe must hear, too. Mr.
Woodson, Verne Green never stole tina
twenty thousand dollars. It was / VIII.
did 1t. / worked out q plot against hin
and hired some persons as wicked al