Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-07-25
AHardBargain
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper UniOn.'
By CENEVIEVE ULMAR

face of Ethel Drury as she left the Of
fee of Gideon Lasker, lawyer. There
was something so intense in the deep
scorn, contempt, almost hatred h a
flashed forth, that she seemed trans
formed from a fair, gentle spirited girl
into a creature of malice and ven
geance. Then she banished evil thought
from her mind with a powerful eff
fort.
~ must not be wicked" she whis-
pered to herself. 81 should be thank
full, content, when at last l have
this" And she pressed close to her
side the little handbag she carried.
For that ordinary-looking object n
tanned a prize, a treasure for which
Ethel had toiled, and endured, and
striven for two long years, bound to a
servitude that had well-nigh crushed
her. 1t was a note, old, yellowed,
tattered-a forged note.
1t was a reminder of a moment of
temptation when her brother, driven
to the wall, had affixed the signature
of his employer to the document which
later found its way into the hands of
Gideon Lasker, pettifogger, money
shark and schemer. He had pur-
sued and threatened Ethel's brother
Ronald until The latter had fled the
city to hide himself in an obscure
country village, disheartened and am
bitionless, as an underpaid general
store clerk. Ethel had just finished
a course In a %telegraphy school and
had prospects of an immediate posi-
ton. But she had visited the cor
morant lawyer in behalf of her broth
er, and he, plausible, specious, menac
ing, exacting, had said to her:
miss Drury, l have learned the hid
ing place of your brother, and an
cause his arrest at a moments notice.
You wish to save him? Very well l
need a discreet, well-trained helper
and stenographer. l will employ you
at fifteen dollars a week for two years.
/ will retain half of that salary and
give up the note when the period has
passed."
There was no other way out of the
dilemma, and Ethel accepted the ar
duous contract.
Many a time Ethel had been COM
PEELED to leave the wretched money
grabber. 1t was not the work 1t was
the discovery of the heartless business
in which the vampire engaged that
made Ethel sick at heart. She saw
him grind the poor, delude and rob I'M
suspecting clients. More than once
the daring thought arose to go to the
police and disclose some of his nefari-
Gus transactions, but she knew the
willy schemer would hasten to retaliate
upon her brother.
And now the two years had ended,
the note was paid in full, within the
handbag reposed the only evidence
that could ever trouble her rescued
brother. Ethel had kept up telegraph
ic practice at home. She would leave
Lasker's employ the following Satur-
day and seek work in a field more con-
genial and lucrative.
She reached the street and, nearing
the post office, paused to take some
money from her purse to secure a post
al order to send to her brother. A
passerby pressed close to her side,
reached out suddenly, wrested the
handbag from her clasp and darted
away. A well-appearing young man
realized the situation and sprang at
the thief. The latter knocked him
aside and escaped, but the other had
managed to recover the handbag. He
delivered it to Ethel, seemed embar-
raised at her fervent expression of
gratitude, lifted his hat and went his
way.
It was the following afternoon, and
Ethel had just returned from lunch
when she CHANGED to glance into the
private office of her employer. Oppo-
site to him, by some strange coincl-
dence, sat the young man who had baf-
fed the thief the day previous.
Eyes, Mr.. Upton" the specious at
torney was saying, 1--WE have adjusted
your legacy from your uncle In Scot
land. We find it amounts net to four
thousand two hundred dollars and
lWCilf CClilc. VIC dIC CAdSl IL Jul
business. sir"
"That's a lot of money for a poor
telegrapher, isn't it?" spoke the young
man.
"That your line?"
sit is; but I'm going to invest my
legacy In land and try farming for a
SPELL"
every good, very good, indeed" ap-
plauded Lasker. Snow, sir. if you will
call about two o'clock, I will have all
the papers ready for you to sign"
Ethel was aware of the fact that
Lasker had manipulated the case so
as to delude the client with false re-
turns. She recalled that he was a
telegrapher. Click! click click The
young man paused half way CUT of the
room. He started as he recognized
her, was about to speak, when Ethel
telegraphed in machine clicks: go
up to the next floor and wait for me-"
- H.