The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1919-04-24
finding
Out
Sy EVELYN LEE
10. ,rirAt. 1919. b. western SsTsp,p.r uDloO.,


ton Brill, n cousin of Lurlln Morse.
"Nhy are You going to dig up n dead
issP that Is Shelyehg'
I'll has been n crying matter tn mo.
answered the young girl seriously. ut
worried lay father nearly to death;
u has been on my mind ever since he
dici. do not know what dreadful
secret was involved. hut while drliri.
Gus father referred to II. feel Il my
duty to look into the matter. lie
WINS a good man. was father. rs both
Of us know. but there might have been
Il miSsicp. II temptation in the past
placing him under the power ~ an en-.
cmv. II hlackmallcr. No. I cannot rest
until I know the worst. and am de-
tcrnined To- get the facts concerning
this mystery. which certainly darkencd
my fathers NE"
but II your father was unable To
/ free himself from what you believe 10
be thu rxtortion of person having
some hold upon him. how can you hope
to succrcdf"
81 have my plnn." replied Luelln,
the spirit Of resolve and confidence In
her steadfast eyes. 81 know the name
of the man whom he has visited year
after year. ! have found some letters
| he wrote to father. They are terse.
/ sharp. demanding payments mutually
/ agreed on. II made no move. and
4 even If this Arson l.adi never truu-
hlrd us again, ! should h. living ua-
/ der constant dread. Seemingly /
/ shall 90 To the city and earn my own
living hut all I am thinking of Is
I probing the mystery of fathers deal
/ in-s with Arson Ladd lawyer. BrooIs,
building. Springfield"
So Lurlla Morse left her pretty M
tive town with no coniidantr as to her
real purpose except Acton Brill. whom
she knew she could trust. she was
Il sensible girl. aud lovely. too. and she
found board and lodging with re-
spectacle old lady just ON the edge of
the cuisines, section OF the city. Thcp
She located the office of Arson Ladd.
Several times she passed It's door,
reading his name upon its panels. She
found its sole occupant to be- young
. lliin NN'hN sue l'hih Iii " fl'Ih. iI'n
she summoned her courage to attempt
the plan she had formed In her mind.
"Can see Mr.. Arson Ladd'" she
inquired. being now near enough to
the supposed clerk To observe that he
was very handsome and pleasant
faced young man.
81 am his son. Robert Ladd." came
the explanation. "My father died sew
eral weeks since. Did you have some
BUSINESS with him?'
"Why, not exactly" answered Lu-
ella. 81 had heard Of him and wonder
ed II he needed my help in the office.
But of course"
"What can you do?" inquired young
Mr. Ladd. with A token of friendly In
terest In his face.
II understand the typewriter and
can taM some dictation." said Lu-
ella.
The young man seemed TO ponder.
He asked her name. She gave II as
Verona Tresham, feeling the decep-
tiOn excusable.
Tell you. Miss Tresham." spoke
Robert Ladd. after "A pause, there IL
not much to do here. but ] was think
Ing of advertising for some one to
take charge Of the office when ] am
away and type a few letters occasion
ally. You see. about all have had
to do was to 20 over my fathers pa
pers. and sort them out and clean up n
lot Of useless rubbish. What's left is In
his old desk yonder." and Luclla'S eyes
glowed ms they rested on the hatterSi
old receptacle pointed out by the
speaker. "My father owned II great
deal of city property and my main EN-
ployment is looking after mortgages
and rents"
Lucia felt that providence was In
deed helping her as she left the Lndd
office. engaged to report for work the
next morning at a reasonably good sal
airy. The dead mans papers, In
that desk. Had the son discovered
the possible one covering the dealings
ofsthe old lawyer with her fatheri
Ever these thoughts were in her
mind during the rest Of that week. A
natural righteousness Influenced her
20 set at work ut once Ia Investigate
that old desk. hut II was locked. and
she knew that she must use caution.
The next morning Mr.. Ladd an
nounccd that he would not be at the
Office the next day. The first thing
the following morning Luella ST about
investigating the old desk. She