The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-05-06


aid not that she seemed particularly
taken with him, but his glare and
glitter caught the old folks and their
manner plainly showed that they IA
yored his pretensions. I bore Dysart
no grudge because he had supplanted
me. for I doubted If he or anybody else
guessed the secret Of my preference
for Adela. However, as became bet
ter acquainted with him analysed his
nature more studiously. and noted
half hidden defects and learned that
some Of his claimed former connections
would not bear close scrutiny.
had practically about abandoned
the held 30 far as Adela was con-
cerned, for her father tacitly ignored
me when we met and Mrs. Brandon
exerted herself to make Dysart wei
come. MY calls at their home began
to be restricted and infrequent. and
whenever I met Adela In society she
was friendly and indulgent.
shall never forget the day when
a new client entered my office with
sailor like gait and outlandishly mis-
fitting garments, although of rich tex
ture. He was swarthy, time beaten.
evidently foreigner. and when he
spoke employed a broken. almost un-
ineligible lingo. However. he ran
the tape on the ticker through his fin
gers In way that showed he was not
unfamiliar with it and prOpounded the
query:
Market eighty-ssven on Union Con
Solidated?"
Eyes" assented. with accrued
! dividends"
"Buy me one hundred shares" he
ordered. and placed card before me
| hearing the printed legend: "Ieno
Blecha. Hotel Elisnore" Then he drew
out a check look. did some figuring
presented the sum Of his calculation
for the shares and added:
"Fill out the amount. will your"
"Why. do you not write?" inquired
curiously.
"Oh. I can sign all right" he re-
piled casually. and took back the check
when had done his bidding.
Then this unique client went through
an unusual and interesting program.
He picked up the pen had used and
laboriously and clumsily spelled out
in print letters the name "Zeno
Blecha." That done, he produced
small metal box and opened It's cover,
revealing an ink pad saturated with
a dark red liquid. Into this he pressed
the thumb of his rather ungainly right
hand. AS he did so, caught sight Of
its surface. Some injury had left a
deep criss-cross star on the abrased
flesh. He pressed the thumb against
the pad, tried an impress on the desk
blotter, and then upon the check direct
ly under his signature.
"You see," he explained with
whimsical smile. anybody could print
out the signature Of man who does
not understand script, but my thumb
mark Is an unquestionable identified
ton. l will call for the stock tomor-
row." and he strolled to the inner office
to look over a financial journal. A
moment later Rolfe Dysart appeared,
memorandum slip in his hand.
ANY Commonwealth Preferred7" he
asked, and then gave great start.
saw him pale, shiver, and his eyes
bulged as they rested upon the thumb
print on the blotter.
"where did you get that! !" he gasped.
The man In the other room uttered a
cultural cry and dashed into the outer
office.
"You scoundrel!" he shouted In wild
rage, but Dysart had turned and
sprung through the doorway, his pur-
suer more clumsily following him.
I had not recovered from my amaze
ment when. pale and breathless. Zeno
Blecha returned. he asked the use
of my telephone. listened while he
called up the police. gave 'descTip-
ton of Dysart. who had swindled him
out Of q large sum In New York. and
offered a reward for his apprehension.
heard nothing Of either my strange
client or Dysart for over month. The
latter had mysteriously disappeared
from the city. and doubted not that
Blecha was on his trail.
One day met Adela on the street.
She seemed glad to see me- That
evenings papers told Of the arrest OF
Dysart in another city. and called at
| the Brandon home.
The welcome reception by Mr.. and
Mrs. Brandon assured me that the spell
of the brilliant Dys was broken. As
to Adela. 1t was when she confidcd to
me the deep aversion that she had
from the first felt or Dysart and the
sorrowful gloom o. the period when
I had sr.,arently forgotten her, that !
knew. that all along | only had PCS
sessed her love.