Evening star., 1921-05-22

| TO receive the n Oh MI. f1OSdH.
THE latter gentleman. the while,
sat fumbling over certain papers
and sorting them on his knee. This
task completed to his satisfaction. he
replaced the papers in his breast
pocket and wandered idly about the
luxurious Office. hands clasoed behind
him, gazing with blank eyes at the
pictures or staring vacantly through
the plate glass windows into the
thronging traffic of State street be-
: low.
| His back looked stodgily phleg-
matte; yet nevertheless his pulse was
| running well over a hundred-higher
than it had done since one unlucky
dallied with certain railroad pay
| checks, which had soon thereafter
proved to be free passes to bit in
the Trenton stir"
Now his whole future lay at stake.
Was he to continue polishing park
1 benches. getting handouts and wear
ing bulgy kicks. or was he hence
forth to ride in Pulimans. eat game
birds and smoke Rosaritos? The
question, as he turned it over in his
| mind. drew his brows into black
frown and set his fat fingers nervous
iy clenching.
Finally. after what seemed at the
very least year. the Rev. Mr.. Bene-
| dict arose. saying:
Now. Mr.. Hogan. If you please. the
matter is entirely arranged. quite sat-
isfactorily. / trust. President Good
| rich doesn't care to receive more than
100000; but that sum. according to
our plan. will yield ten thousand a
year, payable semi-annualIy. 1t in
wolves entire surrender of the princi-
pal. as in annuity; but the income
| will be absolutely assured, and for
! life. Here is paper for US to con-
sider-you can sign it at your leis-
ure. We are to come back tomor-
row.
Now" he added, turning to Good
rich I'VE really should be taking our
! leave. I'm afraid we have presumed
| on far too much of your time already
while 1 ask whether you will permit
i Mr.. Hogan to deposit $2J.00O as an in
| dependent account. for personal needs?
No objection to carrying it subject to
| friend has a certified check on the
Baltimore Exchange Bank. You'd
like to see it? With pleasure: Yes.
! part of the estate. An excellent bank
Mr.. Hogan carries considerable
| balance there. Your receiving teller
YOU. You'll mention the matter to
! him? Very WELL good day. good day"
| The Rev. Mr.. Benedict bowed gra-
! ciously: the copper king :murmured
their leave. While President Good
rich. left alone. rubbed his white
! hands with an extreme satisfaction.
the astute clergyman deposited in Mr.:
Hogan's name properly certified
check on the Baltimore Exchange
Bank for $4,000.
x x X X
inUR friend Goodrich was sitting at
~ his desk next morning looking
| over a defunct mortgage in semi-idle
! fashion, when a tag-end Of Boston
east wind eddying through a half
opened window, caught little slip
of paper which lay under the leather
divan where Pod had sat. and whirled
| it wantonly out upon the carpet.
The seye of Goodrich followed. for
| the slip was curious-seemingly a list
of names with hieroglyphs annexed.
An odd-lookinG slip. The presidents
| curiosity was aroused; he got up
| heavily, bent, and picked it up from
the floor.
Odd indeed! What banker would
| not think odd list of the richest
Boston houses. marked by stars.
triangles and circles. with cryptic
words thereto? Strange indeed that
the Commercial Trust Company. most
diEnified of institutions. should be
underscored in red and designated
Meat.
Meat" calculated President Good
rich. sinkin, back with the grace of
a hippopotamus into his leather chair.
tHe weighed $50 on the bath-matD
Meat. Well. well. Meat, indeed"'
and he scratched his bald-spot Wig
orously frowninG the while.
The frown lasted only a moment.
being chased away by an open-faced
smile as great white light broke
into his mind. Reaching for his
Bankers Register" he opened 1t at
illinois" and thumbed it rapidly un-
til Chicago lay under his gaze
Shortly thereafter a peremptory
"buzz-z-z" on the electric sign al
summoned Cashier Packard to the
presidential desk.
The two men remained in heart to-
heart conference q pithy quarter of
an hour. Toward the end of it two
telephone messages went from the
bank: one. a local. to police head
quarters in Pemborton square: the
other long distance. to the Exchange
Bank in Baltimore. OF which mes
sages our clergyman and his illit-
crate friend were ignorant as babes
unborn.
Because of this blissful ignorance
Mr.. Hogan and his spiritual guide
sola