The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-02-09
Elsa S
Fortune
BY VICTOR REDCLIFFE
Copyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper UuiOu.1

Daru 10 MS SCen0grapher, land | wish
you to accept this as a slight token
of my appreciation of your services"
Baird & Co. were going out of bust
Y ness and Elsa had been assisting the
! mead of the house disposing of the pa
pers in his desk. He had laid aside
an oblong envelope, from which he
drew two notwithstanding documents.
These are two shares of stock in
the Aetna Coal company" proceeded
MIR. Baird. ''Their par value is one
Aundred dollars each, but 1 do not
know their sale price. However, the
company has paid five per cent divi-
dends regularly"
Elsa's pretty eyes showed her APP
probation of the unexpected gift. Mr..
Baird signed the transfer blank and
she felt quite opulent.
And now for a month of real vaca-
ton" jubilated Elsa, luxuriously,
packed her belongings at her boarding
house that evening and the next morn
ing took train for Yorkton, the home
of her nearest living relative, Aunt
Norah Bliss.
Two weeks later Morton Drake, a
city broker, was hailed on the street
by a boyish young fellow who had
hurried his steps to overtake him.
sob, Mr.. Drake!" spoke Ned Wal
dron trifie breathlessly, give hur-
r1ed after you to give you sure tip.
You got me my place and l want to
try and do something for you. There's
a big deal going on with the Aetna
Coal company. My sister works there
and she says there's going to be a
merger, and they're buying in all the
stock they can get at any price
asked.'
'"Thank you, Ned" replied Drake.
'That may be worth something to
me-"
Drake was a young business man,
but profoundly expert in brokerage
tactics. When he got back to the Of
flee he looked up the list of the stock
holders of the Aetna Coal company.
Outside of officers and directors in
control he found only about half a
dozen scattered holders of the securi-
ties of the company. Out of these,
phoned or wired to, all but one replied
that they had recently sold their
stock. From John Baird, listed as
holding two shares, brief letter an
nounced that the same had been trans
ferred and were in the possession of
Miss Elsa Norris, Yorkton
Then Ned came to Drake with some
dnRi6nd1J in1nnrtant inf ooti
was to the effect that each of the rival
factions in the Aetna Coal company
was Straining every nerve to secure
a majority of the stock. Drake in
vestigated for himself. He lost no
time after that in getting down to
YQrkton. He never forgot the twelve
hours he spent there; he never ceased
after that to cherish in the picture
gallery of his soul the sweetest face
he had ever seen. Elsa received him
ingenuously, her aunt with courtesy
and welcome.
II have been told that you hold two
hundred dollars of the stock of the
Aetna Coal company" he stated his
mission.
"Yes, two shares" assented Elsa.
'Mr. Baird so informed me and I
am prepared to offer you five hundred
dollars for the securities" and Aunt
Norah barely suppressed shrek of
amazement and Elsa cried out, ooh,
that will just pay off your mortgage,
dear Aunt Norah!"
Drake counted out the amount he
had named. Elsa, deeming herself
fortunate beyond belief, was so happy
spirited she could scarcely contain
herself. Aunt Norah invited this bear
err of opulence to tea. Just after the
meal storm came up. Both Aunt
and niece did their utmost to enter
tain their visitor and the hours glided
away all too swiftly for the city man,
fascinated by the simple joys of that
humble but hospitable home.
II hope we shall see you again."
spoke Aunt Norah, as, the storm over,
Drake arose to take his departure for
his hotel, and Elsa's bright eyes mute
ly but eXpressively echoed the implied
invitation.
Morton Drake did not rest very well
that night-for reasons. Every time
he thought of Elsa Norris he expert
enced Maynard impulse to make her
a certain confession.
Miss Norris" he said, as Elsa came
to the door," here is a receipt 1 neg
lected to give you"
"Why, what iS it?" asked Elsa in
surprise.
"Well you see. being a broker,
while I have paid you for that stock,
I have an fnkling that it may sell for
more money, and in all fairness to
client who trusts me / wish you to
have the benefit of whatever may
come of it." Morton Drake was not
wrong in his surmise. Those two
shares Of stock were the only ones out
standing which could swing the major
ity as to voting power in the coal COM
pany. He knew how to bargain and
received for them an extravagant sum.
1t was Ned whom he chose as his
envoy to inform Elsa that she was the
legal owner of seven thousand five
hundred dollars and Ned, who guessed
his secret love, blurted out the truth
to Elsa. who secretly realized that the
affection of Drake was more to her
than the money.
And Aunt Norah insisted that Drake
come to Yorkton to receive their
thanks, and at Yorkton he fingered
until he was made haDpy byt the con-