Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-01-26

b HAZEL SMITH.

N
lave ,ritl. I,fe and ali its pleasant
nro,nisas and rewards TO come: vet
~ FIAT snnreme tnomept of tlisappoint-
mani and loss Zane Percfyal meant
evarv word he smoke
~ stood N the room where he and
MIKE vernon had snent many a hope-
All hannv honr iurlne the INST year.
, T,bay had beon like brothers. Each
bod come "a the civ from a country
ho,ne 10 curve ) way 70 fortune. To
ona Of f6e,n Lane Perciyal had come
as wen The glory Of youth-lore. deep
frananir abiding. Even In that the
faithful vernon seemed to share his
10Y and take Afyra Little to his hearts
thoughts as a cherished sister. M .
And now-this! An opened lJlsor-
tlered drawer in the bureau, an tover.
turned tin box with its strong slock
broken--and empty. Two days before
II had contained 500, the savings OF
two wears. percival bad got leave Of
absence for a day to escort Myra to a
town forty miles away, where she was
TO spend a week with an old school
friend. and he had returned to find
Duke Vernon faithless.
ale has taken 1t all" muttered Per-
ciyal, dark browed, and his heart for
the moment was filed with cruel hate.
That night he wrote all the truth
to Myra. with a heavy heart telling
her that he must begin all over again.
and they must-wait.
II guess 1t Is my fate to meet with
disappointment in my friends" he
wrote Myra. "Next time / shall make
Won my banker. and shut out from
my life every bit of human love ex-
cept for you.rs
"a telegram, sir" announced q
messenger boy. Just as Percival was
sealing up fills letter.
In wonder Lane Perclyal read q
brief message. 1t was dated at a
polnt IN Michigan and it was signed
Duke Vernon. II ran:
"Better than left you word We
have made It."
What word--made what? In be,
wilderment Lane Perciyal sought vain
" to read the riddle.
Tie silent a little towards morning
He arose dun and oppressed ant
bothered. There was a knock at thu
door
aCome I'M he directed.
..It's me-" announced the man wht
cleaned the halls and washed the win
dows and kept the place generally ii
order II found a letter. and CHECK
suess IT Is. in the court lust now
I'm NOT much of n scholar but spelled
out your name" IA
'sMy namei" repeated Perclva
vaguely. s
aTlere they are.s and the mai
handed PerciyaI sheet OF paper AM
a check.
The latter was made out for $40
and signed by the missing Vernon.
The letter bore the initials OF tn,
same signature, and ran: Il
sDear Lane: g9t gs
81 have d HURRY call for funds. read,
cash. Urgent. A big thing. hav
taken your money and leave 70,
check Expect great news"
Slowly the truth began to- dawn O
the startled Perciyal
There was another summons at tn
door of his humble room the next eve
ming.
He flung the door open widely The
he drew back. The open happy fac
the bluff. hearty tone OF his friend, r
turned, were reproach that mad
him shrink from the extended hand.
~ cant do 1t, Duke,n he said.
have wronged you
.sWronged me?" rang out the cheer
tones Of Vernon. "When? How?9
II believed. you had stolen my mol
ey."
ard have done It If there had bee
no other ways cried Duke yerno
.'Tve made it. No more scraping an
saving and creeping along. Loo
therei'
He drew forth and aaunted befol
the eyes Of his bewildered FRIEND q &c
titled check.
saTen thousand dollars r. were II
a,..ss that daz,iod fha nvee ar ri