Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-08-11
CHAPTER Vl-Continued.

Big MuskegY' he cried.
until the work Is finished. Don't
refuse me, Will" She clasped her
hands together in her childish, plead
ing way that Joe had always found
Irresistible. Joe would have let me.
{ won't hamper you, WILL" she begged.
kitty, you're a tramp!" cried Will
ton. "But you can't go there to live,
The loneliness would be awful. And
there isn't a house anywhere. And
besides"
He did not dare suggest the thought
that came to him, that people would
gossip about her. That, he felt, rested
with her.
1T won't be lonely with-with the
work, WILL" she answered. "And I've
already made my plans. I'm having
a bungalow built there. And there will
be Molly. Don't you want me to come,
WIFI"
Kitty's pleas were irresistible. Will
ton yielded, and he was glad for one
thing; her presence at the portage
would mean much to Molly. During
the next few days he was In constant
consultation with the directors as
representing Kitty, who had given him
her power of attorney to act for her.
He went carefully over the books. He
was quite satisfied with their showing.
If Big Muskeg could be crossed, the
company could remain solvent without
increasing its capital.
He devoted his attention to the per-
sonnet, taking on new men and weed
Ing out, a thing Joe had hated doing,
until he was satisfied that BOwyer had
no representative on the staff.
Wilton and Belts had been named
executors In Joe's will. Wilton had
already gone through Joe's papers
but his task was much less satiSfac-
tory; for Joe, who was a capital d.
rector, seemed to have no personal
system at all. Everything was in con-
fusion-papers were missing, records
mixed up together. He had left Kitty
two thousand shares in the Missatibi'
and q comfortable little capital OF
about forty thousand dollars, together
with the house in Clayton and some
property in Winnipeg.
The Missatibi shares, amounting to
two million dollars at their par value
represented the bulk Of his fortune
and were In q safety-depOslt box In
the banks vault. The receipt, how
ever, could not be found.
This was not Of much Importance
but Wilton went with Kitty to look In
Joe's box. Clark, the manager, tool
them below, opened the vault, ant
put in the master-key. Wilton com
pleted the opening. To his astonish
ment there were only fifteen hundred
shares.
give hundred shares are missing
he said to the manager.
Clark looked at him In some surprise
"You are not forgetting that Mr.
Bostock hypothecated five hundred
shares with us as security for thu
loan?" he asked.
Wilton looked at Kitty. "Did you
know that Joe borrowed on the Sc
curity of those shares?" he asked.
Kitty shook her head. Joe had no
told her many Of the details of hi
business. And the papers had showI
no record Of the transaction.
"Mr. Phayre has just come In" salt
the manager.
They went up to the president
office. Phayre asked them to sit down
and listened to Wilton's statement.
"MIr. Clark, will you get MI
Bostock's blank transfer Of tn,
shares?" he asked.
The paper was brought. The sigma
ture appeared perfectly genuine. 10
Bostock had made out a transfer |
blank for five hundred shares. In returI
for a loan Of three hundred and fit,
thousand dollars, due the 10Th Of d.
cember.
Unless the loan was repaid by tina
date, the control Of the Missatit
would swing to the Bowyer interests
Wilton vas almost stunned by tn
discovery. Joe had spoken as II b
control was iron-clad.
He went home with Kitty and tell