Evening star., 1922-08-27

farther, across Water street, his
glance came to rest upon the bill
| board between Lem Batson'S house
and Walter Daley's blacksmith shop
A twelve-sheet poster pasted thereon
announced the evenings attraction at
the Olympic motion picture theater:
William S. Hardy in The Santa Fe
Trail"
/ The big red letters of the title, the
desert background. the mammoth
Autographed Closeup" Of the actor
the rough-and-ready girl on the horse
i by his side-thesa held Mackane's S
gaze.
The Santa Fe Trail" In another
| two or three days he-Malcolm Mac
kane-would be travelling the real
Santa Fe trail for the kingdom of
hearts desire-dep1eted bank ac-
! counts. stockholders troubles. busi-
like the actor in the lithograph, be-
side him. too, would be a woman.
+ Bill Hardys roles had always held
an irresistible appeal for young Mac
Kane. If more vital events were not
impending. he would be going to see
| that film, but now He wrenched
away his eyes.
The afternoon dragged to a close.
At four o'clock a girl in Lawyer
Preston's Office called on the phone
| to learn whether he intended doing
anything about that account
Tell Mr.. Preston I'm waiting for
an important letter on the fye-
twenty-three," was his reply. But he
was not. He was really waiting dor
Bill Sheehan to appear with six hun
dred dollars. Bills last payment on
the motor car Mackane had sold him.
For not a penny of the compahy's
cash was he taking on his flight.
Sure enough, as soon as he was
came over to the Mackane plant and
laid thirty twenty dollar banknotes
on the young presidents desk. He
received his bill Of sale in exchange
MacKane pulled a deep breath
when the transaction was completed
and he was again alone in his office.
Nothing hindered now. With two
hundred more up in his room, he was
financially free to catch the midnight
train. Promptly at o'clock he
left the Office.
When at f1ve-twenty-t three the aft
ernoon mail train came up the valley
on schedule Mac was in his room at
his step-sisters home, packing the
last few articles in his bag. The
moral absconder did not care to eat
last meal with his sister and her
family. He donned hat and overcoat.
picked up his bag and a well-filled
suit case. and toted both of them to
the station. where he left them in the
care of the baggage clerk.
X X X \
IT was twenty minutes before seven
when he sauntered moodiIy down
Main street smoking an after-supper
cigar. He had eaten in Ned FarrelPs
lunchroom. The front of the Olympic
movie show was illuminated. People
were going in and out of the post
office, procuring their evening mail.
The evening mail! In the tension
Of leaving, Mac had almost forgotten
about 1t. He entered the Office lobby
His company box was No. 366, di-
rectly opposite the door. The young
man drew long breath before he
looked in. The arrival OF the Long
shore letter, the contents of his post
office box on this night, would change
the entire course Of all his days! He
bent over, peering through the square
Of glass.
Tho hoy WAS emntyt
Realizing that, after all. it really
mattered little now, he moved around
to the window where Jim Ruggies
was selling stamps. $50
Evening mail all distributed, Jim ?"
,"AI up! But as Mac turned away
the postal clerk called, Hey! Wait a
minute, Mac! Got a registered letter
for you here, and amt had time to
shove the card inyyour box.
= Macs heart turned over. If Long
shore forwarded important documents
he would, of course, send them by
registered mail. In poignant excite
ment MacKane signed the receipt
book and return card. He was handed
a long envelope.
He steeled himself to look at its
corner card as he had steeled himself
to look into his post office box. Would
it read: Suite SAT, Woolworth
building. New York city?
It did not. The corner card was
that Of firm Of attorneys In Taunton,
Conn. SmithsaiI & Son. he re-
called, one Of his largest creditors.
had theirsfactory- In Taunton.