The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-14
The Due Process of
Law
By II. IRVING KING

| 10. is22. by Mcclure Newspaper syndieate)
Frank" said Elihu Goodwin, cor
poration lawyer, to his confidential
clerk, Il have mission of rather
private nature which | want you to
undertake-Just to obliGe me; It's
| hardly business. Years ago, when nat
urally | was younger than | am now
and trife more foolish, ! had
rather intimate acquaintance named
Reginald Fontaln. We belonged to
speedy set. am afraid"
The lawyer turned toward the win
dow and gazed unseelngly out over
the city; reminiscent look came into
his usually immoblle face.
"Regy had plenty OF money In those
days" he continued. "Hnd went the
pace. saw little OF him after mar
ried, for l put away childish things,
and now-well am fairly prosperous
and sober citizen. But Regy, al
though he married, kept stepping on
the gas. have heard he went
through his own fortune and his
wife's, too. Some say she died OF
broken heart However, for years l
had heard nothing OF Reginald Fon-
tain until today | got letter from
him.
ITS barely disguised begging let
ter. Now, | want you to investigate
and see Just how the land lies.
wouldn't mind helping him n little II
Il would do him any good-lf he real
ly needed help II went to see him
personally at frst-well, II might be
awkward for can't do much for him.
I really can't afford to. But you go
and see and report to me. Then I'll
know just what TO do"
Now, Elihu Goodwin was rich and,
as they say down East, mighty Nigh"
He never did like TO meet poor people
and the dislike had grown upon him
with the years. Still, Goodwin felt
that he could not entirely disregard
Fontains appeal. There stirred In
him vague recollections of financial
transactions in the dim past In which
Elihu had been the beneficiary Of
Reginald - borrowed and forgotten
sums. Frank made the visit as re-
yuestetf by his employer and found
.the shattered wreck Of him who had
once been the gay and reckless Regi-
nald Fontaln reclining In an easy
chair In a cheap fat. The young man
explained TO him that important
business had prevented Mr.. Goodwin" 4"
ETC., and he had sent him tFrank) ito
ascertain how he (Goodwin) could be
Of assistance" etc.
Fontaln at once launched forth into
rambling tale OF woe, the only
salient facts OF which appeared 10 be
that both Reginald's finances and
, Reginalds liver were In a sadly de
moralized condition. While he was
rambling on a door opened and a light
footstep was heard. "Ah," said Fon
!, tain, my daughterl Bertha, come
here" In response TO the summons
, there appeared a slender young won
an OF about twenty-five, whose face
was OF Madonna-llke beauty. That
!. care and sorrow had been the por
a tion OF Bertha Fontain no one could
, doubt who gazed upon her but they
!, had left as their traces only n look OF
/, sweetness and resignation which add
a ed to the charm OF her countenance
n Frank Carey, for the first time In his
q self-appreciative life, felt bashful ant
A confused In the presence OF woman
/, and when, after short conversation
a in which he somehow learned that
A Bertha was stenographer in down
town office he left the fat and tool
his homeward way. He was In such &
state Of observation-disclosures that HI
found himself In the uptown statlor
of the elevated when he wanted Il
take a downtown train.
When, next morning, Frank mad'
his report to his employer he sal,
nothing about Bertha except that sh'
was her fathers sole support.
"a pale, wornout creature, I sup
pose" said Goodwin.
"No.o.o," stammered Frank, ssh
ls-er-good looking" He changed
the subject abruptly.
"Well," said the lawyer, 'T suppos
I really ought to go and see Fontain
! viii attend to II tomorrow"
He made the call and results fol
lowed rapidly. Fontain moved into an
other and more expensive fat and III
tie evidences of luxury and read
money began TO appear about him
Goodwin, who had been a widower TO
six years and had two married daugt
tiers and numerous grandchildren, be
gan to spruce up and indulge in out
rsgeously youthful cravats. He wa
constant caller at the Fontain fiat
II was as plain as the nose on tn
face Of Roman senator-the lawye
had picked out Bertha for Mrs. Goot
win No. and father was prepared I
hand her over for pecuniary remur
GRAFTON.
Frank was frequently an ambasst
dor for his employer to the Fontal
establishment, and in one way or al
other he and Bertha managed TO Sc
a good deal OF each other He saw
and Rartha saw what was mn hut