The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-13

sonnet. taking on new men and weed
ing out. thing Joe had hated doing.
until he was satisfied that Bowyer had
no representatives on the staff.
Wilton and Belts had been named
executors in Joe's will. Wilton had
already gone through Joe's papers
but this task was much less satisfac
tory; for Joe, who was a capital di-
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 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 a safety-deposit 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, took
them below, opened the vault, and
| put In the master-key. Wilton COM
pleted the opening. To his astonish-
ment there were only fifteen hundred
shares.
Five 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 the
loan?' he asked.
Wilton looked at Kitty. did you
| know that Joe borrowed On the Sc
curity of those sharesf" he asked.
Kitty shook her head. Joe had not
| told her many of the details of his
| business. And the papers had shown
no record of the transaction.
"Mr. Phayre has just come ill.," said
| the manager.
They went up to the presidents
| Office Phayre asked them to sit down,
and listened to Wilton's statement.
"Mr. Clark, will you get Mr.
Bostock's blank transfer of the
shares?" he asked.
| The paper was brought. The sigma
| ture appeared perfectly genuine. Joe
| Bostock had made out a transfer in
blank of five hundred shares, in return
| for loan of three hundred and fifty
| thousand dollars, due the 18th of De-
| cember
Unless the loan were repaid by that
| date, the control of the MiSSatibi
would swing to the Bowyer interests.
| Wilton was almost stunned by the
discovery. Joe had spoken as If his
control were iron-clad.
He went home with Kitty and tele
phoned to Belts to come. They wen
through all Joe's papers again.
| Even Jim Belts was forced to admi
that the transaction appeared regular
"Jest watch them snakes, boy; that
ALL" he cOunseled. Il don't say Phayr
forged JOe's signature and broke int
his box, because it's a bigger ris
than he's got the nerve to take, bu
I guess Bowyer wants the Missatit
mighty bad"
"Once l get the line across Big Mus
keg, jim it'll be easy to raise enOug
money to pay off the loan" said Wi
ton.
He arranged with Kitty to have a
JOe's papers placed in the safe whic
held the engineering records, and sen
up in it to Big Muskeg. Only Kit
and he knew the combination.
Two days later Wilton, now con
pletely recovered, started for tn
bush.
The sub-contractor had PRACTICAL
completed the camp at Big Muske'
and there was quite q gang of me
there. principally engaged in haulin
the cut timber. Wilton had take
Anderson from the cache and mad
him the foreman. The Swede wa
one of the best foremen in the line
employ, but had fallen from his estat
owing to repeated lapses into drunken
ness.
Wilton, planned to reach Big Mu
key on Saturday night. in order
meet his men on the Sunday. whe
they would all be in camp. He too
a new engineer with him, youn
fellow named Digby, who had CON
:. with excellent recommendations fro
!, an English institute. He was pattic1
larly anxious to reach his destination
for he had had no letter from Mol
since his recovery.
. To his surprise, Wilton found tt
camp absolutely empty, though thel
were plenty of signs of an abundal
, population. But snores from one
the benches in the dining room b
: trayed the presence of a solitary o
cupant. A man was lying full lengt
| behind the table, his hat tilted ov'
his face.
! Wilton shook him to his feet ar
disclosed Andersen, dead drunk.
: The foreman, rudely awakene
a stood Keeling and blinking at him.
: what have you got to say" d
manded Wilton, furious at this lap