Evening star., 1922-08-27

-'sh iii u ucoS Si OihSS iit
the town OF Taunton. Conn.
The table top between them was
strewn with memoranda, documents
of sale and settlement, typed quit
claims and books of record. All three
were mentally weary, but they had
reached the last item. verified it,
checked il OFF on a long list and
their afternoons work-concluding a
trusteeship of eighteen months-was
ended. On the dusty red blotter be-
fore the senior of the three lay an
open check book
Well" he demanded. shall we
write the boy a check now and wind
IT up or shall we put it off until to-
morrow
Write it now" ordered the stout,
rcdfaced man. Whats the use
waiting?"
YES" echoed the tall, hatchet faced
third man. get the check mailed and
let's see the last of the whole bother
some business.
The senior trustee raised tired eyes
to the clock. fumbled for his dangling
fashioned gold pen.
II iultt III tlie IpoIIt ne
pressed back the thick stubs, found
the next consecutive blank check.
dipped the gold pen in the ink and
filled in the blank lines.
"Thirty-four thousand. five hundred
and seveniy-fv dollars and fifteen
cents" he muttcred. And if the es-
tate had amounted to a million it
could hardly have given us more
trouble or work"
* * x
'THE check written, he signed his
name. blptted it and passed the
book across to the stout man. The
latter linked his pen and added his
signature likewise. The technicality
was Implicated by the hatchet-faced
third. Receiving the book back. the
senior lawyer penned beneath the
names:
MacKane.'
Blotting the whole again. he ripped
out the momentous slip of paper. ad
justed the nearby check protector.
slid the document within it's inky
Jars and thupbed the handle. Then
he concluded: ~
III inclose this in the envelope
along with the letter and papers we
dictated to Jane. I'll mail it on my
way up to supper
The three arose. The lean man
eripped the sleeve edge of his coat,
preparatory to thrusting the arm into
a heavy ulster.
only one thing about job of this
kind / regret" he declared, that.
after all the bother and work, l can't
see the legatee's face when he opens
the envelope and discovers what's
inside. Why, I wonder. in this par
ticular case did old Sarah bind US
to keep it all dark until the money
was ready for remittance?'
The senior lawyer was busy col
lecting the papers but he answered.:
she probably didn't want to put
temptation in her nephew's path.
Boys who know they have chunk
of money coming sometimes plan to
do foolish things
Ten minutes later all three had
descended to the street and separated.
The letter. with it's Enclosures, was
properly posted. and the senior ad
ministrator climbed the hill toward
home and supper.
X X X
T the moment when the three
\ officials were signing their names
to that check-to be exact. at ten
minutes to 6 o'clock on the after |
noon of January 5. 1s2O-two hundred |
miles to the northward, in a little |
Vermont factory office. young NAL |
comb E. MacKane was staring at a |
ghost.
He had been alone in his office for
nearly fifty minutes. Immediately
the o'clock whistle had blown |
his factory had been deserted with a
rush. except for a night watchman !
down in the boiler room, who had !!
lust come on the job. At the end of |
those fifty minutes the young man.
ager had heard step in the outer
room.
He had assumed for a moment that |
pne of the office force had returned
for some personal belonging, forgot
ten in the rush of closing time. The |
pne who entered, however, was not |
IN employe. Young Mackane had |
faised aching eyes. for he was ailing |
at the moment physically and men
fally He had called out interroga-
lively. Immediately a figure was out I
lined in the open doorway of his pri-
vate office. He peered beyond the |
rircle of illumination given by the |
green drop lamp above his desk. And
he saw the-ghost.
The apparition took the form OF a |
woman. She wore a neat turban |
trimmed with fur. and long coat.
About her shoulders were other furs
matching the trimming on her hat.
and she carried a similar muff. But
of her dress the man took note after
ward. His feverish eyes sought her
face. Recognition came with smash.
From his lips broke a cry. He pulled |
himself to his feet.
For an instant the woman hesitated.
Then she came silently across the
floor toward him.
The desk separating them. she
-paused Then the man repeated his
cry of incredulity.
The girls lips parted, Involunta-
rily she raised her arms, one wrist
feather-weighted with the muff.
"Malcolm" she whispered. It was
as II she were uncertain how she
would be received.
The man passed the back of a
nervous hand across his forehead.
of the desk. put out a hand. touched
her. Then. in sudden sweeping
away of all barriers, his arms en-