The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-09-15
CHAPTER vl-continued.

Big Muskeg2" he cried.
"Until the work Is finished. Don't
refuse me, WIFI" She clasped her
hands together In her childish, plead
ing way that Joe had always found
Irresistible. Joe would have let me.
q won't hamper you, WILL" she begged.
"Kftty, you're trampw cried Will
ton. "But you can't so there to live.
The loneliness would be awful. And
there isn't q 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 wlth-with the
work, WILL" she answered. "And I've
already made my plans. I'm having
u bungalow built there. And there will
be Molly. Don't you want me to come,
WIFI"
Kittys pleas were Irresistible. VII
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
lcompany could remain solvent without
increasing its capital. ~.
He devoted his attention to the per-
sonnel, taking on new men and weed
Ing out, a thing Joe had hated doing,
until he was satisfied that BOwyer had
mo representative on the staff.
Wilton and Belts had been named
Executors In Joes will. Wilton had
talready gone through Joe's papers;
hut his task was much less satlsfac-
tory; for Joe, who was q capital d.
rector, seemed to have no personal
system at all. Everything was In con-
fuson--papers were missing, records
mixed up together. He had left Kitty
two thousand shares In the Missatibi,
and a 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 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
iJoe's box. Clark, the manager, took
them below, opened the vault, and
put In the master-key. Wilton COM
Ipleted the opening. To his astonisb-
Iment 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 shares7" 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 In" 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..
rBostock's blank transfer of the
sharesT he asked.
The paper was brought. The sigma
ture appeared perfectly genuine. Joe
lBostock had made out transfer ~
blank for FIVE hundred shares, In return
for loan OF three hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. due the 18th Of De
cember.
Unless the loan was repaid by that
date, the control Of the Mlssatibi
would swing to the Bowyer interests.
Wilton was almost stunned by the
discovery. Joe had spoken AZ II his
control was iron-clad.
He went hous with Kitty snA tele-