Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-08-24
WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT UNTIL HAD LEFT THE CAR


ALL" Arvilla, it will be observed,
| reasoned in a feminine fashion.
| She slept soundly and long that
night. The next afternoon, sum-
moned by a telephone message from
Mr.. Crickmay. she took the bonds
from her safe deposit box and carried
them to his Office. He handed her
telegram from New York, and
| watched her as she read it:
| Upon return of the bonds you will
please express to Mrs. Carter our sin
cere appreciation OF her good faith,
and hand her a check for fifteen
thousand dollars. Please add that
this is not a reward but an evidence
of the esteem of much-tried
family. Accept our thanks and con-
gratulations for yourself"
Arvilla lifted her eyes from the
message. They were very bright. It
was pleasant message to read. But
she spoke soberly:
Fifteen thousand dollars" she
said: That is good deal of money
Do you think 1 ought to take it?"
Crickmay smiled and pushed the
certified check across his desk. OF
course you must take it," he said:
It's worth every cent of 1t to them.
and to me-"
! Arvilla sighed and took the bonds
from her bag, watching quietly
while Crickmay checked them over
and signed a receipt for them. She
folded the check and receipt to-
Gether, slowed them carefully in the
bag. and stood up.
THANK you" she said simply.
THAT is all. so far as am con-
| Crickmay came from behind his
| desk and walked to the door with
her. May l say" he asked that
! 1t has done me good to know you,
and to be honored by your conf
dence? I hope you will look upon
me as a friend
Thank you" said Arvilla again.
That day and the next she had an
| unusual amount of business to at
tend to. At 5 O'Clock on the second
afternoon she drove to the station in
taxi and took a west-bound train
The smaller OF her two trunks had a
new lock.
ION Board s. s. Two Americas,
"Off Panama.
Dear Mr.. Crickmay: I have made
up my mind that it is right to tell
you all about it. You must do as you
think best about notifying the family
in New York. 1 could not bring my
self to write to them direct
When l arrived in Reno I took a
room at hotel and drove out to the
sanitarium. / told the doctor in
charge that ] was a friend Of the fam
lily. / was. too, at least so far, though
l suppose they will never believe it
after what has happened. The doctor
made no objection to my seeing Dom
aid. and / had quite talk with him.
l saw at once that the poor boy had
been very sick, but when they told
You he was only partly rational they
did not know what they were talking
about. The trouble is, Mr.. Crickmay,
that the boy has been misunderstood
all his life.
II went up every day to see him,
and We grew to be great friends in
short time. He has had care and a
good education and some opportuni-
ties. but his family never had any con-
fidence in him.
when he went wrong they tried
to protect him from the consequences,
but they were never willing to trust
him and let him go his own way and
believe he would come out all right.
Not even his mother. She loved him
and broke her heart over him, but
she was never his friend. That was
what he needed-just a good friend.
After a few days the doctor let
me take him for drives in a car !
had hired. We used to drive along
the river. There are some lovely
spots, and 1T was mild and sunny
weather nearly every day. We had
good times together-picnics and long
walks and drives. And long talks,
too.
We'll. one day, after 1 had been
there about three weeks, the doctor
came out to the car just as we were
driving off and handed Donald tele-
gram. He read it and showed 1t to
me. 1t was from his brother, and it
stated that he was sending money to
the doctor to pay all his bills up to
date and enough more to cover his
fare and expenses to New York.
I'VE did not talk about it until we
had left the car and found one of our
quiet spots on the river. Then Don
old asked me to marry him. He said
l was the only real friend he had ever
had. and that IL would stand by him
he knew he could win out: that he
was we'll now and ready to work If he
could work for me; that IL he should
go back to his family and live there
on sufferance once more 1t would sim
ply mean he would go to the bad
again.
81 would not answer him until I
told him about the bonds, and how /
had returned them to you, though all
the time. Mr.. Crickmay. had felt
they really belonged to him.
HE said, If you had kept them /
should have missed you. And with
you to stand beside me, how can /
ever go wrong again?
"Mr. Crickmay, l knew it was a |
gamble, a desperate chance. But / |
took it, and l have never been sorry. !
not for a minute. We were married |
the next day in Reno, and we sailed |
from San Francisco a few days later. |
And can you guess where we are |
going to spend Christmas day? In |
Rio de Janeiro! Donald has a posi- |
ton waiting for him there with one |
Of tho big importing firms. We ar
ranged that in San Francisco.