Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-04-20


(CopyrIEht.l
old Lester Blagg, travelling the
~ country visiting all the seaports,
fussvd and spluttered as he rode, and
In his heart was double yearning,
lie wished to end this pilgrimage, and
he wished to find John Lowrle.
ITS Il nuisance, COMPOUNDED nui
sance." he snld and yet he knew as he
complained that this nuisance had
made him rich, would render him
comfortable In his old age II was
queer world and queer mixup. and
John Lowrie must be found before the
years end or he never would get a
cent of his uncle's money.
Peter L0wrle had been friend of
Lester Blagg, and now Lester was exc.
cuor of the will which gave him a
third of a large fortune and sent him
hunting the country for the missing
heir to the other twO-thlrds.
"And If my nephew, John Lowrie,
cannot be found at the end of two
years time," the will had said. ~ d.
rect my executor to bestow the
amount mentioned upon Mrabelle
Lowrle. my niece. Knowing John
Lowrle as proud man who will not
come forward to claim his share and
In full understanding of the reasons
why he will not do so, insist that
every means be taken to find him. II
Is for this reason, with one of friend
ship, that am leaving so large sum
to Lester Bragg who will act as exec
utor"
II was this will which had lifted
Lester Bragg from condition next to
poverty and sent him, q wealthy man
upon his pilgrimage.
Fond of his home, of home cooked
meals, and his cronies at the checker
club, Lester was convinced he was
earning every cent his old friend had
left. Scrupulously he followed the
Instructions, advertising, engaging de.
tectlves and lawyers, and Journeying
himself to follow clews. AS Peter had
said the best chance would be In sen
port towns, the old man gave them
his particular attention.
There were many who answered the
ads-seeklng reward by giving In
formation OF man who answered
John Lowrie's description. At first
Lester was hopeful, but when hope
died he continued dOggedly running
down every trail that was presented.
Lester had known John, known him
for proud and fine spirited lad
II was easy to imagine the quarrel be-
tween the young Lowrle and his &C.
centric uncle, the parting and the
threat that the boy would be cut of
In the will.
"If young folks weren't so upplty,
Lester grumbled, 81 would not have
to be tralpslng all over the country
But now, thank the Lord, I'm nearly
through"
II was the last day and Lester
BIagg sat In his room in a small hote
on the Massachusetts coast. lie
looked at the clock II was half past
eleven, half hour till midnight, and
then he would be free to start home
home to Minden and the checker club
and the lemon pie. Lester Blagg
wrote out a telegram and walked over
to the button to summon q bellbOy
He remembered as he had passed
through the lobby the one bellboy, q
palc-faced lad, was asleep with chin
up and cap over his eyes. Lester hes.
itated. The bellboy was night clerk
and general handy man until morning.
Probably he needed all the sleep he
could get.
Anyhow" he decided, ut won't hurt
me any to step out and send this my
self. guess they will be glad to
get It,"
In the telegram office he looked nj
the clock. II was near enough to
twelve now to be safe. He sighed as
he pushed the message over the coun-
ter, the message that would tell Mira
belle Lowrie the money was hers II
struck him he had never realized he
would feel defeat so keenly, that he
had wanted so much to find John
LOwrle.
II wonder II old Peter knows how
hard worked. I wonder II he knows
I'm licked and | wonder, gee, how
wonder, where young John Lowrle Is
tcnlghtT"
And when Lester Blagg returned to
the hotel, after sending his message,
he stepped lightly through the lobby
that he might not awaken the slum-
berlng bellboy. He smiled at the
thought that he had walked all that
distance to save the lad little work.
81 could have pushed that bell and
had II done WITH" he said.
And as he said 1t, John Lowrle, bell.
boy, slept with his hat over his eyes.