The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-11-09

1 1 it isn'tl"
 Nelson's eyes shifted from hers and he coughed nervously. Eugenie said quietly: Yes. You're right, MT. Abbott is the man."
 There was another long period of silence. Then Sam said pleadingly; Peak Abbott? But why? Why should he do such a thing?"
 Nelson stirred impatiently. "It's nothing to get excited about Sam, and it's nothing so very terrible. It's perfectly understandable why Peak did it"
 "Is it?"
 "Yes. Peak realized that we were poor and that being poor wasn't much fun for you. He want ed to help you out, and he did it the only way he could. He knew that you'd never knowingly take money from him. Personally, l think he was darn generous, and pretty clever into the bargain"
 Sam heard herself laughing. Clever? I suppose so. Very clever indeed! So all this time we've been living like kings on MT. Abbott's money Marvelous! Superb!'
 See here, Sam" said Nelson with a frown, T can't see that it's anything for you to worry about. If you'd been the only one con- cerned, I never would have told you. It doesn't matter about you, because you're going to marry him anyhow. It's the rest of us that are in a sort of bad position. When you come to think of it, we're just been accepting charity"
 That's right Sans eyes widened. We've been accepting charity. We've been charity pa tients all the time"
 After that both Nelson and Eugenie did a lot of talking. They urged her to tell Fourth everything and to make him resign his posi- tion at once. They said that Fourth must also return whatever money The had received and had not spent, They suggested a number of things that Sam must do, and Sam agreed to them all. She would have agreed to almost anything at that time lin order to get away.
 When she left the apartment she got into her car and headed 1t to- ward the open country. Her face expressionless, she drove slowly and carefully, without the slightest knowledge of where she was going For an hour she followed broad cement highway that seemed to lead nowhere. Then she turned the car around and retraced hel path until she found herself in the city once more. It was just ark when she pulled up at the clut opposite a small drug store and shut off her motor.
 To the clerk behind the soda [ fountain in the drug store sht said: twill you get me a sheet , of writing paper, please-and ar envelope-and a pencil?" The clerk stare dat her and ther r went away Returning, he laie what she had requested on ths , marble counter and accepted hel money. He continued to stare al she climbed up on one of the higf stools and pulled off her gloves Then he said suddenly: Pardon , me, lady, but are you all right , You ain't sick or anything, ar' l you?"
 D Sam looked at him. No. Tn not sick. I'm perfectly all right. 6 Excuse me" He shrugged ant turned away. T just thought yo' I looked sort of peaked-kind o : white like"
 Il I'm all right, thanks" v Sam wrote her letter on the sod , fountain counter. She wrote slow , ly but without hesitation or eras lures. She knew precisely wha P she wanted to say.
 I Dear Peak" (Sam wrote in firn f pencil) "You have bought tn goods. and paid in advance. No' you are learning that the good k will not be delivered. That's nc
 fair, is it? I'm sorry. Fourth wi a return to you whatever is unsper I of the money you have given hin V I'm afraid you'll have to wait fe Z the rest, but I can assure you ths Q it will be repaid some day. al r. going away tonight fo ran indef if nite period. I shall tell Fourt e where I'm going and he will proi ,s ably tell you. Please don't folio lme. I don't want to argue. There N nothing to argue about Nelse
 says that you are very clever, ar
 agree. You are almost too cleve
 shall leave your mothers el
 gagement ring with Fourth. I
 afraid I'm making great deal
 trouble, but charity patients a
 always troublesome, I suppose. I
 sorry"
 She placed the letter in the e
 velope, sealed it, wrote Peaks nar
 and address on the outside.
 To the clerk she said quietl
 "Is there a letter box near here
 "Yes, ma'am. Right on the ne
 corner"
 Gov, ,oddad "GO