The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-02-12

lie was called upon to explain, and,
in the head Office, before that very
Oliver Ames whose face looked up at
him from the picture in this paper he
held now, he made ais explanation.
do you recognize the wallet"
Across the space of over three years.
he could hear Ames' voice again, as
clearly as If it were questioning now;
at this very moment. And his
own voice, replying:
"Yes. sir. lost it some days ago.
Lost it? When?"
Last Monday, sir"
slave you mentioned the loss of the
wallet to anyone?"
mo sir" And then, after the small
est moment: "Oh yes, did just speak
of it to Mr.. Macklin."
"Send for Macklin. ;"
Next in the panorama of his mem.
cries came vision of Macklin, the
foreman, under whom he worked. small
and brisk. smart and smiling. Mack
lin was questioned about the wallet.
He said that young Warrington" had
never mentioned losing it. that this
was the first he had heard of it. :.
And he stuck to this through thick
and thin.
Then the clerk who had been robbed
was unable, when he recovered, to say
whether Warrington" were the thief
or not. The onslaught had been so
swift and sudden He had just got
the impression that the thief had been
a very big man. Warrington" was
very big man. Little by little the net
had closed upon him.
He had applied for permission to
appeal to old John Gresham, and it
was granted, but it did no good. Sir
John felt sure that there was no need
for him to interfere. He was, more
over, on the point OF starting on
yachting cruise with his adOred school
girl daughter. He did not alter lis
plans.
Lees big hand clenched to a fist
as his memory reached that point. . :.
With one of his men lying under
ham-went yachting!
His memory slid on through his
prosecution and trial; through the
CHASTITY nightmare of his own in
ability to prove his innocence 1t was
his word against overwhelming evil
dence, and the evidence won. With
his whole soul crying out against the
unbelievable injustice of it, he went
to prison for three years. For three
years that had seemed like three etern-
tiles! That was what had knocked
the laughter out of his laugh; put
the somberneSs into his thunder-gray
eyes, set the line of bitterness around
his lips; and, worst of all, brought
him back into the world of free men,
with all his ambitious energies turned
to burning desire to be revenged;
to get even with Ames for his cold
willingness to believe him guilty of
such a crime; with Macklin for his
treachery; with old John Gresham for
his selfish carelessness.
But, as he had said, Fate and Des-
tiny were queer, unaccountable forces,
SCATTERING one day, building up the
next. He had been free scarcely a
fortnight, when he came into an i'm
mense fortune left by cousin, who
had died in Canada-one ference Lee,
of whose existence he had scarcely
knOwn-on the sole condition that he
changed his name from Warrington
to Lee.
Money was a power. He meant to
use it. But there had been things to
do first. With the changing of his
name and fortune. he intended to
change his whole mode of life; to
become a new personality; te raise
himself to a level of social equality
with those he regarded as his enemies,
so that he need be at no sort of dis
advantage. With this in view he had
advertised for young man of good
social standing to act as secretary and
social guide. The answer to this ad-
vertisement had been Peregrine ST.
Abb. Under the guidance of Pere-
CRIME, Lee had installed himself in a
fine town fiat; taken nice little coun-
try place in Hertfordshire; acquired
splendid car; big collection of
clothes for all occasions; and a good
working knowledge of the manners
and customs of polite society. :.
Money was power, and he meant to
use it. But here-and now he came
out of the past and let the new and
ugly thought have sway-here was a
power deadlier still. That smiling,
sweet, girlish thing, with her young,
unclouded eyes and pretty, childish
lips-where, if he searched the world
over, could he find sharper weapon
than she might prove? Her father
adored her; that was ancient history.
And now ST. Abb had told him that
Ames loved her. To snatch her from
them. He. who had been their
workman. He. who had oeen three
years in prison. To snatch her
from them. "Old Gresham
wouldn't know me anyway :" he
argued to himself. "And | don't think
Ames would either I've changed
so ;" Anyway. being recognized
was a risk he was bound to take.
There was no avoiding it. And
the stake was worth it. His thoughts
went on.
Perry" he said suddenly: SECT
me an invitation to this birthday party
on the twenty-sixth. :" He
tapped the paper. 81 want to meet