Show I w TELEGRAM FICTION JUl JUDITH ITH LANE LAN LANE I V V By Rv Jeanne Rowman SYNOPSIS Morton Morlon Lampere is poised to launch attack ck against Big Tom Bevins' Bevins and will and against Judith Dale who been left the Bevins millions to tc Big Toms Tom's dam on the RIoLa Rio Diablo La lo The catch Is that Norman Normane e C Judiths Judith's husband is Lampere's kw w partner and friend of Big Toms Tom's dow and his treacherous daughter Mathile But Judith stands firm ber be be- r U d the promise made Big Tom when lf hc the w was his trusted secretary g S CHAPTER 18 f I TO TOM I BEVINS SPEAKS 9 Judith stood up She had removed th the small hat and arid the beruff led jacket Did nd with it E come ome me of h her girlishness h is the he plain cr cream am blouse her hair drawn brawn smoothly back in a coil she 1 looked ked more fe the efficient secretary h y had seen seen at meet meet- Before going into this Mr Chair Chair- min I wish wish- to lo ask k one favor or Will look upon me as tir tiry t to the late Mr Bevins not as wile oti a member of your you legal department At the time I received the orders from Mr dir Bevins pertaining to the I dun dim and to be executed ted in case of l i death I was not married I went to his leis physician Doctor Kenneth Jt IK Kelly hefty lIy to learn the seriousness of hIi bli condition Doctor Kelly assured me that Mr i evias had every chance to live to be It hundred i if he took a reasonable amount of care of his health Because Because Be Be- cause cause se of this assurance I went on iU my marriage which I 1 had sine sin sin- lately e ely hoped would not be thrown If m its normal course by my return l io business sat down conscious that sev- sev sev-eral sev stockholders were looking at her ier with new respect Then Morton Lampere pe began begat to Jalk talk and her at- at was literally riveted to his nis message e. e jAs As' As ever everyone everyone one present knows our dearly early beloved colleague so recent ly departed left five million dollars with this little lady He paused im im- He also left her the con on trolling interest in the Bevins Con Con- company Another pause Judith controlled an impulse to demand why she hadnot not been called Into few the closed meeting if she held tali power Prior r to his ht departure from this Orld the old gentleman had begun the development of the hobby of his l the We rf the building of the Rio Diablo pa During the survey word came po me the that he was making a vital that due to certain phases cf Ci the river liver bed understandable to counters only it was not advisable w to follow the natural bed bcd but start an If artificial channel through virgin land Bevins B vin refused to listen to reason lad and na as at a a result we the stockholders may I ay suffer complete loss of our in- in Ja n- n nan an effort to avert this calam calam- we the remaining members of ofard ard ard i ask you Mrs Dale to quash i your cl claim Jm on the mon money y for the purpose of ot erecting the that we ve may carry on this work safe sare and sane manner 1 and in with the advice of our it t engineers Ye e eare are willing to give you time your decision fr ou o u 1 needn't Judith was stand stand- eyes If bright You ma may have it H 1 at be hast hasty warned Morton Morlon Pere re uty- uty M Judiths Judith's voice was low trolled strolled Mr Lampere the deci deci- Was iWas u as made for tor me b by Mr Bevins he night of oC August 25 He fore fore- oreall ore ore- I all of this He even knew that tha t would be one to lead the ine in in- e tion Mr l ir dr Lampere Lamper under no condition n I 1 I resign Judith lUdith sat down trembling with wit h 1 0 emotion but with her mind alert She saw M Mathile whisper r to Norman but Norman did not seem to hear His face was vas haggard and Judith cried in her secret heart for the pain she was causing him You have made that final Mrs Dale observed ved Lampere with satis satis- faction Now kindly accept the unanimous resignation of ot your board and the withdrawal of your stock stock- holders The resignations and the withdrawal withdrawal with with- are accepted agreed Judith and turned to the men who were watching her with different l Ia May I ask what you w wish h todo to todo todo do with your stock Id like to get my money while the gettins gettin's good remarked one man If you ou will make an appointment with m my secretary I 1 will attend to that interrupted Judge Morgan And now gentlemen said Judge Morgan I would like to read a ames message message mes mes- sage to you OU from this man whom you OU admired dand and respected during his life life life- I protest prot t Lampere was on his feet This this is u entirely out o of order A from Mathile Bev Be Bens ans ns caused the distressed focusing of interest in in- terest in her direction Mr Lampere kindly put this to a vote Those present voted unanimously to to 0 hear the message and ad Judith after atter af- af ter er a quick glance at Norman turned to the judge who stood waiting for lor attention My friends There has come tome to tome me ne suddenly and unexpectedly knowledge that some of you are re reworking working to undermine my plans due to o your desire to exploit the Rio Ria Diablo land for tor selfish purposes Iam I Iam Iam am warned by my physician that I haven't time to wait and prove DrOVe your loyalty and so o I am rep reposing sing ait all of I my faith in the girl who has worked at my side the past four years Judith Ju Ju- Lane daughter of my former partner and long life friend Emil EmilL Lane L ane t Miss Aires s Lane has In the past carried out my plans with such perfection of detail that I feel teel no hesitancy in leaving caving my orders for tor the construction construction tion lon of the dam in her hands She i Is s qualified to act as a construction engineer but has pr preferred to remain remain re to tomain main as my secretary realizing her herm ambition m J lon yi vicariously through me It is 15 this tins quality quam in her which makes me feel teel she will not be swayed by adverse adverse ad ad- adverse verse opinions but will wm subjugate her her Individual i desires and carry out my ideas With the storm of ot criticism which my will is bound to raise about her it will not be an easy task and I am asking you OU who are my friends in truth to stand behind her in the reorganization reorganization reorganization re re- organization of ot the company There will be a reorganization for tor I can see even now that the original firm will disintegrate through disloyalty I am leaving money for tor the actual construction of the dam as I feel eel I liquidation of stock may embarrass the financial standing of the old I i company compan However she will need the moral support and the help of I strong strang men and I am asking you who I listen to this and who understand I 1 to supply these I Judge Morgan sat down and Judith I arose One Staunch Helper Gentlemen she said those of or j I you who wish to carry on with the Bevins Construction I company may I join me in Judge Morgans Morgan's office in I Ithe the Oil and md Cotton building immediately immediately immedi immedi- after the adjournment here It was war Mr Bevins' Bevins desire that the new company be organized and ready to start operation immediately upon the dissolution of ot the old so the men at the dam would suffer no loss Mrs Dale Lampere was Wa on his feet teet what do you propose to c call this new company Mr l Bevins Bevins' proposed cd that its present present present pres pres- ent name be retained Why why you ou cant can't do a thing like that Its It's preposterous presumptuous the idea look at that poor bereaved daughter sobbing her heart out while you you a mere hireling hireling hire hire- ling of ot our beloved friend dare stand there and say Jay that you you will carry carryon on a comp company ny in his name the name of oC Tom Bevins Bevies Justin Cunard retired engineer tall taU taciturn advanced advance towards towards towards to to- wards the two You insult th the intelligence intelligence in jn of or this board We are not nota a jury in a a criminal court to be moved by emotional appeal It seems to me that Tom had a pretty thorough idea of what h he was doing when he took his legal affairs away from you ou Now yo ng lady Im I'm ready to join you you may count on my full time it if vote yoU desire r it- it if st Cunard barked Lampere re it isn't ethical to carry carryon on or reorganize a company using the name name of a deceased deceased deceased de de- ceased man against the objections of his heirs In this case its it's not only ethical but legal interrupted Morgan for forit or it is so 50 expressed Jn in in the deceased's papers Now Mrs Dale are you ready to leave for tor my office Judith was sure in the hours which followed that she had said the things expected of her cleared doubts in the minds of the seven men who followed them to Morgans Morgan's office discussed discussed dis dis- discussed cussed the matters which needed their immediate attention but all aU the time like a low cry her thoughts rang Norman Norman Cunard drove her home He lIe had been made first vice president of the newly organized company and chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the new board Judith retained retained re re- the position of secretary to the late Tom Bevins president a peculiar peculiar liar arrangement which left her free tree to in carry out nut his hie nr I And they n needn't lose sc a ii a single gie days day's work Judith said of the menat menat men menat at the dam as they stopped bc before ore Hillendale The cottage was aglow with ll lights and the quaint old English standard lamps which lighted each flight of steps to the knoll were glowing in the purple dusk Cunard looked at the house then at Judith and his usually taciturn features relaxed into a semblance of sympathy sympathy- Young lady if an nn old mans man's support and confidence mean anything you have mine Judith steps into a domestic crisis I Monday I i |