Show J IMUl MUNE y TO rc BURN UN- I THE THC STORY Butt Butterworth miser de decides decides de- de to leave hK his hl fortune to ElIr Kl- Kl mfr Ir Clarke a poor young neph- neph tv- tv H lie II tells Absolom Meleake e his his lawyer r of oC a deal forty COrty years ean ago In which he swindled a man Out of ot and s for payment with Interest Butterworth Butterworth Butter Butter- worth orth dies suddenly Through e a. a g telegraph operator the theton town to o of ot hearts heart of or HI- HI mero fortune before he does Cathcart Elmers Elmer's sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart tells teUs him his Inheritance Is more than a n million Colorado Charley and his partner Mae Mac decide to pluck puck Elmer Nellie insists that timer Elmer see more of the world before their marriage Unknown Un to Elmer Imer Nellie Is IJ s heiress of ot the man Butterworth swindled CHAPTER V Continued V-Continued Continued C 6 G She je sat down at her t typewriter and r r off ocr a letter of or thanks to AbSlom Ab- Ab c. c In Incidentally she slie informed In in- In Informed formed Mm him that her hel n other mother had hall been dead lead five the years and S seven Sen en months and that her estate state had bad nen never 1 beet been pro pro- Sated gated for two t ver very cry sufficient rel reasons Ons ne because she had bad nothing to pro pro- late ate and md two because she fhe had taken the he precaution some orue two tWe years before Der cr demise from a lin lingering erin Illness formally to g give assign transfer an and net et t over o unto her daughter Nellie J all of the right I title title Itle and Interest which she shee hail bad in in- from her father in find and to that mortgage e and deficiency judg judg- ml went nt et cetera Nellie ellIe opined that the ti tute of limitations in her case was wasn wasI I In n perfect working order an and that n even Ven n the wolves woh-es at Washington could not Dot t by any possible Interpretation of lie Cite federal Income tax or federal In In- h tax laws construe a gift as asIn asai asari ai In ari inheritance und under r a 1 will Nellie now figured the Interest at atS S per cent annually compounded annually Reini-annually annually on from Autos Au Au- tos fos 10 1882 to August 10 30 1924 J laying Having ing completed her computations w the was aware that ju jn fort two forty two years lars her mothers mother's gift had hod grown t to be oh tb oh t masterpiece of manipulation exactly tion tion Uon exactly f r TLe author of this tills tale has figured Ms hIs sum som twice so he be knows the figures ire ore we correct Nellie knew that her lib fig res ures ores were not the product of a Sered pred Imagination she knew that if Hiram Butterworth's estate could afford afford af nf- ford i ford rd to pay her that sum it would under under un- un der the definite terms of the will have havel l pay her There was room for neither legal quibble nor compromise r Upon pon completing h her r computation eNie lie went ent Into t the le leHult vault Hult ostensibly to loput put her cash awa away hut but In reality to tn fed ed d a few briny tears of s sympathy Elmer Flmer Butterworth Clarke Pres Pres- she bucked up and her pencil I il l mind leaped to the problem of ofis is rSc approximately the sum that'll t a rapacious and predatory government govern govern- overn- overn teen ment 0 i nt would bite out of J Elmers Elmer's share estate When she had made a fairly accurate If rou rough h estimate of she wept again Upon recovering reco rin emotions Demotions motIons she deducted a further urther graf pmt which mi might ht reasonably In include lu e the funeral expenses of Uncle Ducle Hiram the probate fees the appraisers appraiser's fees fecs J Cod d executors executor's fee the tIle specific bequest of ten thousand dollars state an and nt taxes and ordinary debts of the gate wat ate She Site was still further apat ap ap- FIlled at this total and wept a third tim title I loor r Elmer Ebner she sobbed To ToJi Tok Ji Ih Ok k that he was shot twice and anti gassed owe J p f fighting for his country and now S fc l what his country countr does to him I darling darling your poor deard dear id d I is going to be all blood bloody but hut if IKI II only keep it unbowed how much rp rp your sweetheart Is going to love IOa 1 i she slie emerged emeled from flOm th the vault ri remembered late tle joke which fate 12 her or case had bad played ed on the wolves f r Washington ton She at least was goto go go- 12 to get out of the wreck Ln aad d the howls of the wolves would be hp bej j YOet fe t music to her cars The They couldn't Mauch touch her with a buggy whip whip at I Elmer nimer would have ha expressed It W it t fate tate do Its Us worst to J Elmer Ebner Clarke gnat lat did Nellie Cathcart care When ic he tumult and the shouting died Ten J hn en the smoke of battle drifted flOme from flOm he e scene It would rc reveaL al Little Faith Faith- 3 smiling happy and confident the L l of Qt Elmer Ebner Clarl Clarke e and a n bink 11 l that a gre greyhound h und coul couldn't nl jump O oter r CHAPTER VI VIti ti hod ean EIm Elmer Chances Clarke's final J pr peI pe- pe d of at I service at the Smoke e s drawing to a close dose During that jo 01 weeks W eks one incident alone 11 Self l t III fn j l consciousness as us a u pleasant I variation from the OI orderly morning noon and nl night ht Oa the Hie third day following theia the theat ia treat at t news the e editor of the fathered l ler Ired d a thought ht trul truly bucolic n Ker Ke- Ke 11 he e for r the light manner In which had I d b us e offended Elmer Clarke In Int g local Oeal t brevities column now note overt overton over over- k t olio hIm Whal hn If Ebner should take luke n ton lIon n. n an n to lo hack bad some souse smart metro metro- tn Journalist In a new n rH r un and c d I run the Clarion out of bubi- bubi sl ht tl the I c Horrible A vacancy occurring tl Mb board of or tru trustees tees of the thc Union at this ibis time mc the Clarion me c ou out t with an editorial blast In n in brevier evler with a three column head of rt g the election to the board tn rJ that f t sterling and distinguished Elmer Llmer ro r r Butterworth Clarke The cUte e. e ne Dents of another candidate to the c which was W without J salary f r Bj Peter B. B K fie fien n c hr by Pet rotor Peter or D. D K Ryno Ryne ne Service promptly point pointed out the of Inability shattering an nn ancIent and well es custom of electing to the school board d only those men 1011 and mid worn worn- en cn who had demonstrated their fitness to s superintend the e education of the young by hy y pio the with young Olm to Ju educate community In an nn hH Indefinite anI and roundabout Elmer wa way Se sensed seised a co covert corl rl slam In iu this At an any rate it aron aroused cd all of or his new lIew horn born tin antagonism to provincialism l Egged e on ou h by his friends he decided to demonstrate to that a I young yonn unmarried man should and w would uld function on on hat that board or 01 know the tite reason why Immediately bo lip announced an an- Jer as ns a candidate for fOI the office Nellie wa n was 5 delighted ht d h because this tills e on ou I part u a scions de decision i to continue to live li in fn and nil grow up with the town Site She he advised him hint to conduct a n furious campaign against th tb mo of dye J s On Oh M Masterpiece st of oi Manipulation Exactly the community to prove proc that he hc had hall Its interests at heart us fig truly as did dill his opponent Henry Tichenor who was as the thc father of twelve children Indeed in the midst of her subtle blandishments she suddenly conceived the thc Idea of making Elmer the leading citizen of the thc count county if It not of the tile state In one Illuminating instant she caught a n vision Islon that caused her lIer to tremble As the sole proprietor of or Elmer's Elmers place she knew her man nan couldn't be he elected town dog catcher but hut as ns president of or the Commercial Com Com- mercial Trust and Savings SaYings hank bank she could elect him mayor at the primary y election From mayor maor to the state legislature from the state legislature to lieutenant governor go from that to governor to congressman to United States senator to the Vice Presidency to to the White House I h Ifs a big dream she reflected but hut only those who have the agility ability to dream big dreams ever amount t tun to un anything thing Just as easy to dream hi big dreams as little ones ones and and Ansel P. P MoOl Moody has battened on this community long enough Elmer EImer Is right lies lie's a pawnbroker not a banker and a n banker should be the big man in any community He should know better than any other man its needs its aspirations aspirations aspirations as as- and his duty toward It ft When the time comes Ill I'll tell Ansel P. P Moody where he lie gets off otT Hell He'll sell his Ills controlling interest In that bank tome tome to tome me at lit a fair price or Ill I'll start a new hunk hank and run him and his competitor out Jut ut of business in ten years With difficulty she repressed a cheer Ill open open m my hank bank with a hundred thousand dollars capital fully paid up Ill I'll start with my own deposit de de- deposit posit of at least four hundred thousand thousand thou thou- sand fand dollars an and Ill I'll become a u member member mem mem- ber her of the Federal Reserve Heser bank bani which no banker bunker in this town has sense enough h to become Ill I'll take tule over o I every even loan Anse rinse Moody has as us it falls due Ill I'll JJ cut the Interest rate on those two bloodsuckers and Ill I'll lend money moncy on oil honesty honest ability and industry In theIon thelong the thelong Ion long run Ill I'll consolidate the other two banks In this tills town with mine mine l I mean Elmer's Elmers an and mine Oh Oh Elmer darling youre you're playing Into my 1113 hand and that l means youl you'll wear out your life not drag It out and rot It out And nobody shall ever er know who put up the the mone money At their next meeting after inculcating eating cating in Elmer Ebner such a sense of power itS us he he had never nc known before Nellie r adroitly shifted the conversation con to a n subject which is never nc very ery far from pleasing to nine men out of or ten to wit himself elf suddenly do cn Dearie she charged sU you know that suit youre you're wearing Is Isie hit bit shabby shab- shab ie beginning to look Just a n little letting letting let let- bj by 1 I dont don't like to see my Elmer ting himself go like this You should he be the thc best dressed man mall in town town and usually you ou are arc Im I'm afraid youve you've ou oue e to save SIl money to hard heel been tr trying too equip Elmer's Elmers place He lIe squeezed her hand gratefully The idea of that business of my myown myown myown admitted obsessed me mc Nellie he own more tI than scrimping I 1 have been usual lately I 1 wanted wante to get et going going- and make male enough he Independent to money to to marry marly you and money everything c you ou desired give Iv you ou b married I would have But nut darling I darling on n far less I would have ha been beena you of ex ex- ou not a source a help hell to you pense c se l I But you ou lovable I 1 old know were Ie doing Cluing as well In your O Job as I d was doing in ill mine nu and It Isn't a particularly par par- striking evidence of unselfish ness neRS ess when a man mall lI asks l s a woman to give ghe I nl up financial independence to scrimp anti and save and sacrifice with him I t didn't want you jou to do that My r mother mothr hail bad to do 10 that all her m life and It hurt t me I swore that Wat when I t married m my nay wife Ife should never have ha to say fay to tu mp me me tamer Elmer dear den I I h have havea a 3 dollar Jollar and mul a 3 half to Ila pay the gas us 1111 nr or Elmer Id I'd like eight cht dollars to buy huy a new lint hint Nellie ee tint that sort ClIt of or thIn thing Is III dis graceful I J want you to have ha your your OW meta o private checking account flunt and ancl I t I never pr want to know what you NOU do with th the money mone Nellie now nosy squeezed hJ hN hits hand Never Ne fear Pal Elmer Ill I'll have ha my mr own awn checking l account and ancl 1101 nobody shall over er know what I do Jo with the money I t agree with you thoroughly hl there But nut J Elmer were we're off our subject I J JI I want you OU lo to go o up to San awl and get gel 1 yourself 1 f a 1 complete pt e ward robe rohe You must take tal a vacation Elmer Flmer I will will-if will if you'll take Inke it with me file I shall not nat On a n vacation Id I'd h be he a n nuisance You'd he be working hard ju just t hying to assure t UIe yourself f that Hint your our wife was having ln a 0 wonderful time time time- aile and Im I'm not lint ready to marry you on yet et dear nr Heally you ou must not bother bather yourself lr with a t wife and md her trunks and lul bags s not ant to mention your our own Sure you cant can't be ppl persuaded to change your mind nail and marry me before before be be- fore 1 go roo K Nellie eme Elmer Clarke e Im I'm not even ln engaged engaged en en- za cd to yon you ou yet Remember that I have hu already explained to you yon why Tie lie surrendered Youre a n mean woman hat but I t love lo you so soI so I suppose suppose e all allot of ot my my- life Ill I'll be lie hiving giving in you ou your our own wa way about P el everything The only comfort com com- comfort fort Ill I'll draw out of that t will be the knowledge e that youre you're wi wiser cr than a tree full of ot owls anti and probably know more about everything than I do Omit the compliments Mr Clarke larke please Are you ou going on that thin tion Yes Yes after after Ive I've e eared cleaned up Henry I Tichenor in this school election By B Bythe Bythe the way Nellie Ive I've made one nc new resolution since ince that laJ lawyer r Me- Me Ic wired me 1 I wn was a 3 millionaire Ive I've derided not to cook conk my own breakfast break fast hereafter and to refrain from eating eating eating eat eat- ing my luncheons and dinners In res res- Ive I've ena engaged ed a smart gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man of color to look after atter me mud and the thedo do dogs dohs s ni Ills Ilk name Is Jasper and he lie swin swings s a mean skillet he can buttle huttle drive a car and find play piny the banjo Hood Good 1 Elmer I think you ou ought to Im buy yourself another nice pre present ent Youve You've been good for ever er so 10 long Jong and I you ou deserve It 1 You'll want u a new newhouse house honse of course cOUlse If you intend to re remain remain main In Jon long enough h to complete complete com com- your term of ot office as chairman and member of the bO board ld of or trustees of the Union high h school What do you want for jour your bungalow and lot i iTen Ten thousand dollars Got a customer customer cus cus- tomer for tor me Nellie ellie Yes but Im I'm afraid my cu customer tome cannot meet your yom terms I know a n party who might he be induced to buy your our house bouse If Ir you will accept two thou thon thousand sand dollars down with a first tilSt mortgage mortgage mortgage mort mort- gage for two vo years on the thc remainder cent at seven se P per Sold I The word popped out of or Elmers Elmer's mouth h in iu much the same ame mariner mainer man manner mari mari- ner he be formerly employed when giving orders to his patron I suppose you'll want a commission Nellie he suggested suggested sug sug- ested with what Anse Moody would ha have hae e termed ill iII concealed ill Not ot from you ou she site replied breath breath- lessl lessly They were lunching at the time In a II booth at the Palace grill Nellie glanced around saw that for tor forthe forthe the moment they were unobserved J Kiss f me met she commanded l fiercely IJ 1 Elmer dutifully obeyed Now go goforth goforth goforth forth and |