Show ito JIL I 1 IM by peter 53 UP kyne 9 ty Y peter B D krue krna so rv arvice CHAPTER XII continued 25 she did she gave the commercial trust savings bank a second mortgage for two thousand dollars on the property she had bought from elmer clarke and old anse moody charged her ten tea per cent interest on the loan and refused to make it for more then than a year this money she deposited to the credit of the el iner imer B clarke campaign committee and on the day after the election she paid her last bill closed up her account and had bad four hundred dollars left and on election day elmer received two votes in excess of the total votes cast for his opponents it was a stupendous pen dous a sweeping victory and the politically wise ascribed it to but bui one thing to wit tremendous public admiration mi ration for elmer clarkes charkes Cl arkes modesty throughout tho the campaign he had bad not once addressed the local post of the american legion nor had lie he appeared at any meetings of it ile he had made absolutely no appeal for the old soldier vote either verbally or in print not once had bad lie he referred to his war record and cited the fact that he had been in the army everybody in pilar cleos had felt certain elmer would wave the bloody shirt and he had disappointed them wherefore in gratitude and admiration they had elected bam ne nellie ile was far happier than elmer when the votes were counted elmer had a rather well defined idea that he bad labored and brought forth a mouse that he had fought for the sheer gheer love of a fight now that he tad bad a certificate of election he shuddered to think be would have to use it but nellie her plans for his career long since made merely checked off another milestone on the road to the heights and when elmer having taken his oath of office secured a two weeks leave of absence from the city council in order to rest after his furious campaign nellie was relieved to be rid of him even for that brief period elmer betook retook himself again to los angeles but nellie did not keep an an eye on oil him this time she knew elmer had had an ample sufficiency of wandering in strange pastures and that the next damsel who sold him a pup would have to be adroit to a degree something Bom ething more than humanly possible upon his return elmer devoted himself assiduously to his duties as mayor tor for three months during which period be sas sa v as much of nellie as possible then having secured a sixty day leave departed on 06 his long deferred trip to muscatine iowa to settle the estate of his late uncle for some mysterious reason nellie was waa very distrait the night before he left in the stuffy parlor of the old tully home they said goodby and elmer eliner was waa amazed to see her go completely ay iy out of control control for the first time in their acquaintance she put her arms around his neck and wept for about five minutes elmer was in vain elmer reminded her that he would wire her frequently long night letters that he would write her dally daily and send his letters by air mall mail that he be would telephone her every saturday night she refused to be comforted and continued to sob oh elmer you poor boyl you good kindhearted kind hearted dent de nt old thing I 1 I 1 want you to to promise whatever happens come back t t to me darling why of course ill come asek to you nellie I 1 why I 1 wont wen ven look at another girl gurll I 1 1 I dont mean that im thinking of something else no matter what and I 1 want you b b back oil oh elmer I 1 want you to come back ajust j j just as a s soon as the estate Is c c closed ho hot I 1 he laughed so the way the cat jumps ell eh youre afraid ill collect ny my roll and start wande wandering youre afraid ill wander so long and so far ill forget you eh eb ilum hum auml urn 1 A tat chance twenty four hours hour after that estate Is definitely closed ill be aboard the rattler rattier beaded home but only on one condition 1 I hn know provided I 1 marry you shortly after you return the program how about it sweetheart well if come back ill marry you elmer never have to ask me again all have to do will be to n n name the day ill wire you the date before I 1 start west word of honor now nellie that tio thing understand nothing can induce you to change your mind word of honor elmer and will you give me your word of honor that come right back to me when the estate Is settled 1 I 1 do and I 1 hope my teeth may drop out it if I 1 do not and not permit anything anything in all the world to make you break your promise id rather bea be a hungry tramp without a place to lay my head bead than break the least of my promises to you she kissed him half a doten times and thrust him gently out of the door which she closed upon him and then ran upstairs to her room to have a real cry thus did they part CHAPTER XIII mr absolom Peakes Mc Me secretary came into his office and handed him the card of 0 mr elmer butterworth clarke employer and employee gazed at each other humorously oh ob what a fall all was there my countrymen I 1 murmured Me Peake its much too bad his secretary declared such a nice looking young man too does he bear a family resemblance to that terrible old uncle of hiat about as much as a hunting watch resembles a grandfathers clock shall I 1 show him in 1 I suppose so lets have it over with A moment later elmer was ushered in Afe Peake greeted him cordially and after a few minutes spent la in UPI I 1 C she refused to be comforted and continued to sob polite amenities elmer ventured to inquire in what condition the estate might be in very excellent shape indeed mr clarke all of the minor bills of the estate have been paid with the exception of current monthly charges the appraisers have completed their task their report has been tiled filed and about nil all that remains to be done Is to pay the federal and state income taxes and inheritance taxes the cost of probate my fee as executor and attorney for the estate the few specific bequests contained in your uncles will and that old mortgage 1 I supposed you had paid the mortgage to avoid interest charges elmer remarked not yet there clent elent money in the estate to pay it strange I 1 I 1 gathered from your first advices advises to me that there was wag quite a sum on bandin hand in cash and also a couple of hundred thousand dollars worth of marketable securities I 1 also understood that tills this mortgage was for a sum of forty thousand dollars that Is the principal sum per haps id better start at the beginning and tell you the story as your uncle told it to me the day lie he made ills his will perhaps that would be better elmer suggested McI leake thereupon permitted the blow to fall for about ten se seconds ands elmer stared at him then a slow amused smile lighted up his face so forty thousand dollars at eight per cent compounded deml annually for forty two years amounts to rill all that ell eh suffering I 1 should have known there was a catch in this will somewhere and he laughed gently im sorry mr clarke but theres no out for us the record speaks for itself your uncles will gives us no alternative and the next of kin to benedict Ca has hag been discovered and has proved her case looked his visitor over humorously 1 I could furnish you with her name and address he suggested then you might hunt her up court her marry her and get the money back into the family rc ira BE CONTINUED |