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thursday may 14 1031 the acton free press qjij if ret irh0 ftljort innj the clumsy thief wilodyne dickinson hack hrank benson young engineer for the mcdonald ooratructlon company luut decided to got down to his office early before iuiyoii else was about a he walked down allendale oxaln street be was glad to be bade home alter his years at college at last be crossed the railroad tracks and reached the skeleton o allendales new warehouse which was to house the quantities of sacked grain which came down the liver on barges there to be transferred to great oceangoing vessels prank looked with pride at the great steel girder which showed his first efforts in the great game of construc tion engineering to which he intended to devote his life when he passed on to his office shade at the upper end of the wharf he was whistling but s lv fltted his key in tlie lock of the rough door and stepped inside tlie sound died on his lips the window opposite was wide open and in the sudden draft from the doorway papers and blueprints on top of his desk fluttered to the floor while a trickle of ink rrum an overturned bottle on the dealt was being absorbed rapidly into tho rough wood floor a dull thud back of him caused xrauk to turu with a start jfo laughed heartily as a cat whom he recognised as ono fed by tho men rubbed against his leg so you re tlie culprit jumping on my desk and turn big over the ink bottle you csmo in through the window lie stopped suddenly but how did tho win dow get open x was careless unough to leave these papers out but im sura x closed that window last night prank put down tho window deciding that ho had forgotten to close it after all and thm sat down at his desk to work on tho drawing which had occupied his spare moments for many montliw it hod been his droiim while still in college to invent collapsible- forms for concrete construction whleh would revolutionize tho building gamo it had been his plan when ho got his position with tho mc donald construction company to prrfect ills idea in time to be of practical value in tho allendale warehouse construction now ha was more oogor titan over to complete it as tho president of tlie com pany was expected in a few days and prank intended to try to induce him to have some forms made to tost them out ills hope wan that his company would become sufficiently interested to give htm financial assistance for ho had worked his way through college and had no fundi to put hu invention on tho market as tho hum wait getting short ho hod worked lute tlu night before and came early thin morning to toko advant age of a fow precious moments before his men arrived ilecauso tliere wait no safe in tho room prank had dipped hta nearly completed drawing under a pllo or blueprints on a slielf ovar ills duik now he raised up the papmttwtthlho one hand and groped for his drawliur with the oth r it was not there with a sudden panic ho grab bed tlo blueprints and hastily sorted them over dump d eerythlng en of vw drawer in his desk flung opn the ictkor door plclid up the paper i which lad fluttered to tin floor and iiu j them over ilia body was hot and cold by turns having thoroughly searched the room he run outside unround tho building to the window which had been open there were footprints in the mud i prank followed them down to tlie waters edge where ho found tho rowbaut which lie and his nut uied whui they had to go under the wharf tied loaojy to thu plies it was bobbing up and down on the waves hushing bick to his office prank grab bed the tel plume to call the constable but suddenly his face turned white and his arm fill us if paralysed at lastr mechanirally he put tho rectlvtif back on tho hook and as with haggard eye tj ho wauhcd some of his man approach ing tie realised gravely that lio noviir expected to see kugeno marldiom his foreman again ho hud met eugene when they were both freshmen at col- lego ho hail been welldressed and debonair in tluiso days but the time hsd como when ho grew shabby and diffident and many tlmts prank luid lielpod hi m with his own hardearned dollars luitcr eugene had found more ways to make money titan ho and had prospered ac cordingly but when their course wai finished lie liod been unable to find work in fact to prank he had ulways seemed to misfit in tho enguiooruur line but he was so willing to do anything that prank had persuaded his own employers to toko his friend on as foreman ihe other boy had seemed to grateful especially when lie had introduced him to his mother and sister sylvia its great to bo in a real homo again eugene had said enthusiastically the family had accepted tho new comer on pranks recommendation with out reservation until ho seemed like one of the family why just tho night be fore lie had dhuier with them ant j- to the offloo to work on his invention he had offered to go with him in fact outside of mrs xleuson and sylvia ho was the only person wlio had been told about the drawing- ho had seen prank put it under the pile or blueprints just before he jeft and lie knew its value ho must have taken ltt prank groaned the dreadful loss staggered him but still he would not call the coustablr- he would give eugene chance to con fess i that la if ho ovor showed up a moment later as if hi answer to hit thought tlie door swung open and a young man toll well built auburn halrcd stepped in ocnol cried prank wltats tlie matter old man see a ghost yes tlie wraith of a- betrayed truit answered prank unsmllingly jry drawings gone eugenu started violently and his face flushed but lie gained his selfcontrol quickly and looked around at the litter of papers looks into youd made a protty tliorough search for it but maybe youvo overlooked it in lall this con fusion 1 11 go over everything again he looked over all ulo papers but tile drawing was not thorn sure you did not take it liomn 1m asked you saw mo icavo it undr tlie blue prints last night answered prank point edly 1 hats right 1 m sorry this hod to happen after tlie way youve worked i eugene told tlie oilier with apparent sympathy if your drawing lsnally gone you could make another one perhaps replied prank i have tlio general idea in mind of course but id have to do all tho calculations over again and it would take so 10112 id bo too late for this job im sorry but possibly you may find it again come out on tlie job when yoti get over tlie shock wlwmever ttwy mt during the day kugt no jiecmed to mako a tremcndoui effort to act natural land at five oclock lie eam to the offloo find tho draw ing ho asked no still think it hui been stolon yes iu not hero and i looked owr the him u ut noon don t want to worry mother and sylvia vbout it but x know its not there beside i found the win dow in the olf ire open this morning will if youre sure itit a thift why kmt you get tlio constable busy nag- geflted fcugene prank brum to think rapidly olinuld ho tell the other lie ku ported him and demand an explanation ho started to spiak but tlie words died on his lips for a picture of eugene uliabby and diffident as ho hail appeared ut collige suddenly nayhiml aerarji hk mind it wop pranks confidence in iim which had pulled hint up and now if he thought his friend nuipeeted him lie might back slide again no prank decided to let tlie matter rest ill wait awhile yet before x start anything he answered whoevir took tho drawing may return it anyway ill give them a chance maybe youre right to let tho thing nlldo a day or w 1taiik was to preoccupied that evening tint sylvia noticed com 0 thing wu t wrong worried about tho patent rhe arked her brother jumped thm caught hlm- iulf ho did not wbh to worry i1l1 mother and sister but erpcclally ho did not want to tell them the suiplclon that was haunting him without furtln r evidence ye 1 rather lie anuwend with assum ed indifference doing bark to work on it to night no 1 huts jolly enthused sylvia genu coming over to practice some new eongi and wo need your tenor at the end of the evening prnnk wan more puudod than over for ho had to admit that fugeno did not act like friend who hod betrayed u trust hit laugh wa1 m ipoutuiuoiui his merriment sincere and i1l1 eyen stralghtforuurd still tho young tnghu er uwake the next morning with tho uncanny feeling that something was about to happen and ms he hurried down to his office nothing looked natural he laughtd aloud at his own chlldl dim ui an he unlorked the door everything wu juit as he had lot it mr hays the president of the mc donald construction company was ex pected the ntxt day and prank hod docldtd to try to mako a rough sketch to preient his idea to him ho opened hu drawir to git out his cao of drawing instruments it was gone i why dlj x leave them here too ho gasped prank went to the door and sent one of tho mm for eugene como in and fchut tho door lio ordered wlii tho lattir appoarid yesterday my drawing was gone now i find my drawing in struments have been token 1 11 have to cull the constable eugmo started violently and pulled hiuuulf togithrr with an crforl tliuts right anything x can do ho asked no just tlinught id tell you replied prank as he reached for hit telephone llio constables oplnou was tliat prob- alily some one within pranks gang had committed tlie theft kveryono muit bo watched he would give tho matter his closest attention prank was so busy that it was lato afternoon before ho haduon opportunity ones ill set them the young fellow grinned broadly a few rdimites later he laid black leather case before prank and proudly opened the cover see you take new ones he smiled prank turned sharply to the young fellow where did you get this lin demanded mr oeno ho sell he say ho need money he sell for twentyfive dollar when did lui nell them to you this afternoon x give him my board money you like me have so good set prank unceremoniously dismissed mendona and started to look for tho foreman as eugene was not on the job prank hurried toward his boardirur house but as ho passed his own homo his sister ran out to meet him there s no use going on up to ocne she told him ho telephoned a little while ago and said ha d been colled out of town ho was going to take me to a muslcolo tonight you know prank grasped her by both arms what do you moan denes been called out of iowir7 what right has he to leavo town what reason did ho give he said something rattier indefinite about his father x asked if he had had bad news and he said no just 4 busl- iioku proposition i dklu t quiutlon him bocause i supposed you d know about it explained sylvia don t look as it the world luul corne to on end surely you ran get along wltliout him for a few days a few daysl prank laughed harsh ly he led his slater up to the porch where his mother was itfttlng sylvia and his mother would have to know tho truth when he had told them what had happened his mother was dewyoyed i m proud of you son she said what a rri nd you vo been exclaimed sylvia but llio hiviiitlonl oh prank i m so horry mr hays arrived arly tlie next morn ing to go over every detail of tlie allen dale wanhotiso work as well as lay out plan for the company s next job prank was dreadfully handicapped as ho had to handle tlui mm in eugenes place as well as spend many hours in conference with tho prtsidont concluded on pago six red rose it a n good tjuu axuoxct feehn6rfcalw0wttw to tllnk again of his problem ho had when prank had said ho was going bwfte f night left xosslbly lie could make a drawing to present to mr hays if ho only had instruments when lie could not find eugene to ask him for his he sent for n young foreigner whom he had been coaching in mathematics and ele mentary drawing intend to use your drawing intttru- motits tonight mendotta ho asked i haven t mine here nd id like to do soma work sure you can have them x got new an owoiiruniry io iioidiks ol 1akiy maituking canadian government bonds io ixilnd till iium ov iiiiir invks1mkn1 in the premier security in canada government of the dominion of canada 1931 conversion loan the mtutster oj finance oj the dominion oj canada ojjers to holders oj the undcrnoted qomsmoh issues the privilege oj exchanging their bonds into longer dated times in the following terms and under the following conditions tlha offer affords to holdem of boiuln eligible for conversion of mid us contained in the present bonds and the opportunity t me interest payment ami taxfree privileges for tho life jj of extendlnit the term of the investment at vj per umium the ttak loan 5 bonds maturing isj qct0- hick 1931 holders of these bonds have the privilege of exchanging into bonds maturing 1st november 1956 bearing interest from 1st april 1931 the first coupon will be for six months iajcrjree interest at tlie rale of 5 per annum pay- able 1st october 1931 the second coupon will be for seven months interest at tlie rate of 4k per annum payable 1st may 1932 thereafter to maturity intcrcstfwill be payable halfyearly at 4 k per annum renewal loan s4 bonds maturing 1st november 1932 holders of these bonds have the privilege of exchanging into bonds ma turing iscnovcmber 1957 bearing 4y4 interest payable halfyearly from 1st may 1931 there will also be attached to these bonds three adjustmentcoupons payable respectively on 1st november 1931 and 1st may and november 1932 for additional interest at the rate of 1 per annum victory loan yi bonds maturing 1st november 1933 holders of these bonds have the privilege of exchanging into bonds maturing 1st november 1958 bearing 44 interest payable halfyearly from 1st may 1931j the first five interest coupons being those to and including 1st november 1933 will be taxfree there will also be attached to these bonds five taxjree adjustmentcoupons payable respectively 011 lit november 1931 and 1st may and novem ber 1932 and 1933 for additional interest at the rate of 1 per annum victory loan 5 k bonds maturing jtx november j934 holder of these bondshavo the privilege of exchanging into bonds maturing 1st november 1959 bearing il interest pay able halfyearly from 1 st may 193 1 there will also he attached to these tvonds seven adjustmentcou pons payable respectively on 1st november 1931 and 1st may and november 1932 1933 and 1934 for additional interest at the rate of lperannumj conversion applications in the terms oj the joregaing are muted to a total oj 250000000 the minister of finance resert es however the right to increase or decrease this amount at his discretion subscriptions will be received and receipts issued by any branch in canada oj any chartered bank and by recognized canadian bond dealers and stock brokers jrom tihom may be obtained application jorms and copies oj the official prospectus containing complete details oj the loan appli tations will not bh valid on jorms other than those printed by the kings printer the subscription lists to the joregomg will open on 11th may 1931 and will close on or bejor 23rd may jfojj at the discretion oj the minister oj finance v dhahtmfnt oil flnanck ollawu llliimy 1931 nocfculs