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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1931)
I'M K IIJ.UHTKATK1) KK ATI IKK HKCTtON Kebruary 28. »8SI SATAN’S HENCHMAN By A R T NAYLOR W idely-Know n %uth»r A Fust Stepping, R o m a n tic Sto ry Depicting the Operations of an Unscrupulous Crook T h e o d o r e A sh to n Receives A M ysteriou s Message ISS I tl.LM EN T I * T h e o d o r » * A n il t u li, t u l i . b r o a d n h o u lili*r»-»l a n d h a n d - q u i t e a reputation lor his lav- B ack ln his own office. T heo was s o n i c i y b r o n z i- , e n t e n d tin - » o z y »lining r o o m o f Inn s m a l l i * «ffieM iiu re* and apparent w aiitii urprised to nnd Mn K tn n Oliver, b u l e le g a n t a p a r tm e n t. I I m r lo th e a w e re im m a c u la te a n d the office » u h a co m p an ion ., th r presiden t', pretty young wile. III.-, „ t r u ll- u n d b e a r i n g Wi r e th o n ,- o f t h e t r a i n e d a t h l e t e a n d “nd w" '»»m rdlaiely «rained an m - who was only twenty-five and Just tervii-w with President Oliver. a few year., older than C larice. Oliv- n o l d i e r , w h i c h a t t r i b u t e * l i a i t tarried h im a l o n g t o t h e p o p u One by one the official* of til • com er'» petted daughter by 111* first wife, larity in- limi long a ime e n j o y ed nini tin ■ n i m e n i a I n u t t i tiafiy were called Into the president'-- It had been rumored th a t Oliver had In- Mu* daily winning. < nice, and T heo was finally su m m o n -{ seU-cled his second wife from the W ith til* appeiintm 'r a comely, ed W ith more than his usu.1 cour- stage in New Volk, keep your eyes upri), to. ytnj will middle i(trt) woman m n-e train her te.y , President Oliver Introduced Mr j "H ello B ig Boy How is the big m m ii id<' * d a i l y * 1 , rven a i X. *»-.»( at the snowy table and received Bolton and hts associate, Eduard moment today?" Ethel greeted cross- A Krtfiul the hearty em brace of her hand «omt• i TVrry, Ing her legs In a m anner to expos* MU with open arm * My ami," g iret* "It U a very plain tact that "O enU em en," said the president, their shapeliness. rd (lie Widowed in th rr, ’’you look w> »oum n wrote Uli* T I » ) , and I I m here la one of the pillars of the How do you do. Mrs. O liver." Theo company, and 1 am glad lo introduce returned respectfully. well ih l* m ornm c And yet. I f**el rather Inclined to place some ere IhtU you are working too hard llei * _ i ! «• i| lo i f t d ) a m o th ers woralllp, and *Jir leveled in the love lw bestowed up*'ll her "W hy, mother. I never felt mi IU hi alt my life and never mi happy 1 h iv e .v» m uch to be thankful (or I've got the dearest little m ollier in uIt the world, and I'm winning the MircrMt urce*«*ry for her «omfort. You deneive every luxury, and you're going to have it. loo," "Hut. H im «he was known t> ev- rrvuiie a* Theo», I d on't want luxury I hav* you. and your welfare 1» all 1 rare for I fear you will b reik u n der the .strain, and now that you are cn . aged to C-larlc*. you v* III of course work harder than ever. I want you to |>e happy, but somehow, son -I don't believe you love her as you «m ild like to " T h e ronvet.sation w*u* interru p t'd by tile entry of the m ud. bearing the brrikfaM . and both took their se a l* at the table lly T h r o * plate was In* uiornint m ail, consisting of several letter» He o|*em I them f w - nally, one by one as tlie ch at wun resumed "Y ou must not allow yoursell to I kh iiiiii ' upset a* you do, m other d p*r." replied llio o " I think C U rlr? was surprised »III make » Rood wife, ovcil tlinURll ^ * * * * * T‘ she »piieai-» to be wi-ll, a little forward Hut tim e, luive rlm ngcd. dear, since ymi were a girl. Howrver. juni unlit not be Jeatou*. lor I w -l never leave you a ton e.' Theo laugh ed R-vvt naturedly. "B u t I am not y w k w , H ie « I doll t blame her fa r wanting my handsome w n B ut ahe it ao haughty You are. dear, you are ur casti 1er Mr 'lliro d o rr and beautiful, and her fath er la rich tlie cashier of a rapidly growing In- Mr. Ashton. Mr Motion is desirous of Htie la shrrwd and wilful, and 1 am alliance nanim ny and engaged to live mbserlbing for two policies for twen- aure Tti»>, It was »he who asked you preaidenfa daughter TTverr might - ly-ftve thousand dollars each, one W ta m arry her.“ | be those who would like to see you him self and live other for hta ward 'flm odore hung bis I lead before he ’ ,„it of live way " 11 wish you would pleaae rush these answered and a shadow of ckaibt 1 "T h e r e * nothing lo It, motlier. j applications through, and Theo. e h - crossed h u face "Y e s mother — »he [ > e | trt d ial worry you. I ’m big you might dispense with some of the did. bui — well." he stammered 'an d hunky enough to take care of my 'reg u lar form alities In this Instance Ta*, am . I understand, and will | self," T heo consoled lier. "B u t I Mr Bolton is very likely to oecom r betseve th at It will all work out (or m ust ra n along tow. for we expect ! a stockholder In the company.'* the best." Mrs Ashton cheered a big day at the ofnoe. I l l can you i t was with a feeling of misgiving As Hw-o picked up the last letter and be Imme for dinner at the usual th at U reo acknowledged the tntro- and read It. a frown cruaard his fore W ith a care.** lw left lier, due lions and withdrew to prepare head and hia m other's eyes wees A short time later. Tlieodore Adi the application* Bolton, a targe, quirk to iWTreive his troubled e x ton entered the stalely butiding of dark, flashily dressed man. was |»a- pression "Now. what la It, T im o?” tiw Nngroltan Insurance Company sessed of a countenance that was at Pride swelled within him as lie re- | first baffling HU m anner waa suave T heo tried to laugh It off, but there turned the greetings of Hie office and ingratiating Hts companion, force, and entered Ills private office was wane strange faro* In the few bark of his aaatatant's cage. f o r Kdward T erry , was a small, neatly wiN-ds he read which would not be muoli credit was due Tlieodore Ash dressed Individual, with constantly repelled. " It's an anonymous letter ton's kern business sense and Inde shifting eyes and of an obviously n e r — but It doesn't m ean anything." fatigable effort* In behalf of the oom vous tem peram ent ha rem arked, aa ha reluctantly pas sed pauy. T heo'» mind unoonarimisly drifted ‘ * liar the missive and listened as she I t proved a busy day from the start back to the anonymous letter he had road for Theo. f i l e week's collections received th at morning, and hts nioUi- Mr. TluvidoiW Ashton, were coming in .Several daat h claim s j er'a fears, but lie quickly repressed were to be acted upon, and salaries tlie uneasy feeling th at persisted in Chicago, Illinois and commiaakuis paid, which claim - spite o f him self. T h e request for Dear S ir : ed moat of H ieo 's supervision At fifty lliouaand of insurance was un T h ere are sinister Influences at two o'clock, J . f r a u d s Holton, a new- usual, as was President d iv e r 's over- work, and It will behoove you to be very alert Hay nothing. It com er tn the city, wlm had rapidly I anxious attitude. “H o w is th e B ig M o m e n t T o d a y ?” . EUGENE GORDON Th« Clever Kaaaywt mh < 1 Contributvr to the American Mercury, the Nation, and Other Widely Oireidnted Periodicals " I do wt&li. H u » , ttial I ch ild be juat plain KUiel to you I don't see why we can 't be very — well, close trten d s" j “I consider th at we are Inends. ( Mrs. Oliver, and certainly you are due all the respect poaatb!e as my good em ployer* wife and stepmother to my Aancee '' "O h. yeah? Well. If — you marry C larice — I'U never be a m other to you. B ut you ought to know th at C larice is very changeable You de serve axn ron e wlio would really love you — even though It was without, b en efit of clergy. I l l run along iow . I had hoped to see my daddy, but lie's busy. However, I have seen you — which is juat as good. T hin k It over. Big B o y !" H ieodore Ashton stood astounded aa he watched Mrs. O liver vanish around th e glass partitions Aa a constant visitor at the Oliver resi dence, he had been thrown a great deal in Mrs. Oliver's company, but tlteir friendship had always been merely consistent w i'h social con ventions. Now she had ca st udde all reserve and H ieo was disgusted as he watched Mrs Oliver vanish suggestions C o n tr ib u te s - T h e young cash ier dropped into h i* desk ch air and m echanically pre pared the applications for th e r e . quested Bolton policies. Before he had completed the task, Harry B ru ce, T h e o i friend and tlie head book keeper. slipped into th e office and quietly closed th e door behind him . His face bore signs of agitation and when lie spoke. It was In a low guarded voice "Theo, In going over th e books I find a discrepancy creeping out. and I thought you'd better kpow about it. You realize the S ta te Exam iners are due here any tim e now, and th is shortage begins to look serio u s" T heo galvanized into action at once. His dark eyes glowed w ith surprise and concern a t th is revela tion ''H arry! You must be terribly m istaken in some way Su ch a thing U Impossible T lie last audit showed the records to be In A -l condition, and a deficiency is impossible I have wstched the records too clos-ly for th at '• "N evertheless, old m an. it U c e r tainly true. I nave not been deep enough luto the accounts os yet ia discover the e xa ct am ount, or the cause or m ethod applied to produco tt. But ce rta in and sure, Theo. there is som ething wrong, and seriously so," Harry Insisted T heo was dumbfounded. For an Instant his overworked brain seem 4 to cease Its operation. “Harry, put all your time and atten tio n on ih ls thing, and don't leave any stone in - turned In your endeavor to uncov r the facts. Hire a special auditor .f necessary, and spare no one. If there Is anything wrong, we must know it a* once and De the guilty p a r ty. Oet busy Alone again, it seemed that fa te was slowly shaping a course ui accordance with the warning of the anonymous letter. Throughout tlie development and progress of the Negrolian L ife Insurance Company. Theo's one great care had been a scrupulous supervis ion over the fin ancial records And In this lie had always been uph ld and (trailed bv President Oliver W hen tlie policy applications had been returned to Theo. with the ap proval of tlie actuary’, he took them back lo Oliver's office, where lie found the three men engaged In rather Ju bi lant conversation "M r B olto n ," T h e« Interrupted, here are the approved applications, embodying all th e requirem ents as well as the policy guarantees If you will have the documents properly attested by your ward and yourseli. we will immediately make surli in vestigation as the law requires "B u t. Mr Ashton, you rem em ber l intim ated th a t I wanted special a t tention paid hi these policies, and if you will leave the m atter in my hands. I will look a fte r It. I ’U turn over the check for the premium to you J uj * as soon as I decide upon Tie validity of th e appttoalhais. the president requested in s firm voice Vary weM. air," answered Theo. ' still I believe. Mi Oliver, th at these wppik-atHvtvs should receive the same carefu l scrutiny th a t all o th e r, do. and an even more rigid tnem tigaiioii withered to in this case.“ "Young m an, I wish you to under- stM d th at I am doing business with Mr Oliver, and not with a snipe like you I am worth enough to buy and aril several like companies, and I don't stand for Insults from under dogs like you," Bolton Interrupted caustically , At this period T heo noticed th a t C larice OMver had entered the room, and had evidently heard much of tlie conversation Sh e approached her fa th er and smiled a t T heo, foregoing her usual greeting to her fiancee T h e n Bolton resumed Ills speech, C s a d nwed at Pag. "aar "Th«‘ Thirteen M om ! (àìft<‘<{ Negroes in the United States' in an early iaeue of 1 Kci Illustrated Feature Section