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i'"i ' i iiO"TT ,e s- K PURE GOLD By Walter Joseph Delaney (Copyright, 1915, W. G. Chapman) "Some money, eh? cheerfully in sinuated the cashier of4he Mound Valley bank, 'way out in Montana, where there is more live stock than cash. "It's a comfortable nest egg, yes," replied the bronzed, bright-eyed young man to whom the bank official had just handed a thousand dollars in currency and a draft on an eastern financial institution for nineteen thousand dollars. "I've worked hard for it on the ranches, sold out luckily and I'm bound for home feeling like a schoolboy on a vacation." "Going back home?" "Fast as I can. You see, it's four years since I left Hopeton, a little town in Southwestern Illinois." "Folks expecting to see you, I suppose-?" suggested the chatty bank man. "N-no," and the animated face of the speaker shadowed somewhat. "You see, I was brought up in Hope ton, an orphan. I left there deter mined to make a start in hfe, go back and feel a pride in showing my old friends that I had made a man of myself. I suppose most of them have forgotten. There may be one " "Your girl, I bet!" joked the cash ier. "I wish she was!" declared Austin Morse, expansively "but, no, I can't hope that. I knew her, liked her and we were friends, and between you and I it was half on her account I left Hopeton, although I never told her so. She was poor and so was I. My big dream was to seek outside better opportunities for getting ahead and then go back with a fortune." "But she's waiting for you!" en couraged the breezy bank man. "How I hope it!" voiced Morse, longingly. "See that?" and he lifted his watch from his pocket Attached to its fob was a locket, common enough, but to its center there was soldered a tiny lump of virgin gold. "My first luck out here was finding that bit of metal and a lot more like it." narrated Morse. "I've worn it for over three years on that locket and inside say, Morse interrupted Dim self as his auditor smiled sliehtly, "do you wonder I sometimes dream of the girl I did it all for look!" He opened the locket A fair face showed sweet, innocent, captivat ing, I don't wonder," voiced the bank: - 'mffi "I've Worn it for Over Three Years on That Locket" man sincerely. "Good luck, old man! You certainly deserve it," and he slapped Morse on the shoulder as was the hearty, far western way. So Austin Morse started forth on his journey as might some devotee to a cherished shrine. Mostly his thoughts were of Helen Warren. He recalled former conversations, her i smiles, the glances of her eyes. Then iMMM.