The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-09-03
on the table draft from their branch
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| Oh UHe UuDle ~ uIdlOlfOlH UuelT DrauCn
banking house in California.
81 want the money for that draft .
he said, simply.
The cashier took up the paper, ex.
amined it closely, turned it on it's
back and saw that it was Endorsed
in rough but Muscular hand, with
the name "Allen Brayton." Then he
spoke a few words to a clerk at a
desk near by. Books were opened, a
name noted, and Call right, sir" was
returned by the examiner.
YES" said the cashier, eve have
had advices from our house in San
Francisco. Your draft is quite cor
rect, sir; and now all that is neces-
sary is for some one to identify you"
A look of dull mystifcation came
into the mans face, and in slow,
vague voice, he repeated, "I-den-ti-fy?
l don't know what you mean." -.
II mean that some one whom we
know, and you know, must declare
that this is your name on the back
of this draft, aud that you are the
person who wrote it, ...-...
"Sir'-the grand form dilated, and
the blue eyes blazed-"Sir, what do
you take me fora thief?' ,...
ooh, no; you don't understand"
"Sir, | tell you Pm a squar man.
Five years ago went to the mines
to make sumthin' if / could, I mos
eyed round till found a pocket. 1t
did not span out very rich; but I
worked and saved till I got enough
to keep the wife and chicks decent;
and then I tell you Twas glad enough
to get out of that murderin' crowd;
AMI had to dig out very quiet. too,
just as if I had perticler bizness
round the corner. I took my pile
to your men in Frisco, who gave
me that paper. which they said was
as good as the money when I show
ed it to you. Now all I want you to
do is to give me my money"
"But just listen," said the cashier
earnestly. eve must take the pre-
caution to have you identified, for
your sake as we'll as for ours. See,
now, great many merchants come
here to buy goods to sell at the
mines; don't you think that if you
look around a little you might find
some one who had seen you there,
and who would step IN and say SOP"
"Look here. Mister" answered the
miner, with hazy, wistful smile, and
pathetic shake of the head, 81 came
into this town last night. I looked
round for some face I had seen be-
fore, for | felt lonesome. I hadn't a
friend. Why, felt so bad. I'd a been
glad to meet some of those old coons
who used to tell us blood and thun-
der stories in Alligator Gulch, tho
knew they were lies every one O. them.
And coming here this morning. I
looked at every man met, but they
were all strangers; amt a man in the
hull place that would cotton to me
worth cent. Now, you just look-a-
here, he continued, coaxingly, "don't
you go to bein' a contrary, panned-
out, old settler, but just let me have
my dust. My wife and my two little
kids are waiting for me. They don't
want no Identifying of me; they new
er hearn of sich thing. I amt got
to be Withered old man of daddy
in these five year. Pm just the same
as were; so now, just you give me
that money, an let me drift along"
Glow am I to make you under
stand?' said the perplexed cashier.
"See here, my friend, we'll lsuppose
case. Suppose awayin those mining
regions, where a mans life is hard
~ worth a snap of the fingers,
some drunken, quarrelsome wretch
had killed you, and, assuming
your name with your money, he had
got the draft from our house in San
francisco and came here to have it
cashed. Suppose we believed him
and cashed the draft. Afterward it
is discovered that you have been
murdered, and the wretch who killed
you has disappeared with your
money. Your poor wife and children,
to whom it would rightly belong,
are in great want, and the reason
she lost it is that we neglected to
make sure that it was really her hus
band and their father who had come
with the draft. Don't you see that
for your sake and their sakes we
must know that you are the man
you represent yourself to be?''
At this point the good cashier
laid one hand kindly on the miners
arm, and rested the other on his
shoulder, the more strongly to i'm
press his words.
"But, in the name of the great
Casar,' said the discouraged miner,
chow am l ever to git home? Look
a-here, stranger, I've given you a
statement of all-wool facts about
myself. I'm Allan Brayton! I'm no
murderer! Why, my young ones'd
know me in minute. They'd come
runnin' and singin' up to me so sweet
and clipper that the birds would
stop and listen; blamed if they
Wouldn't!'' and a choke came in his
voice; "and my wife, I tell you''-
and the choke deepened into q drv
sob my wife if she seed me a hun
dred yards off, why, she'd fly down
ia me light as snowflake on an oak
Dough. Dash! you mought knock
me down with a straw. If I can't cit
home, l mought as we'll slam my p1iis-
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