Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-02
CHAPTER I.
TROUBLE AT THE BANK.

tle sun with it's golden mouth seemed to
blow blue bubbles of grapes down q vine
yard row, Beyond that the river showed
dashing, rollicking thread OF silver, and
like rare Jewels in settings OF emerald
and amber, the neat white cottages on the
fats, the finer mansions on the hill stood
out fair and pure, like tokens Of wealth
and comfort and prosperity.
Prominent above them all, the most
pretcntious structure on the one business
thoroughfare of the thriving village, its
grim, unbroken front Of stone telling OF
solidity, it's iron barred doors betokening
the pride of security and strength, its
massive plate-glass windows shining
clear and untarnished as its own fair
record of nearly a decades standing
there loomed up Qrandly the Bank.
What st. Peter was to Rome the Alb
hey to London, the Stock Exchange 30
the city, the Bank had become to Ridge
field. A monument of daring financial
zeal, the hobby of it's builder, the pride
OF his clientage, 1t held within its mas
sive vaults the life-blood Of the people,
its great iron key controlled the destiny,
the happiness of the whole community
the Bank was the local temple of integ-
ritY, commercial enterprise and safety,
its owner. Abel Merwyn, a god of pro-
bity and honor, whose word was law!
All the town seemed astir, this beau
tful October morning. There appeared
to be some unusual attraction in the
open air, for stOrekecperS lOunged in
their doOrways, farmers left their loaded
wagons in the market square to gather
about the street corners conversing in
low tones, and even the children sus-
pended play and watched these unusual
indications of something approaching,
much as they would the preparations for
a circus parade.
Yes, something, truly, was in the air
rumor. Dark, uncertain with the past
eventidc. the night had ripened it to
gossip. Tittle-tattle!-th women
leaning over boundary fences discussed
it with bobbering sun bonnets near to-
gether Suspicion was rife at tho break
fast hour, and now, in the faces of
motley crowd gathered on the principal
throughfare, there were lowering looks,
while half-muttered CALCULATIONS Of rest
less anxiety, sometimes anger, told that
they were there for u purpose, and every
eye seemed conferred on the bank.
More grim, unsympathetic and for
bidding than even, the sOmbre pile OF
masonry, severely plain, frowned down
upon passerS-by, this rare October morn
ing Stauncher than ever, the great
iron doors, the barred windows seemed
to hold safe and hidden, the secret white
faced men longed to tear from it's strong
iron heart. They passed it slowly, to
and fro, sometimes encirclng the square
to view the house OF Abel Merwyn which,
backing to the bank building, and con-
nected with it by Il covered passage way,
frontcd on the next street But here,
too, every blind was closed. Lifeless as
the bank, there was no more token OF
the presence of the great village banker
in the domestic circle, than at his post
of duty.
What had happened? This Thirty
minutes before the bank had closed the
previous afternoon, the smart, dapper
clerk of mill employing 200 men, ran
jauntlY up the steps of the bank with
check to meet the demands of pay day.
Five minutes later, he had stumbled
down them like person recovering
from a vivid shock.
In ten minutes his story was told
Merwyn'S had refused payment-Mer-
wyne's, insolvent or crippled, had
shown empty Golfers to meet large de-
mand! For the first time in ten years,
the bank had failed to honor valid
check
Failure, ruin, disaster! The words
ran like wildlire. Merwyn's was shaky-
Merwvn's was totterng-the bank had
stopped payment! Like the scurrying
denizcns of an ant hill, from store, mill
and tavern, came pouring forth start
led, excited throng, men looked one an
other aslance, repeated the palpitating
intelligence, and started straightway for
the bank.
One man wedged in just as the great
hninU n
was Il small dopositor, and was promptly
paid. An eXcitabe farmer, his bank,
book brandished wildly, threw himself
against the portals as they changed shut.
NY money!" he raved madly, "mv
hard-carned savings Merwyn, you thief!
you robber! my money, or I'll tear your
house down over your headn'
The unreasoning depostor was sud-
denly silenced. The door had opened
abruptly. A tall athletic form slipped
through the portals, and confronted the
Quivering mob resolutely.
Gentlemen" he said calmly, ''it is
past banking hours At 10 tomorrow
morning, those who are anxious to heed
the idle rumor of some modelling mis-
creant that the bank is unsafe, will be
paid in full"
Then Arnold Dacre, cashier, factotum
to the banker, active man in charge
passed through the crowd, leaving its
members spell-hound between hope and
suspicion.
And it was 10 o'clock now! A night
of anxiety had passed, amorning opulent
with promise had dawned. Would
Arnold Dacre redeem his pledge?
Half-a-hundred men were gathered on
the pavement opposite the building, half
a-hundred more lined the iron fence that
protected the BANK area, 1t had been a
strangely moody throng all the morning
1t was marvelouSly silent one now, as
from the Town Hall, there doomed forth
ten solemn, palpitating strokes of the
bell.
The hour had arrived, but not the
man. Every eye fixed upon the massive
iron doors, the click of catch, the