The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-01-02
dorsement from the letter that had but
one signature to one with two.

dOrsement from the letter that had but
one signature to one with two.
Once more we had matters all right
and the broken place patched up again,
but it behooved us not to do so any
more. But we did
The steamer we purposed to load our
money on and ourselves, too, was the
Chlmborazo, advertised to arrive on
Tuesday and to leave for the river
Plate and the west coast the next day
So it was agreed that on Monday Mac
should go to the bank and arrange to
cash his letters for $50, 900 or $50, 900
and go the next day for the money
Monday came. We expected nerv-
Gus day, not such a paralyzingly nerv-
Gus one as it proved to be. In fact, a
nervous Tuesday followed nervous
Monday. My reader must remember
that we were in the tropics, with a blaz
ing sun looking down Oh us with all in
tensity that made one long for Green,
lands icy mountains to cool us.
We went into the public park for our
Last consultation before our fortune,
Which never came, was to come.
Mac had in the little morocco case in
his pocket two letters, each for ego, 600
Certainly no man in the world but him
self could have carried off such game
played for such high stakes. Handsome
in person, faultless in address, cool in
nerve, a master Of all the languages
spoken in Rio-Portuguese, Spanish,
Italian and French Above all, he had
a boundless confidence in himself. What
an honorable future might have been his
but for his youthful folliesl Truly he
could have achieved wonderful sue
cess in any honorable career Unhappily
for him, he, like thousands of our brain
lest youth, had entered the Primrose
Way. In our youthful fire and thought
lessness we saw only the flowers and
heard the SIRENS songs, but at last the
Primrose Way led us down into gloom
where all the flowers withered and the
gay songs turned into dirges.
Looking at his watch, Mac jumped
up, saying, "It is 1O:45 and time to
be off" So he started for the bank, we
following at some distance, our nerves
all on the stretch. We felt that our lives
and fortunes were trembling in the bal
ance. While watching we saw several
persons enter or leave the bank, and
still our friend delayed his appearance.
To our suspicious minds there ap-
| peared to be strange movements about
the bank that BODIED i'll for us. A thou
sand suspicious born of our fears came
and went through our minds until at
last, unable to endure the suspense, l
entered the bank myself and stood
there, pretending l was waiting for
some one. l sharply scrutinized every
one and everything. Mac was some
where out of sight in the private Offices
The clerks were gossiping together, and
that to me was suspicious Then, to my
alarm, a bank clerk entered from the
street with an eagle eyed man, He
brew evidently, Of about As years of age
Both passed hurriedly into the private
Office, leaving me in all agony of sus-
pense. My only relief at that moment
was the thought that George and my
self had not as yet compromised our
selves, and could, in the event Of Macs
arrest, manage to save him, either by
bribery or a rescue.
Without appearing to do so watched
that dingy, notified door leading into
the private Office until every crack and
seam in it was photographed indelibly
on my brain.
In the trying periods of ones life,
when the heart and soul are on the
rack, how strangely trif1ing details of
the objects about one will be noticed
and remembered. 1t seems some cell of
the brain, quite separate from the cell
of feeling and sensation, works calmly
and steadily on, photographing the ma
terlal OF ones surroundings.
At last, unable to endure the sus-
pense, above all the uncertainty, l
went to the little door, and, opening it,
looked in. To my intense relief saw
Mac sitting there apparently talking un-
concernedly with Braga, the manager,
and the Hebrew. As I had not attracted
attention closed the door, went out in
the street and gave George the prear-
ranged signal that all was we'll. Just
then our partner emerged, but with
telltale face. It was flushed with cha
grin and vexation, and there was gone
from the contour of his body that indie
scribable part that tells, better than
words, Of confidence and victory.
We went by different routes to our
rendezvous, and I will leave it to the
imagination of my readers to picture
our state Of mind as we listened to his
recital of woe-the tale of Priam s Troy
over again.
Mac had been cordially received by
the manager, and had told him he
would require 100000 the next day;
would he please have it ready? The
manager replied that he did not require
any more exchange on London, but
that he would send out for his broker,
who would sell his bills on the ex-
change. He (the manager) would in
dorse the bills of exchange and indorse
the amounts on his letters Of credit. Of
course Mac could only acquiesce, and
Mr.. Braga sent a clerk to his broker,