Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-04-03
A i DIAMOND.

"Oh, Miss Elsie, Miss Elsie, the banl
has been robbed Twenty Thousand
pounds gone, missile! and poor master
away! Oh, dear! oh, dear!'
A step behind her and a low voice
spoke her name. She knew it at once
1t was her good for nothing brothers..
"Why are you here again, Harold?'
she cried, when he was standing there
in front of her. When I gave you tina,
last money you promised to stay away
altogether, and try and get something
to do. Yet here you are onoe more, ant
this time I cannot help you. Why, why
do you come? Uncle John would be flu
rious at finding you here"
"But he is away, Elsie" the young
man answered breathlesslX "Girlie
you must help me, just this once
promise solemnly never to worry you
again"
"You have promised solemnly before,
Harold" his sister said bitterly. 81
cannot help you, say. We are all ruin.
ed. The bank has been robbed"
The startled look on his white face
caused her to cease speaking.
"Is it true, Elsie?' be asked hoarsely
"Has the bank really been robbed?"
She told him what she knew, he lis.
tening impatiently.
II must have money, girliel' he
burst out. II must have It'll l must ge,
away from here tonight, and l don,
possess a single farthing! Quick, dear
Uncle left you some for housekeeping.
That will have to do"
II don e possess a single farthing, eli
ther, she persisted. "What is the mat
ter, Harold? Why is 1t so terribly nee
essary for you to leave Blackmore TO.
night?"
Their eyes met-hers clear, straight.
forward, honest; his weak and nervous.
"Uncle will he coming back to see
about the bank, Elsie" he muttered
queerly. she must not find me here.
No, it would only add to the bitter
ness Of his return. But what could she
do?
~ have itr' the desperate brother
suddenly exclaimed. "Elsie, this news
about the bank robbery is still exclusive.
The editor of the Blackmore Times
would give you any sur for it, He is
enterprising and always ready for some
thing startling at first hand. This is
our only chance, DEAR"
But Elsie would not see it in that
light for a long, long time. 1t was not
until her brother had fully enlarged Oh
the grim necessity Of the case, not I'M
til he had forced her to plainly under
stand the consequences if he did not
have money at once, that she finally
consented to 60 to the editor of the
Blackmore Times.
Harold Maitland had a smart, Gun
ming tongue. On this occasion he had
indeed used it we'll. As he prophesied,
the editor literally grabbed at the
"oopy," especially after he had fairly
convinced himself that his would be
the first paper to publish the startling
news on the morrow. Elsie went weari-
ly home with the much needed money
in her pocket. Harold was waiting in
hiding for her and pounced down eager
~ on the gold.
An hour after his departure their un-
cle's manager came to the house and
asked to see Elsie. When he was adj
mitted into her presence, he noticed
with a sharp pang how wan and desc
late her little face had grown.
Poor child! Such things at these
were hard for her to have to bear. How
he wished that he could save her all
care and annoyance in the future! For
with the whole Of his stout, loyal heart
he loved her.
He showed her a telegram which he
had received from her uncle.
Returning at once, - it said. keep
news Of robbery out Of the papers at
any price till I SEE you"
Elsie read the words, or, rather, they
chased each other before her dizzy,
aching eyes. She suddenly tottered for
ward and fell in a dead faint.
Next morning huge posters appeared
from the offices Of the Blackmore Times,
making public the robbery. Newsboys
shouted it frantically from n street to
another. Soon a big crowd had gathered
outside the bank, %clamoring loudly for
the doors to be opened.
They wanted their money back, their
hard won earnings, and they meant to
get it. That exclusive news sold by
Elsie Maitland on the previous evening
to the editor Of the Blackmore Times
had caused an appalling run on her un-
cle's bank.
The doors were opened at last. The
crowd surged In, presenting checks to
the full amount they had deposited in
the bank. They looked astonished when
the gold came I've the counter in their
direction. Clearly they had expected to
be turned away penniless. They thanked
their stars for being the first. The bank
could not 80 on paying out for long, Of
that they felt sure.
At noon Elsie and her uncle drove up
to the front entrance In an open car
riage. He had insisted on her accom-
panying him, despite the fact that she
looked wretchedly pale and i'll.
All the way along they had seen those
hideous posters announcing the robbery.
"How did they get the news?'' John
Rivers kept repeating. "Elsie, child,
how did they get the news? It is a mys-
terry to me. Il. only it could have been
Notice for Publication.