The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-24
WHEN THE RAG ROW" CLOSED
BY D. H. TALMADGE.
Copyright 1901. by Authors syndicate.>

one another A child, carrying a tin
pau, appeared and stood waiting I'M
I'll Duggles arose and made way for
her to enter the saloon.
mere was only two men in the
party, he went on, land one of 'em
was old Drimmer chief squirt of the
Rag Row Bank, and the other was
BoWd, the cashier / come within an
inch of breakin right in on EN- My
hand was on the doorknob, and"
Cut the trimmin's," the girl inter-
hear?"
His reply caused her to start. Coin
to close-Friday-the Rag Row Bank
aw, say, now!"
TITS straight, I'll tell you. They went
over the whole thing, figures and ALL
There's a shortage of 10000 plunkers
and some cents on the bank books, and
they're goin' to sneak with what they
can get their claws on before the thing
comes out. They don't want to do it,
Old Drummer sniveled like a kid, but
Bowd didn't; he cussed 'em both for
speculatin' with other peoples spuds;
said they might as we'll make a clean
job of it now. AS near as he could tell
there was $4,000 apiece for 'em, all
cash"
"Well?" said the girl, after an inter-
val
well, it's up to me to do somethin'.
This is Tuesday. What'll do?"
81 don't know. Dad keeps his money
in that bank
Yes, and the Multons do and the
Tolands and the Ruggleses and all our
folks; but they'll pay nothin' to the
one that saves the stuff for 'em-not
pistareen. There's the maxim in it,
Molly, of a nice little front room with
plae glass fixtures and nice little
back room with easy chairs and a vel
vet sofa. All I've got to do is to ask
for $1,000 and I'll get it,
ASK who?"
'Old Drummer
He'd laugh at you; he'd say no one
would believe you"
He wouldn't laugh when I worked
the shortage gag on him; that's where
I'd have him dead to rights. l know
a newspaper guy that'll give me hun
bred in cold cash. and maybe more,
for the steer the minute the things
proved; and he'll see that it's proved
devlish quick, too, and won't ask
unpleasant questions"
They were silent for a time. A cab
ratified over the cobbles, and frag
ments of THE Wearing of the Green"
played on an accordion, waited from
nearby alley.
Bill" The girl first spoke.
''Yes?"
'Twouldn't be honest; 'twouldn't
be square"
Maybe not, me girl. You think I'd
better put the coppers on, and let the
chance go?"
She did not reply at once. Softly
he stroked her hair, waiting. Five min
utes passed. Ten minutes. A quar-
ter-hour. Then, very slowly:
Yes, Bill, you'd better let the
chance go. We'd never feel just right
about it. Let it 60"
Duggles hestated. His forehead was
wet with sweat. and he ground his
teeth The hand in which he held that
of the girl contracted with such vigor
that she gave utterance to an exclama-
ton of pain. But the tone of his voice
was cheerful.
''All right, Molly"
Impulsively the girl put her arms
about his neck. IN marry you, Bill,
any time you say" she whispered.
You're awful good"
He gasped You said you wouldn't
till I was fixed to buy a place. You
amt gufin me, are you, Molly?"
Nit" she replied. i've changed
my mind. I'd rather have you poor
but honest than to have you rich with
the spuds stole from our own people
by swell thieves. Our people trusted
EN-, Bill. and they've proved false. I'm
surprised that you'd think Of takin'
the"
Il didn't want the stuff. Molly" he
interrupted; ION the dead I didn't.
wanted--you. / can graft enough from
them that can afford to lose it to keep
us goin' dear"
IF you can't" she said, and the
note in her voice was one of high pur-
pose according to her lights, well
starve, old man
You know it," said Duggles.
And the next day two miserable men
were transferred from homes wherein
the Three Corners district was never
thought of except with horror to that
place where the state confines the vio-
lators of its laws until they shall be
tried.