Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-12-10

Wha-what do you mean, sir! Who
are you and what do you want?" he
stammered.
The reply was most succinct and to
the point.
81 am poor man, and 1want money.
If you call for help, / shall shoot you"
"You would murder meg The pres
ident's hands were clutching the arms
of the chair, and he was fighting des-
perately for courage and presence of
mind in his extremity.
Not willingly, assure you; but
most certainly, if you attempt to give
the alarm. But there is no occa sion for
needless anxiety. 1t is merely ques-
tion of money; and if you are amenable
to reason your life is not in danger"
eff I'm-but I'm not amenable to
your reasons, sire exclaimed the pres
ident, recovering somewhat from the
first shock of terrified bewil1erment.
81 refuse to listen to them. I'll not
have anything to do with you. Go
away"
The young man smiled in a way to
show his teeth.
keep your temper, Mr.. Galbraith,"
he said, coolly. 81 say you shall listen
first and obey afterward. Otherwise
you die. Which is it to be? Choose
quickly-time is precious"
The president yielded the frstpoint.
but ungraciously, as one under strict
compulsion. t#
"Well, we'll, then; out with it. What
have you to say for yourself?"
"This. You are rich; you represent
the existing order of things. l am
poor, and l stand for my necessity,
which is above any man-made law or
custom. You have more money than
you know what to do with; II have not
enough to buy the next meal, which is
already twenty-four hours overdue.
came here this morning with my life
in my hand to invite you to share with
me portion of that which is yours
only by the right of possession. fyou
do it, well and good; if not, you die. Do
l make myself sufficiently clear?"
The president glanced furtively at
the clock. 1t was nearly eleven, and
MFarland would surely come in on the
stroke of the hour. If he could only
gain little time. He searched in his
pockets and drew forth a handful of
coin.
You say you are hungry; well, I'm
not that we'll off that Gamma remem-
Der the time when I knew what it was
to be on short commons myseP," he
said; and the relapse into the mother
idiom was a measure of his perturba-
ton. Take this now, and be off with
you
The younger man glanced at the
clock in his turn and shook his head.
"You are merely trying to gain time,
and it won't do. My stake in this game
is more than handful of silver; and l
don't do you the injustice to suppose
that you hold your life SO cheaply-
you who have SO much silver and gold
and so few years to live
The president put the little heap of
coins on the desk, but he did not aban-
don the struggle for delay.
whats your price, then?" he de-
manded, as one who is willing to COM
promise.
Zone hundred thousand dollars-in
money"
But, man! you're clean daft! Do
We think l have"
Il am not here to argue the POSSIBLE
ities,"-the interruption was sharp
and incisive. Take your pen and
write out check payable to your own
order for one hundred thousand dol.
lars, and do it nowi If that door opens
before we have concluded, you are a
dead mani"
Then Andrew Galbraith saw that his
end was nigh, and gathered himself for
a final effort at time-killing. 1t was
absurd; he had no such balance to his
credit; such a check would not be hon