Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-29
DAILY SHORT STORY
Darkest Before Day.
lOrginal.l


cutting up the field into so many small
districts that they gradually cut up the
salaries into a good many little ones.
My salary kept coming down till at
last, just before setting out on my re-
turn from Il trip, l received a note from
my employers stating that my services
would no longer be required. What l
was to do, how support my wife and
child, / did not know. My train did not
leave for several hours, and | spent the
time in u hotel lOunging. The distance
to the depot was but five minutes
walk, but 1 started half an hour be-
fore traintime and had twenty-five
1 watched the people coming and going
or waiting, as 1 was. y young man
with the curious combination of red
hair and black eyes passed before Inc,
went to the ticket office and purchased
Il ticket. He,carried u suit case. There
was nothing remarkable about that,
for nowadays every one carries suit
cases. Indeed one of my own was
resting on the seat beside me. When
the train was called, / entered n
sleeping car, where L found the young
man with the red hair and black eyes.
He was putting his belongings into a
berth directly opposite to my own. In
due time all went to bed and the lights
were turned low.
In the middle of the night l awall-
ened with the stopping of the train,
which, by the by. always wakens me,
and, hearing loud talking in the rear
end of the car, looked out to see what
had occupied the berth opposite me
was leaving the train in company with
a man who carried his suit case. In
Il moment all was quiet, and l turned
over and went to sleep again.
/ arrived at home OH II very gloomy
morning, and it was gloomier still
when l announced to my wife that 1
was out OF II position. She was
plucky woman and. instead of despond-
ing, by her cheerful behavior did what
she could to brace me. After breakfast
i didn't know where we were TO get
n dinner-I went down to the store
and wound up my affairs there. As l
had overdrawn my salary there was
nothing due me. l was too discour-
aged to go out and look for Il new job.
so | returned to my home to talk mat
tiers over with my wife.
She met me at the door with an eX-
preston of supreme wonder mingled
with fear.
George" she said. what does this
mean?'
What mean?'
"Have you yielded to temptation?'
"No" ..r...-r ....r..
"Then where did you get all that
money!"
What money!
"In your suit case. And what did
you do with your clothes?"
For heavens sake, tell me what
you're talking about"
Come upstairs"
She led the way to our bedroom, and
there open on the bed was the suit
case with several bundles of bank bills
in it which had been packed in some
old clothing.
Dora" L said, "some one has
changed suit cases with me. 1t looks
as if a bank had been robbed and the
convenient to turn over the proceeds to
me. Where is the morning paperT'
She brought the paper, and there on
the first page was the heading, Arrest
of the Tenth National Bank Cashier"
Then came an account of how a de-
fauIting cashier had been caught in
sleeping car the night before. The
treasure had not been recoveret..
That's the explanation" l said, and
gave Dora an account of the young man
with red hair and black eyes. Some
time before his arrest he had undoubt-
eddy changed suit cases with me. The
article closed with n statement that the
reward of 10 per cent of the money
recovered offered by the bank had been
doubled.
l counted the bills and found $74,542
in all. The reward would be $15,90S.40.
1 took Dora in my arms and danced
with her around the room.
Have you lost your senses?' she
asked as soon as she could get away
from me.
mo; there is a big reward offered
for the recovery of this money. All
we have to do is to take it to the bank
and get the reward"
| called a carriage-which l had no
money of my own to pay for-and, put
ting the bills back in the case, accom-
panied by Dora, drove to the Tenth
National bank. Arriving there, l left
Dora with the treasure and, going into
the bank, sent my card to the presi-
dent. When admitted, 1 told him the
story much as 1 have told it here.
''Bid you count the money!" he
asked.
Eyes. 1t counted $74,542," 1 replied.
ssThere is but So missing he said.
"Where is it nowT'
"In charge of my wife in carriage
at the door,"
Bring 1t in"