The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-23
A Knave Of
conscience
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
(Copyrigtt 1900, by Francis Lynde.)
CHAPTER III,

IS
the second day, the unimpetuous rou-
tine of the business quarter of New Or
leans was rudely disturbed by the
shock of genuine sensation.
At ten o'clock, Mr.. Galbraith, presi-
dent of the Bayou state bank, entered
his private Office in the rear of the
main banking apartment, opened his
desk, and addressed himself to the
business of the day. .Punctually at ten
five the stenographer, whose desk was
in the anteroom, brought in the mail;
five minutes later the cashier entered
for his morning conference with his
superior; and at half-past the hour
the president was left alone to read his
CORES pondence.
Mr. Galbraith was a serious-minded
man whose hobby was method; and it
was his custom to give himself quiet
half-hour of inviolable seclusion each
morning in which to read and consider
his letters. During this interval the
stenographer, acting as usher, was in.
structed to deny his chief to callers of
whatsoever degree. Wherefore, when
the door of the private office opened
at twenty minutes of eleven to admit
stranger, the president was justly
annoyed.
'Well, sir?" he said with an accent
irritant, taking the intruder's meas
slre in swift glance shot beneath his
bushy white eyebrows.
The visitor was a young man not
over thirty, of prepossessing appear
,,-;{ l., e,1; c.,
his stature; fair, with blue eyes, and
Il curling brown beard and mustache,
the former trimmed to a point. So
much the president was able to remark
at glance, and to remember after
wards.
SWELL, sir!" he repeated, when the
stranger stopped to carefully close
the door, eff you have business with
me, shall have to ask you to excuse me
for few minutes. Be good enough to
take seat in the ante-room till ring.
Mcfarland should have told you.'
The young man drew up a chair and
sat down, ignoring the request as if he
had not heard it. Now Mr.. Andrew
Galbraith's temper was ordinarily the
temper of an elderly gentleman with a
long upper lip, worn clean shaver,
but such deliberate infraction of his
rules was not to be borne patiently
and he got up to ring for the janitor.
But when his hand sought the bell
push, he found himself looking into
the muzzle of revolver in the hands
of the intruder, and SO was fain to fall
back into his chair, gasping:
1'Wha-what do you mean, sir! Who
are you and what do you want?" he
xtammered.
The reply was most succnct and to
the point.
81 am poor man, and want money
If you call for help, | shall shoot you.'
''You would murder me?" The pres.
1dent'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 occasion for
needless anxiety. 1t is merely a ques.
ton of money, and if you are amenable
to reason your life is not in danger
your reasons, sir!" exclaimed the pres
fdent, recovering somewhat from the
first shock of terrified bewlderment
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, MIR. Galbraith,'
he said, coolly. 81 say you shall list Ell
you die. Which is it to be? Choose
quickly-time is precious"
The president yielded the first point
but ungraciously, as one under strict
compulsion.
"Well WELL then; out with it. What
have you to say for yoursek?"
"This. You are rich; you represent
ahe existing order of things. | an
poor, and | stand for my necessity
custom. You have more money than
you know what TO do with; 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
Dne portion of that which is yours
only by the right of possession. If yor
elo it, well and good: if not, you die. Dc
I make myself sufficiently cear?"
The president glanced furtively at
the clock. 1t was nearly eleven, ant
M'Farland would surely come in on tn.
stroke of the hour. If he could only
gain little time. He searched in hi:
pockets and drew forth handful O.
coin.
*sYou say you are hungry; we'll, Tn
not that well off that l Gamma remem
Der the time when / knew what it was
TO be on short commons myself" HI
said; and the relapse into the mothe1
nd1om was a measure of his perturba
2ion. "Take this now and be oft witt
yon.'
The younger man glanced at TIL
CLOCK in his turn and shook his head.
you are merely trying to gain time
and it won't do. My stake in this gam
IS more than handful of silver; and
don't do you the injustice to suppos
that you hold your life so cheaply-
you who have SO much silver and gol
and SO few years to live"
The president put the little heap O
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 CON
promise.
n,a hum 1.,1I