The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-08

HER BANKERS
By G. b. LEWIS

quarterly check; two or three bills had
come in unexpectedly, which is way
bills have Of doing when one is short;
friend or hers at another resort had tele-
grapned her Tor loan. Taken altogether
she was in peck Of trouble, and it would
take Thousand dollars to get her out OF
it. She could, Of course, telegraph her
broker to sell some of her stocks, she
could sacrifice some Of her government
bonds, she could even appeal to Judge
Truax, who was man Of money, but -
What did the major do? Why, he put his
arms around his dear little Laurie and
patted her blond head and laughed at her
for being troubled over such trifie as
that. The idea Of her being worried and
distressed for the want Of a thousand
dollars when he could place ten times
that sum In her hands within an houri
Didn't she want two thousand-three
thousand-fve thousand instead? 1t was
all the same to him-all in the family.
No, she didn't want but one thousand, and
she called him her dear George and wiped
away her tears and looked cutter than ever.
Stay, however! If he could just as we'll
spare $4,000, she would use the odd thou
rand to set decorators at work in her New
York mansion and give an order for her
trousseau.
The major was almost vexed with her
because she wouldn't accept $4,000 in
stead but she was firm on that point.
When he handed her the vulgar dross,
he printed two long, lingering kisses
on her ruby lips. These kisses cost him
just $1,000 apiece, but at the time he
thought they were cheap a that.
After the kisses the widow named the
wedding day. He was to meet her in Pitts
burg two weeks from that day and be
quietly married, and later on they would
proceed to New York and her Fifth
avenue mansion. Three days later she
left for Pennsylvania to close up coal
mine affair that had been worrying her
for some months, and the light of the
majors life went out.
Two long weeks! 1t was an eternity to
the major, especially as he only received
one brief letter from the widow The
hours and days crept away and one
morning he started for Pittsburg. So did
the judge, and the lawyer and the three
others hitherto named. The seven of them
took the same train and rode in the
same car. Each looked self satisfied and
supercilious.
The major condescended to explain that
he was going to Pittsburg on private
! business of great Importance, and the
| others condescended to make the same
| explanation. The major murmured that
| 1t seemed curious that all seven of them
should have private business up there
on the same day and that no one had men,
toned his journey to the other, but they
| only smiled and assumed knowing looks.
| He then announced that he was rather
| glad of their company, as they would be
on the spot to congratulate him over a
certain event, but they looked at him in
an absent way, and didn't see the point
| Of the joke
| The gang reached Pittsburg in due
time. Curiously enough, they all went to
! the same hotel. but no one tried to ex-
| plain it. The major was the first to reg
lister and ascend to the ladies' parlor,
but the other six were not long behind
| him. He remarked on the singularity OF
the thing, but the six looked at the toes
of their boots and smiled. Seven cards
had been sent upstairs to the little blonde
widow to tell her that her seven differ
ent admirers were waiting, but she didn't
come down. and the landlord didn't know
whether she was in Halifax or Texas.
! Explanations were in order, of course
It was a drama in seven acts. Each one
Of the seven had been accepted by the
widow, and each one had advanced her
money and was to meet her in Pittsburg
and lead her to the altar. For a time
the seven called each other liars and
scoundrels and shook their fists under
each others nose, but on motion of the
major they finally adjourned to the bar
Standing there and crooking their elbows
cresy. and each man lied as he declared
that he saw through the little widow
from the very start and that he had not
even spent five minutes of his time OF
Is cents of his cash for her benefit.