Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-02-14
When the Rag Row" Closed

BY D. H. TALMADGE.
ecopInsAs. isol. By Authors Syndicate,

one another. A child, carrying. a Tin
pail, appeared and stood waiting IN
til Duggles arose and made way for
her to enter the saloon.
There was only two men, in the
party" he went on, land one of EN-
was old Drummer, chief squirt of the
Rag Row bank, and the other. was
Bowd, the cashier. 1 come within an
inch of breakin' right in on EN-. My
hand was on the doorknob, and"
Cut the trimmin's," the girl inter
rupted impatiently. what did you
hear?"
His reply caused her to start. SEQ
in to close-Friday-the Rag Row
bank-aw, say, nowi"
It's straight, 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 well make clean
job of it now. AS near as he could tell
there was $4,000 apiece for EN-, all
cash"
"Wen?' said the girl, after-sn inter
val.
well, it's up to me to do somethin'.
This is Tuesday. What'll I do?"
81 don't know. Dad keeps his money
in that bank
Eyes, and the Multons do and the
Tolands and the Riggleses and all our
folks; but they'll pay nothin' to the :
one that saves the stuff for 'em--not
a pistareen. There's the maxim in IL,
Molly, of nice little front room with
plate 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 SIS 900 and I'll get it,
'"Ask ;@lio?" tss
"Oid 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. know
a newspaper guy that'll give me hun
| dred in cold cash, and maybe more,
| for the steer the minute the things
proved; and he'll see that it's proved
devilish quick, too, and won't ask
| unpleasant questions"
They were silent for a time. a ca b
ratified over the cobbles, and -frag-
ments of 1.-The Wearing of the Green"
played on an accordion, waited from a
nearby alley.
BILL" The girl spoke first.
sYes?"
'Twouldn't be honest; 'twouldn's
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 quarter
hour. Then. very slowly:
yes, Bill, you'd better let the
chance so. We'd never feel just right
about it. Let it co.
Duggles hesitated. 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
exclamation of pain. But the tone of
| his voice was cheerful.
"All right, Molly"
Impulsively the girl put her arms
about his neck. "I'll 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 guffin' me, are you. Molly?''
Nit" she replied. "rve 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"
81 didn't want the. stuff. Molly" he
interrupted: ION the dead I didn't; L
wanted-you- L 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 ofhigh pur-
pose according TO her lights well
| sIzrve, 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 sTaIe confines the
violators of its laws until they shalp
be tried