Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-08-28
CHAPTER ".

II hennetn drlSWOlu naQ been
neither more nor less than pro-
fessional highwayman he would
probably have been taken and jailed
within the hour, inasmuch as his
cast for fortune included no well
wrought out plan of escape. But
since he was both wiser and less cum
ming than the journeyman bank rob-
Der, and was, moreover, a hungry en-
thusiast who had argued himself
into the belief that his act was mere
ly illegal and not wrong, he threw
the police off the scent by doing that
which no criminal would have had
the nerve to do.
Once safely in the street, with the
package of bank notes under his
arm, he was moved to do some ex-
travagant thing celebrative of his
success. 1t had proved to be such
simple matter, after all; one bold
stroke; a small bloodless tussle with
the plutocratic dragon whose hold
upon his prey is so easily broken;
and presto! the hungry proletary is
himself a power in the land, strong
to do good or evil as the gods may
direct.
This was the prompting to levita-
tion as it might have been set in
words; but in Griswold's thought it
was but a swift suggestion, followed
Immediately by another which was
much more to the purpose. He was
hungry; there was restaurant next
door to the bank. Without a
thought of the risk he ran, or of the
audacious subtlety of such an ex-
pedent at such a critical moment,
he went in, sat down at one of the
small tables and calmly ordered
breakfast.
Now, hunger is lusty special
pleader, and it will make itself heard
above any pulpit drum of the higher
faculties; hence Griswold thought
less of what he had done than of
what he was about to eat, until the
hue and cry reminded him that the
to be suspiciously incurious, he put
on the mask of innocence and asked
the waiter concerning the uproar.
The man did not know what had
happened. but he would go and find
out if Msieu' so desired "M'sieu'" Z"
said breakfast first and informa-
tion afterward, by all means. Both
while he listened.
Transmitted into the Creole Eng
lish of the serving-man, the story
Of the robbery lost nothing in its
sensational features.
'Ha! Wat you t'ink, Msieu'?'
De bank mex do is been rob!" and
upon this theme excited volubility
descants at large. The bank was
surrounded by "A gang of desperate
men and every exit guarded while the
leader, a masked giant, armed TO the
teeth, had compelled the president
at the muzzle of pistol to pay a
ransom of fifty-one hundred-five
hundred thousand dollars. With the
money the gang had vanished, the
masked giant firing the pistol at
Msieu' the president as he went
Cross-examined, the waiter could not
affirm positively as TO the shot. But
as for the rest there could be no
doubt.
Griswold ordered a second cup Of
coffee, and while the waiter tarried,
conscience tho enlightened con
science, but the conyeutional-ben
its bow and sped its final arrow. 1t
was suddenly brought home To the
enthusiast with sharp emphasis that
10 all civilized mankind, save aud cN-
cepting only those few chosen ones
who shared his peculiar convictions,
he was common thief, a robber, an
outlaw.
Public opinion, potential or ex-
pressed, is al best but an intangible
thing but for few seconds Girls
wuld writhed under the ban uf il
as II Il bad been whip ~ scorpions.
Then he smiled 90 think how strong
are the bonds Of custom, and con
science huus away its empty quiyer.
Nome thr less. the enthusiast vas
rather thankful for the ehusteuiua.
II served tu remind him afresh ~
sH.#..f.v HEHE. tt..Y... ..EE.E.