Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-10-01

suspicion he'd been on tear last
night, wouldn't we?'
1t looks shaky to me-" retorted the
grocer, growing more excited. "I'm
goin' over there an try that door again.
"A man at has my money can't attract
the attention Craig has an me say
nothin'."
The miller pulled his little turf of
gray beard and winked at Rayburn.
You've been scarin' Barnett" he
said, with n tentative infection. Hes
easily ratified. BY the way, now that
l think of it, it does seem to me heard
some of the Methodists talSin' about
reproving Craig an Winship for spec
ulatin' in grain an cotton. know
they've been dabbln' in it, for Craig
always got my market reports. He's
been dealin' with bucket shop in At
lapta."
I'm going over there" said Miller
abruptly, and he hurried across in the
wake of the big grocer The miller fol-
lowed him. OS the other side of the
street several people were curiously
watching the bank door, and when
Barnett went to it and grasped the
handle and began to shake it vigor-
ously they crossed over to him.
What's wrong" said a dealer in
fruits, short, thickset man with
ford face but Barnett's only reply
was another furious shaking of the
door.
why, man, what's got into your"
protested the fruit dealer in a rising
tone of establishment. do you intend
to break that door DOWN.
II will If that skunk don't open it an
give me my money" said Barnett, who
was now red in the face and almost
foaming at the mouth. Hes back in
thar, an he knows it's past openin'
time. BY gum, know more'n I'm
goin' to tell right nowr
This was followed by another rat
Ting of the door, and the grocer's enor-
nous weight. like gathering ram, was
thrown against thGheavy walnut shut
ter.
open up. I say--open up in tharw
yelled the grocer in voice hoarse with
passion and suspense.
dozen men were now grouped
around the doorway. Barnett released
the handle and stood facing them.
'Somethin's rotten in Denmark" he
painted. Believe me or not. fellows. l
know a thing or two. This banks in
bad fix"
a thrill of horror shot through Miller.
The wards had the ring of conviction.
Alan Bishops money was in bad hands
if it was there at all. Suddenly he saw
a white, trembling hand fumblng with
the lower part of the Close drawn win
dow shade as if some one were about
to RAISE ii, but the shade remained
down, the interior still obscured. 1t
struck Miller as being sudden i'm
pulse, defeated by fear of violence.
There was pause. Thea The storm
broke again. About fifty men had as
sembled, all wild to know what was
wrong. Miller elbowed his way to tho
door and stood on the step, slightly
raised above the others, Barnett by his
side. Let me speak to him." he said
pacIfically. Barnett yielded doggedly,
and Rayburn put his lips to the crack
between the two folding doors.
''Mr. Craig" he called out. Mr.
Craig
There was no reply, but Rayburn
heard the rustling Of paper on the in
side near the crack against which his
ear was pressed. and then the edge Of
sheet OF writing paper was slowly
sLoFcd through. Rayburn grasped it,
lifting 1t above dozen outstretched
hands.
"Hold on" he cried authoritatively.
"Ill read it."
The silence Of the grave fell on the
crowd as the young man began to
read.
Friends and citizens" the note ran,
"Winship has absconded with every
dollar in the vaults excep. about 5000
in my small safe. He has been gone
two days, l thought on visit to his
kinfolks. have just discovered the
loss. I'm completely ruined and am
now trying to make ont report of my
condition. Have mercy on an old
man"
Rayburns face was as white as that
of corpse, The paper dropped from
his hand and he stepped down into the
crowd. He was himself no loser, but
the Bishops had lost their all How
could he break the news to them? Pres.
emily he began to hope family that old
Bishop might within the last week have
drawn out at least part of the money,
but that hope was soon discarded, for
he remembered that the old man was
waiting to invest the greater part of
the deposit in some Sboal Creek cotton
mill stock which had been promised
him in few weeks. No; the hope was
groundless, Alan. his father, Mrs.
Bishop and-Adele.
Miller's heart sank down into the
very ooze Of despair. All that he had
done for Adele's people and which had
reused her deepest, tenderest gratitude
was swept away. What would she
think now?
His train of thought was rudely bro.
ken by an oath from Barnett, who
with the rage of mailman suddenly
threw his shoulder against the door
There was crash, n groan of bursting
timber and breaking bolts, and the
door flew open. For one instant Miller
saw the CHASTITY face and covering
form of the old banker behind the wire
grating, and then, with scream OF
terror Craig ran into room in the
1a ia n