Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-19
1ass another furi o,is shaking of the

lpFotested the fruit dealer In: rising
tone OF astoDishIne Do you intend
to break that door down Pr 5s=** 81 81
will IL that skunk don't open It an,
give me my money 4 said Barnett, who
was now red in the face and almost
foamfng at the month. He's back III
thar, an he knows it's past openin,
/ time. BY gum, know more'nt I'm
goin' to tell right now!' Vt +. j
This was followed BY another rat.
ting Of the door, and the grocer's enor-
nous weight, like q battering ram, was
thrown against the heavy walnut shut
ter. -. H.. ,' => ~: -. :. =
"Open up, / say-open up. in thar,
yelled the grocer in voice hoarse with
passion and suspense. T.. -
A 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, I
know thing or two. This banks in q
bad fix"
A thrill Of horror shot through Miller.
The words had the ring Of conviction.
Alan Bishops money was in bad hands
Il it was there at all. Suddenly he saw
4 white, trembling hand fumbling with !
the lower part of the close drawn win
dow shade as II some one were about !,
to raise 1t, but the shade remained
down, the interior still obscured. 1t !
struck Miller as being a sudden i'm
pulse, defeated by fear Of violence.
There was pause. Then the storm
broke again. About fifty men had as
sembled, all wild to know what was
wrong. Miller elbowed his way to, the
door and stood on the STEP, slightly
raised above the others, Barnett by his
side. "Let me speak to him" he said
Practically: Barnett yielded doggedly.
and Rayburn put his lips to the crack
between the two folding doors.
'Mr. Craigv' he called out. mr..
CRAIG .~.... .~'. ..., .s....
f. 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
a sheet Of writing paper was slowly
showed through. Rayburn grasped it,
lifting it above a dozen outstretched
hands," $500.
Hold onv' he cried authoritatively.
''1'll 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 except about 5000
In my small safe. He has been gone
two days, thought on a visit to his
kinfolks. have just discovered the
loss. I'm completely ruined and am
now trying to make out a report Of my
condition. Have mercy on an old
man."
Rayburn's 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 rem embered that the old man was
waiting to invest the greater part of
the deposit in some Shoal Greek cotton
mill stock which had been promised
him in a 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 a mailman suddenly
threw his shoulder against the door
There was a crash. 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 a scream Of
terror, Craig ran into room in the
rear and thence made his escape at
door opening on the side street. The
mob filled the bank and did not dis
-cover Craig's escape for minute;
then, with a howl Of rage, it surged
back into the street. Craig was ahead
Of them. running toward the church,
where prayer meeting was being held.
the tails Of his long frock coat flying
behind him, his worn silk bat in his
convulsive grasp. y TX e.
THAR he goesv' yelled Barnett. And
he led the mob after him. all running
at the top of their speed without real,
izing why they We're doing so. They
gained on the fleeing banker, and Bar
nett could almost touch him when they
reached the church. With a cry st
fear, like that Of q wild animal brought
to bay, Craig sprang up the steps and
ran into the church. crying and groan-f
ing forshelp. +es3 &3 Ia4% ,s..ss ri %S;4 .s
4 A dozen men and women and chill
dren were kneeling at the altar to get
the benefit of the prayers Of the min
isterstan nd the congregat ion, but they
stood up II alarm, some Of them with
wet faces. I.zz$ .z:sg5 @5$ I
The msb checked itself at the door,
but the greater part Of it crowded into
4. -. II -