The progress., 1904-05-14
THE ECOWARDICE
OF MCKENZIE q
By EDGAR wELroN COOLEY
(copyrisht, lso1, By Daily story Pub. Co.,

mildred stepped through the side
IV entrance of the bank and saw her
father at his desk. He did not look up.
and she crossed the room and touched
him on the shoulder. When he started,
she laughed merrily, and the sound Of
her voice reached the paying teller In
his iron cage.
His face flushed suddenly, and he
glanced brief moment towards the pres
ident's Office whence the laughter came.
Then he turned again to his tasks.
1t was nearing the closing hour, and
already the shadows Of an early winter
evening were lengthening along the
street outside.
AS the paying teller counted the coin
and the bank notes before him. his
thoughts reverted to the previous even
ing.
They had been lovers so many years
so many years! He could not bring
himself to realize that It was all over
now; but there had been quarrel, and
she had said it were best they should
henceforth be but friends. And he loved
her-he loved her.
Mechanically. he picked up tray Of
coin and, quitting his cage, walked down
the corridor toward the vault.
And presently he became conscious of
the swish of woman's skirts, of the
perfume of a woman's presence, of the
music of woman's voice.
''Mr. Mckenzie" she said.
He paused, the tray balanced on his
palm, and turned. Her own face was
flushed and mischievous glimmer waas
in her eye. s "
you are going in the vault?" she
asked. MAY 60, also. l have read SO
much of bank robberies, Of vaults, of the
inner doors and the locks and things
Papa has tried to explain them to me-
but do not seem to comprehend.
should like to see them-if you don't
mind"
The last words were uttered as though
he would think her audacious.
He smothered sigh that had crept
into his throat at the sight of her face
II am at your service, Mil-Miss Mat
thews," he said.
Silently he lea the way. and as she
stepped from the light of day into the
gloomy interior of the massive vault,
he caught the red CLEAN of the setting
sun upon her hair, circling her brow like
a crown of bronze.
Briefly, almost hurriedly, in his voice
a restraint he could not cast aside, he
explained the workings of the various
bolts and locks. He opened the door of
the inner compartment and showed her
the piles of gold and silver and bundles
of bank notes.
Then, for the first time since entering
the vault, he glanced at her. She was
standing in the deep shadows, her trim
figure wrapped in a mantle of ebony,
her face pale In contrast to the gloom.
For brief moment a silence fell be-
tween them-a silence painful in its in
tensity. Then smile quivered upon her
lips.
"Mr. Mckenzie, she said, I'll"
She paused and partly raising her hand
toward him, let 1t fall again to her side.
Mckenzie! Mr. McKenzie!" cried a
mans voice from without the vault 1t
was Matthews, the president. The pay
ing teller hurried to obey the summons
Mckenzie" said the capitalist, 81
wish you would take this letter over to
Lloyd & Blake's and deliver it to Mr.
Lloyd, personally. See that 1t falls into
no other hands"
When Mckenzie at last>left the Office
of Lloyd & Blake It was considerably
after banking hours. His duties for the
day over, he sauntered idly along the
busy thoroughfare. His hands in his
coat pockets, his eyes downcast as he
walked slowly, thinking and thinking.
After ALL why longer continue the un-
equal struggle? He could not remain
where he must be constantly seeing Mil
dred-where he must constantly be-
hold the simple sweetness Of her face
and hear her free-hearted laughter
now that they were only friends. He
YVES too much of a. coward.