The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-02-12
CHAPTER I

CHAPTER I
They were out on the verandah IN
he cool OK the evening. old Caleb Lor-
ng. In a rocking chair, smoking his
:orn-cob pipe; Bertha. his daughter,
twinging in = low hammock, and her
husband. Edmund Hackett. who was
perchei upon the wooden balustrade.
Wilton Loring was there, too. lounging
n a canvas chair and smoking q 10
nestle cigar. The verandah ran
round three sides Of Z modest frame
aouse, all painted white, with the ex-
:cpticn CT its bright green shutters.
Edmond and Bertha, recently married.
lived here In the outskirts OF Wash
,ngton with the head OF the family.
Wilton had run down from Phtladel-
phia, where he was cashier OF the
Rancher's National Bank They were
all g%rumbling over their meagre In
somes.
Uncle Sam remarked Edmond
Hackett, a quiet. steady going sort OF
fellow, well advanced toward middle
he, "C1oio Gam IS not generous to Z:
boys and girls OF the Civil service. We
handle between nigh upon a million
dollars every working day, and give
our lives to the mill horse business for
4 bare subsistence"
"Since I've been cashier OF the
Ranchers' National" said Wilton Lo-
ring, i've had enough money pass
through Wy hands to make me crazy
with thirst for 1t. It's like being
Don't like to hear you talk like
that, Wilt, my son." remarked Old Ca
leb, with a quick shake OF his head, AZ
II a mosquito had settled on HIM.
Thoughts of that kind sometimes ma
terialize into deeds you'd be sorry for"
"Humrh! I'm not SO sure I shan't
one day try to pinch something" pur-
sued Wilton, with q wink at his sister.
But big steals are the sort to succeed
nowadays. To make a corner In some
thing or other; to float a sailed mine,
Or q bogus building society. That's
the game"
"Tut, tut!" protested the elder Lo-
ring. with fierce expectoration; but
Bertha mischievously took up her
brothers. humor.
There's a fine chance now I've got
into the counting division at the Urea
! sury," said she. Say now, why not
make up a family combination? You,
Wilton, are cashier at the 'Ranchers,'
and you're constantly having old bills
to send into the Treasury for redemp-
ton. You pinch as you call 1t, a
thousand-dollar greenback, and for
ward the packet to the Treasury en-
iorsed as containing one more bill
than It actually does. That packet
comes to me to be counted and ex-
amined. l just pass 1t as containing
the number of greenbacks specified.
On it goes to Edmond, my husband,
whose duty 1t chances to be to check
my count. Smart Edmond finds one
bill short: but seeing his Bertha's ini-
tails on the wrapper, he just winks q
little. and the packet, with, say ninety
nine bills instead OF one hundred bills
against the new ones to b a value
which he sends back In exchange to
| the Rancher's Bank through the Divls-
| ION OF Issue. See7"
"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Edmond
Hackett, disposed to enter into any
joke conceived by his adored little
wife. How we could bleed Uncle Sam
and help ourselves to the salaries ne
ought to pay US"
Have done! Have fone!" burst out
the old man. III ! believed my son
and my daughter and my daughters
husband were capable of such roguery
I'd fetch out my gun and fill you full
Of holes. every one!"
He meant It. His usually placid fea-
lures were distorted and purple WITH
Indignation, and the stem Of the pipe
he held snapped in the angry grip OF
his fingers. Wilton flung himself back
In a 1T OF hearty laughter, but Bertha,
perceived that the joke had gone toe
Tar.
Father! dear father!" she exclalm.
ed soothingly. "You know us all bet
tern that, sure. We were Just pokine
fun; weren't we. Edmond? Besides
such a combination 40 ] figured out
| couldn't be anyway"
quite impossible!" averred Wilton
getting over his mirth.
well, l reckon it's improbable In
the last degree" said Edmond Hackett
$50. as opportunity makes the thief
and we shall have no opportunity"
added young Loring. "the whole three
OF us'll have to bs honest. will we, o,
won't we."
"You know, father" urged Bertha
to calm tho old man. who muttered anc
protested still, and seemed to have
taken fright at the very thought OF
breach OF trust, there are nine ladies
In the Counting Division besides my
self. and Wilton's imaginary short
packet might go to any Of then
instead OF to me-"
And II Bertha did set it and pass
It." remarked Hackett. to clinch the
argument, there are plenty OF fellows
Ia the Secretary's ONCE who check thu
counts beside me. and one OF then
would spot her oversight Even II thu
short packet came to me. It would bt
ssolnaa for ma tn wink for I AhOulC