The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-20
THE COwARDlCE } OF MCKENZIE
BY EDGAR WILTON COOLEY.

BY EDGAR WILTON COOLEY. Copyright, 1904, by Daily Story Pub. Col Mildred stepped through the side en- trance of the bank and saw her father at his desk He did not look. and she crossed the room and touched him on the shoulder. When he started, she laughed merriiy. and the sound of her voice reached the paying teller in his iron cage.
 His face flushed suddenly. and he glanced a brief moment towards the pres ident's once whence the laughter came. Then he turned again to his tasks.
 It. was nearing the closing hour. and already, the shadows of an early win ter evening were lengthening along the street outside.
 As the paying teller counted the coin and the bank notes before him., h.s thoughts reverted to the previous even ing. Es
 They had been lovers many years-so many years! He could not bring himself to realize that it was all over now: but there had been q quarrel, and she had said 1t were best they should hence forth be but friends. And he loved her he loved her.
 Mechanically. he picked up e tray of coin and. quitting his cage. walked down the corridor toward the vault.
 And presently he became conciuos of the swish of a woman's skirts. of the perfume Of a woman's presence. of the usic of a woman's voice.
 'Mr. Mckenzie" she said. He paused, the tray balanced on his palm. and turned. Her own face was flushed and miechevious gllmmer was in her eye.
 S- Ik nt,~ .~a. ed. May go, also.,I 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 I do not seem to comprehend. should like to sec them--if you don't mind" '''i
 The last words were uttered as thougl, she would think her audacious.
 He smothered sigh that had crept Into his throat at the sight of her face.
 T am at your service, Mil-Mlss Mat thews." he said s-,-.
 Silently he led the way, and as she gloomy interior of the massive vault, he caught the red gleam of the setting sun upon her hair. circiing her brow like a crown of bronze.
 Briefly, almost hurriedly, in his voice restraint he could not cast aside, he explained the workings of the various olts and locks. He opened the door of the inner compartment and showed her the piles of gold and silver and budles 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 6 mantle of ebony. her face pale in the contrast of the gloom.
 For a brief moment silence fell between tehm- a silence painful in its inten- sity. Then a smile quivered upon her lips.
 MT Mckenzie she said, IT. She paused and partly raising her hand toward him. let 1t fall again to her side, Mckenzie! Mir. McKenzie!" cried a mans voice from without the vault. It was Matthews, the president The pay ing teller hurried to obey his summons.
 Mckenzie" said the capitalist. T wish you would take this letter over to Lloyd 6 Blake's and deliver 1t to Mir. Lloyd. personally. See that 1t falls into | no other hands" .,
 When Mckenzie at last left the ofice of Lloyd & Blake 1t was considerably after banking hours. Ills duties for the