The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-05-18


The he.ses were running their races ut
Newmarket, and desperate men were
stalking their last coin upon their favoritc
candidate, the race for wealth in the
city was for the time being almost at an
end
The thoroughfares around the Ex-
change were blocked up, and rendered
almost impossible by groups Of ashen-
faced, trembling men, who. but one short
week ago, were men of affiuence. and to-
day were little better than beggars.
The news was being telegraphed to ev-
cry quarter of the globe that the great
discount and banking company of ken
dali. Burton & Co." had suspended pay
ment.
George Temple had all the circum-
stances by heart half an hour after leay-
ing his pretty little home. from city
friend. Georges friend does not notice
the white shade that has crept over the
young mans face, or take note of the
twitching of the hands. or the working
of the convulsed features.
He Is wondering what was done yes
terdsy-calculating whether his books
had been examined. IL this had been
postponed for one day, then he might
have time to further tamper the ac-
counts; but IL this had led them to his
ledgers, with their duplicate keys, then
he was lost indeed.
For moment, a thought Of escape
crosses his mind, but he has no ready
money, and, before any could be raised,
days, perhaps weeks, may elapse. But
over and above all is the thought Of
Maggie--he cannot leave her; and so
he plucks up heart.
There is a general pretense Of set
Ting down to business as George enters
his Office, and he is soon prepared for
the work of the day. He is going over,
for the thirteenth time, long letter
from foreign agent, taking in but little
Of it's real meaning, when the clerk spe-
cially attached to the partners room
comes up and says, 'The firm wish to
see you, Mr.. Temple, IL you please, as
soon as you are at leisure"
Certainly, Mr. Bates; be kind enough
to say will be there directly" And
he carefully puts the little weight upon
the correspondence and enters the sane
tum of Messrs. Mangle. Holbein & Co.
"Good morning, Mr. Temple" observes
the senior partner. The other partners
nod gravely, and settle themselves In
their seats. "You have heard, l pre-
sumo, that Kendall's people have gomez"
Oh, for glass Of water, anything,
anything, to hide the tell-tale trembling
of the voice, as he replies, in falter-
ing tone. Eyes, sir, / have heard some
thing about it: but there have been re-
ports about for some days. Perhaps 1t
Ii not so bad as it appears"
The senior partner, who seems to have
been deputed to be the spokesman and
oracle of the firm generally, says, coldly,
From information we have managed to
obtain, we think there Is not the slight
est chance of their ever going on again;
and we fear we shall have to stop bust
ness for the present. SO be good enough
to let US have statement of moneys
owing and acceptances out, and we will
draw UP rough statement OF accounts"
George trembles as he comes back to
his desk and unlocks his ledger. He
pores over the pages hour after hour
the figures taking strange and fantastic
shapes-representing nothing to him but
chaos In the present--ruin and disgrace
In the future. And he sits, needless of
the running in and ont, the exciting ru-
mors that are ever and anon poured into
his ears, as the day slowly wears on,
and the gas is lighted.
Evening comes once more. The part
ners leave at their usual hour, and the
clerks, one by one, drop of. until George
Is left quite alone. He closes the book
with heavy sigh, and murmurs to him
self that, under the circumstances, to-
morrow viii do for the statement as well
as to-day. He viii have at least one
more evening with his darling, and be-
yond this he has no thought.
He does not know that already a
sworn information has been laid against
him; that a rough, keen man Is walking
up and down outside, prepared to follow
him wherever and whenever he goes. He
feels, by his heavy heGrt, that there Is
something amiss; but he does not dream
OF the fatality to which that something
will tend. He has no intuitive feeling
that he is taking his coat and hat from
his accustomed peg for the last time;
only that he fears something. he knows
not what. and so he passes out into the
cold, raw night.
. George stops the sab at the little gate,
and putting handful Of silver into the
drivers hand, says, "Good night. cabby,"
In strange tone. that sounds hollow and
far away.
The lights arc lowered in the cheerful
little parlor, and Maggie rises languioly
from the depths of an armchair, and
tells him poutingly that she has waited
and watched 50 long for him that she
has got bad headache, and he mustn't
talk to her or worry aer, and then sinks
back again.
Then he kisses her, and kneels by her
side and fondles her hand within his
own. So for ten minutes there Is silence
In the room, broken only by the tick,
firk tick 81 the clock, and then 4 little
,whirring sound, and the cuckoo clock
strikes twelve.
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