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

Nf1Ak AEn Il
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,
swinging in Z low hammock, and her
husband, Edmund Hackett, who was
perched Upon the wooden balustrade.
Wilton Loring was there. too. lounging
n a canvas chair and smoking q 40
nestle cigar. The verandah al
round three sides Of 4 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
tngton with the head OF the family.
Wilton had run down from Philadel-
phia, where he was cashier OF the
Rancher's National Bank. They were
all g%rumbling over their meagre In
somes.
Uncle 6am," remarked Edmond
t1ackett. a quiet. steady going sort or
fellow, we'll advanced toward middle
uts, "Cnoie Gam IS TO. generous &c Us
boys and girls of the Civil service. We
handle between nigh upon q million
dollars every working day, and give
our lives to the mill horse business for
= bare subsistence"
"Since I've been cashier OF the
Ranchers' National" said Wilton Lo-
ring, i've had enough money pass
through my 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, -
IL a mosquito had settled on him.
Thoughts of that kind sometimes ma
terialize into deeds you'd be sorry for"
"Humph! I'm not sc 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 q corner In some
thing or other; to float a sailed mine,
Or a bogus building society. That's
the game"
"Tut, tut!" protested the elder To-
ring. with fierce exp%ectoration; 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 Is containing n more bill
than 1t actually does. That packet
comes to me to be counted and ex-
amined. / just pass 1t az containing
the number of greenbacks specified.
On 1t goes to Edmond, my husband,
whose duty 1t chances to be to check
my count Smart Edmond finds n
bill short; but seeing his Bertha's ini-
tails on the wrapper, he just winks a
little, and the packet, with, say ninety
nine bills instead OF one hundred bills
against the new ones to that value
which he sends back In exchange to
the Rancher's Bank through the Divls-
lon OF Issue. Sect"
"Ha, ha, hal" 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 U.s."
Have done! Have 6one!" burst out
the old man. If / 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 fit OF hearty laughter, but Bertha.
perceived that the joke had gone too
Tar.
Father! dear father!" she exclalm-
ed soothingly. "You know us all bet
tern that, sure. We were Just poking
fun; weren't We, Edmond? Besides.
such q combination Al ] 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.
so. as opportunity makes the thief.
and we shall have no opportunity"
added young Loring. 1.-THE whole three
Of us'll have to bs honest. will we, or
won't we."
"You know, father" urged Bertha.
to calm tho old man. who muttered and
protested still, and seemed to have
taken fright at the very thought OF q
breach OF trust, there are nine ladies
In the Counting Division besides my
self. and Wilton's imaginary short
packet might go to any n OF them
instead OF to me-"
And II Bertha did get It ana pass
IT," remarked Hackett. to clinch the
argument. there are plenty OF fellows
Ia the S~ecretary's ONCE who check the
sounts beside me. and one OF them
would spot her oversight Even II the
short packet came to me. 1t would be