The Washington herald., 1907-05-14
RIDGLEY'S REPRISAL
BY EDNA KERR.

Herbert Morrow. bent and careworn.
passed the parlOr door. His daughter
Daisy smiled up at him as he glanced
az her in passing, but the smile turned
into a sigh as the bowed figure vanished
rs the run on the bank serious?' asked
Degnon. Your father looks very badly"
Il am afraid that 1t Is serious she
answered. She was engaged to Degnon,
and trusted his discretion.
I saw the evening papers he said
but l thought that it was just a SEN
sational playing up of an incident May
| go in and see Mr. Morrow"
Il wish YOU would" she said. Il
| seem so helpless. l think he would Ike
10 talk it over with a man."
The banker looked up wearily a. Deg
non entered the library He liked this
| clean-cut young chap, who had come 10
Midvale 10 take charge Of the electric
plant Degnon went directly to the mat
ter at issue.
4 have come to see if I can be Of any
service" he began. L have some So
OO0 that I can get hold of by tomorrow %
TOO little. but l thank you my boy"
said the president Of the Union Bank.
rs there no way out?" persisted Deg
non. Just how does the matter stand?'
1T is a plot Of Ridgeley's," began the
banker. 1T cannot be proven, but he
practically owns the Provident Savings
Bank. as well as the First National"
That is news to me-" said Degnon.
And tOafnOst others. For some reason
Ridgley does not want his connection
with the Provident Bank known. Now.
just at present there is a heavy demand
for money on short time loans. The
high rates Of interest have led both the
Provident and my own bank. the Union.
10 send all Of our surplus TO the city
| banks. Ridgley sees his chance 70 put
me out Of business by starting a run.
He knows that there is not enough money
| in either bank 10 meet d run but
the First National will help the Proyi-
dent. 1 shall have 10 suspend until l
can recall the money on deposit in the
city"
Il think l see, mused Degnon. Both
| banks need money. The Provident can
| get il from its sister bank. your Union
/ will have to admit its inability 10 pay
| dePOsitors. They turn shaky about your
bank and go to the rival institution
That's part of the scheme. The rest
/ Is this: Next week the interest accrues.
| II there Is a run and the money is with
/ drawn this interest is lost 10 the de-
/ positor. The First National will get the
/ use Of the money until the scare is over.
| They announced tonight that their in
| terest would. be paid. When the scare
/ is over they will cut off the interest and
| send the money back TO their savings
| bank, while, in the meantime, the stand
| ing Of my bank is lost"
There is just ere thing TO be done, %
! said Degnon, producing a blank form.
! Put electricity into your bank"
How will that help?" asked the bank
/ er. 1T is a sign Of enterprise, but I am
afraid in a few days I shall have no
/ bank TO light"
! Degnon smiled.
II have an idea" he explained Il
| think 1t IS a good one"
| With trembling hand, Morrow signed
| the contract and Degnon rose to 20. In
| The hall he stopped to say good night 10
| Daisy and explain that he had to see
| some one on business on his way home,
hence his haste.
| The some one" was the mayors secre-
| tary, and as a result Of the visit a per
NIT was issued the following morning as
| soon as the office opened, to tear UP the
| street for the purpose of installing the
/ light service in the Union Bank.
Already a little knot of depositors had
| gathered in front Of the two savings
/ banks when the construction gang put in
an appearance. The First National in
which Ridgley was silently interested. oc-
cupied a corner building and the Union,
| Morrows bank. adjoined it. Ridgley's
savings bank, the Provdent, stood d.
agOnally opposite, and il was in front Of
the Provident that the men began to dig
TO tap the main feeder. The men worked
stOlidly on. unmindful Of the excitement
around them. At the Union. Morrow
was paying off slowly to defer the an
| nouncement Of suspension, in the hope
that help might come. At the Provident.
on the other hand. an extra force kept
the line moving briskly. paying off as
rapidly as the money could be counted
out.
Clerks were busy bringing up money
from the vaults downstairs and over in
the First National other clerks were re-
ceiving the money and opening new ac-
counts. Ridgley had devised the scheme
as reprisal against Morrow His son had
been Daisys favored suitor until Deg
| non had stepped in and cut him out
Rtdgley had not forgiven the banker for
the fancied slight and with his usual busi-
ness instinct was making his revenge pro-
fitabe
1t was nearly noon when a clerk dash
ed out OF the Provident and hurried into
the First National In a moment he
came out again accompanied by Ridgley
himself They were making their wav to
the Provident through the crowd when
suddenly Ridgley stopped at the edge Of
the excavation.
One of the labOrers, an italian. was
working with crowbar at tha bottom Of
the pit seeking to dslodge the bar from
some obstruction it had encountered
Ridgley shouted excitedly to the man
who smiled pleasantly into his face and
began to climb out of the pit
The crowd left the line and crowded
around the opening. The Italian was
waving his permit, blandly confident of
his rights; and in his excitement Ridgley