The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-06-20
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ANEPISODE0F
SILVER BOW
~ WALES N. APPEL


The light was burning late in the
Bank Of Silver Bow. At his desk
sat the bookkeeper, marshallirg Che
columns Of figures that danced be-
fore his ewes in an interminable pro-
cession. With the new month came
the usual burden Of discounted time
checks from the men who worked
in the big mines above the camp.
Mel Allen repressed a yawn as he
glanced YEARLY at the clock in front
Of him. ''Ten o'clock, and not half
done" he muttered,
The youth had never taken kindly
to the wild, harsh existence into
which his premonitions Of falling
health and the advice of an overcau-
tious physician had so unceremon-
iously thrust him. Life in a quiet
New England village had i'll fitted
him to endure the hardships Of a
mining camp, nor did he find boon
companionship among the reckless
spirits Astounding in Silver Bow.
The local bank offered him a tenn
porary means of livelihood and he
shouldered without complaint the
heavy duties that his elerkship in
yolyed. He held himself aloof from
the social life of the camp as some
thing utterly foreign to his tastes.
AS he bent once more to his books,
the noise Of a key in the latch IN
terrupted ms LABOR. IN tne dlm iigill
he made out the features of Dick
Barker, the junior member Of the
firm Of Smith & Barker, his en-
p@loyers, the p%roprietors Of the bank.
Huiio-stiiii at iitt??' = was the greet
ing Of the newcomer.
eyes, there's lots Of them" quiet
ly answered the younger It'll take
till midnight at least"
He resumed his work while Bark
er slipped into a chair and watched
him. The older man was restless
and uneasy, and at intervals cleared
his throat as though about to speak.
"Say, Mel" he finally calculated.
A grunt from the bookkeeper showed
that he was listening. GIVE got my
luck with me tonight" Barker re-
suned. Il could make a big win
ming if l had the money"
"You let the wheel alone" NUT
tered the mar at the desk. you'll
lose like the rest of them.D
"No, but Pm lucky tonight" per
sisted the elder. Then he went on:
sNow look here, Mel. Tomorrow ii
the first, and | know you've got
plenty of money in the safe. Pm go
ing to take a couple Of thousand
double it between now and midnight
and have it back here long before
YOU quit work. Now don't tell m,
what Bob Smith would say. 0.
course he'd object. But Pm goinl
to do it, and Bob will never be tn
wiser, unless YOU tell him-whicl
of course you won't" At the las
words, uttered parenthetically, Me
merely shrugged his shoulders as j
TO indicate that his entire duty ha
been done and he turned away with
out further words. Barker Wake
over to the diminutiye vault tina
had never known a time-lock an
quickly opened the doors. As h
strolled out a few minutes late.
he turned to his employe. "Ill hay
it back by midnight sure, SO 20
needn't bother about it." The othC
watched him sleepily. "Be sure yo
shut the front door," he said, as /
bent over his books again.
The interruption had disturbe
his thoughts, The figures would NJ
stand still before his eyes. 81 won
der if he closed the door he though
as he peered out into the semi-darl
ness Of the outer office. In Il
shadows, his thoughts ran riot. +
wondered what they we're doing
home-hls father and mother AZ
"the kid" as he a%deotionately term,
his Younger brother. And Luz
hadn't heard from her for a wee
Was she trying to forget him,
break of their engagement? !
pictured that last evening when
had said goodbye and she had proi
ised to wait for him. The memo
was a sweet one and he felt dim
glad that it fingered with him; t
garden grew more real as the off
faded away. Mel's head droop