The Meeker herald., 1908-08-29
PERSONAL SECURITY
tcopyr1sht. by Daily Story Pub. Co,
By EDMUND c. KINYoN

1t lacked but = few minutes Of clos
inng time In the Bank Of Leone.
There had been NO untoward trend Of
affairs during the day and Howard
Dudley. the young cashier and owner.
was even humming q little tune, al
though the events Of the preceding
days had not been especially con-
ducive to cheerfulness.
With the opening Of the street door
the song died on his lips and he was
conscious Of turning pale. There
stood his heaviest deposition. old DR..
Grimely. and the frowning face told
only too plainly that the long-expected
and feared was at hand-the deposit
was TO be withdrawn. The old man
went to the desk. wrote q check with
vicious stabs of the pen and showed
1t through the wicket to Dudley.
Guess I'd better take 1t out" he re-
marked. sourly: mo telling what you
money sharks are up to-"
Just as you like. DOCTOR" replied
the cashier. cheerfully. although his
knees were quaking.
Leone was a small village, 26 miles
from the city, and for many years ex-
listed without bank. Three years be-
fore Howard Dudley had gone there
and invested all of his small fortune
in establishing the Bank Of Leone.
Being genial fellow. he soon became
popular with the town people and the
bank sprang rapidly into favor. the
deposits aggregating very satisfac-
tory rum. Then came the panic. and
worrying days and sleepless nights
for the young banker.
From the first, Dudley felt conf
dent that he could sustain the bank,
providing DR.. Grimely did not with
draw his heavy deposit all at one
time. But Grimely was erratic and
peevish and with every opening of the
door for days Dudley had expected
the blow.
and there was no denying that it
made big hole in the available cash
of the institution. Studying the stu
alton. the conviction was forced upon
Dudley that the end was near at hand.
In the ordinary course Of business, he
could hardly hope to sustain the bank
during another day.
To add to the diniculty, Duckworth
& Jackson. the stock dealers. were
to receive hogs on the day following.
and would check heavily from their &C.
count to the farmers. Too. it was not
difficult to conjecture what effect
Grimely's action might have upon NJ.
merous small depositors. should 1t be-
come generally known, as was likely.
Soon after closing the bank for the
night, Dudley went out to walk in the
open air and to try to think. n the
bank defaulted. all his savings would
be swept away and he would be a
ruined man. The stigma of the fail
ure and long train of delays and loss
to creditors would inevitably attach
to him, no matter how honest and
righteous his management. 1t was an
alternative from which any honest
man might shrink with every fiber of
his being.
Mingled with his bitter reflections.
too were the dashing of hopes which
had hardly taken form in his mind.
He had toiled hard during his early
business years for capital and ex-
perience and had lived a rather cheer
less and comfortless life. With his
bank securely established. he had
hopes to end It all. and visions Of a
cottage home presided over by a
dark-haired. limpid-eyed girl-wife pro-
truded themselves oftimes into his
ledgers and accounts.
Like hunted creature, the young
banker drove his mind into every ave
nue. offering possible escape. He
must have $4,000: but among his
business and personal friends he could
not think Of one who would have the
willingness and ability to come to his
rescue with such an amount of ready
cash.
One thought. offering 4 possible So
luton. presented itself persistently,
only to be as persistently rejected.
Again and again 1t returned to the dis
tracted man. Finally. from turning 1t
over in his mind as a sort of mental
relaxation, he came to consider 1t seri-
ously. and at last sought to devise
means of utilizing 1t.
TIE city, rs miles away. lived the
Ter Of the dark hair and limpid eyes
his, day dreams. Ethel Leigh was
IAN orphan and quite wealthy by in
heritance. 1t had come to Dudley's
knowledge. in business way. that she
kept considerable sums Of money in
safety deposit vaults, preferring that
to investments.
Should he appeal, In his extremity,
to Miss Leigh? They were little more
than good friends. True. Dudley
called whenever in the city, and they
exchanged rather cordiai letters regu-
larly. Perhaps affairs would have
reached more advanced stage had
It not been for the inherent delicacy
and conscientousness Of the mamie
had set for himself the hard task of