The sun., 1908-07-05

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OF tho rough nsn whispeging 20 each Other.
and than they talked with unusual rapidity
foF SSaandinavians
"They went out and brought other Scan.
dinavian farmers back. should say hsro
that the Scandinavians In anything RESPECT.
Ing money matters are tho most suspicious
people In the world. The word insolvency
10 the most deadly word In any Ian giage
to their ears.
SThe others whom tho first arrivals
brought back looked long and hard at me
and there was more talk. Then some Of
the farmers wives came In.
'You at work. little oner one OF the
farmers wives said TO me. How comes III
Does your father know it7'
. Yea replied, my father told me last
night that must work.
And that settled 1t. Tho word Of my
reply ran about the store like little gale.
Then Of q sudden the Scandinavian farmers
and their wives clomped out Of the dry goods
store In body.
Il was too young to understand the mean-
ing of what happened. But the run upon
my fathers bank began within half an hour
after had begun to fit about the dry goods
store In the capacity Of cash girl.
1T was serious affair, It was during
the panicky times when Mr.. Cleveland was
serving his second term as President. Many
banks In the middle West had gone under.
Several well known banks In Minnesota
had been affected.
Word that the bank was In trouble was
carried for many miles into the country in
all directions from the town, and the farmers
who had not come In that day. taking alarm.
mounted their heetest horses and raced In
to withdraw their money.
'The dry goods merchant who had un-
Willingly precipitated all Of this disaster by
yielding to my childish whim heard about
the run soon after II began. and he instantly
understood what had occasioned it. He
telephoned to the bank, telling my father
the circumstances. Then he told me that
my father wanted me at tho phone.
@'You are to 60 home at once, child.
was all my father ss!S 20 :ce. end -ss
And 90 went home.
But that didn't stop tho run. The dry
goods merchant went over to the bank,
mounted the bank steps and addressed the
clamoring crowd Of Scandinavians In their
own tongue He told them just how had
happened to be fitting about his store.
This had some effect, but not a great DEAL
It happened that my father was short Of
ready cash. The bank was absolutely
solvent, but not expecting any such raid
my father didn't have enough ready money
to meet a prolonged run.
$50 he had to charter an engine and rush
to Minneapolis for banking aid. 1t was
promptly extended, and he returned with
several satchels filed with currency. The
bank was kept open till nearly midnight
paying of depositors who rode many miles
to demand their money.
But on the following morning the little
local paper printed an exact account Of how
the run had been started. publishing at tho
same time facts and figures that showed
the banks unquestionable solvanoy. And
this, together with a renewal Of confidence
In my father on the part Of the stronger
men smora the farmers. served to stop the
run. But the bank had been In the gravest
danger. on account Of the difficulty at that
time In realizing on the best securities, as
my father told me when was old enough
to understand
Il shall not forget my fathers appear
ance when he came home at noon on the
day following the beginning Of the run. I
had not seen him since the night he refused
me the watch; he had not had time to get
home at all on the previous day and had
slept at the bank. His eyes were hollow.
His features were drawn. He looked
grayer, older, and he seemed to stoop more
than had ever noticed before.
1T hurt me. grown woman as was,
when he lay dead, to remember how old
and sad he looked when he came home
from the bank that noon hour. But
only vaguely understood the trouble
had caused at the time.
aHe had no word Of reproaoh-just
stretched out wearily on the lounge in the
sitting room and pulled me over to him
and said:
Its all right, little girl'-trying to
comfort me, you see, for was crying over
how sad he seemed. Nothing to worry
about. Everything's all right. II the
little mother had been spared. Why. il
wouldn't have happened shed have
guided you. and then in food Of repent-
ant tears threw myself on him and lay
4 with him there on the lounge for long,
long time. ...-
a watch Of any kind after that, and have
never worn or possessed one.
Blackblrds Objected to the Gay Hat.
Altoona correspondence Philddelphid Record.