Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-15

LEE RANDALL, ASSISTANT CASHlER
boy. attired in black velvet knicker-
bockers. turned the knob of the door
Of the private office OF the assistant
cashier Of the Fourth National bank
of Springfield. Ill. Barely eleven years
old. Bobby Lane considered it the
rarest treat of his life to be allowed
chance to invade this usually busy
office and TO play IT being j banker.
The large Office had two entrances.
one leading into the haIl of the large
building and another leading into the
tiled Enclosure il which vas being
built a spacious new vault In the
middle Of the room was a large ma
hogany desk Near the hall door and
close 70 the wall was a small mahoga-
ny writing table. Three or four COM
Portable chairs were scattered about
the room
On the glass of the hall door, glazed
halfway to the top. was the inscrip-
ton in trim black letters. Lee Ran
dall. Assistant Cashier"
And so it was with Lee Randall,
alias Jimmy Valentine, that Bobby
Lane, the bankers little son, was fond
u IOibli4uS AWAY LIS kOOJDs - lUIc
hours and with whom he frequently
enacted the role OF an austere, uncom-
promising banker.
Very much the same Jimmy Valen-
tine in appearance and manner, Mr..
Randall had scored a signal success
as assistant cashier, and neither Mr..
Lane nor any other official or director
had found in the three years occasion
for the slightest adverse criticism OF
the new employee. In fact. he was
deemed to be a most valuable acquisi-
ton to the executive staff of the bank
and had evidenced unusual capacity as
a detector of counterfeit notes and of
forged signatures on negotiable instru-
ments. Yes. the assistant cashier was
a man with a future of promise in
store for him, and the Fourth National
OF Springfield had but month before
offered him the position of cashier,
with a thousand dollars a year in
crease over his present salary. Not
one official of the Fourth National could
give q satisfactory reason for his re-
fusal Of the offer. Very remarkable
young man. very" was the comment
Of the president OF the Fourth National
when notified OF the episode
"Hurrah, Nobody in the officer ex-
claimed Bobby to his sister Kitty, who /
followed him into the room.
The children. prime favorites with /.
the assistant cashier. were accustomed /
to do very much as they pleased with /
him or with his Office at this late hour /
in the day, when business with the !
public had practically concluded. AL /
most the only remaining thing for him
to do was 10 attend to certain routine T.
matters connected with the closing OF /
the banks business for the day.
Come on: let US play something"
the sprightly Kitty, who.
IN her short sklrted white linen dress
and with her delicate features. much
Ike those Of her sister Rose. appear
ed more Ike Christmas doll than a
future inheritor OF a fortune and OF an
imposing. dicta :orial social position.
At Bobby's suggestion TIE children
decided TO play at being a banker"
and after a lengthy. spirited dispute |
Bobby innpersonated the role Of Mr. |
while Kitty was forced to he
content with the character of a lady
borrower"
Bobby Perched himself on the as
sistant cashiers chair and assumed rs
stern an expression as his childish
features and mischlevous rowing eyes
would permit
Now, / understand you wish a
oan." began Bobby.
i don't. either" retorted Kitty. SIT
ing herself on a chair in front OF the /.
.esk
''oh. come On and play. when / say {
I understand you wish a Loan you :
say Yea"
But you won't give me any money !
III your security IS good enough
xtn. Now" lEperiously. - uater- :