The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-01-04
Held For Ransom
BY M QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated LIT
erary Press,
By Nj QUAD

On certain summers afternoon Mr..
James Gilbert or Gllberts bank Iii
town we will call Hopedale opened the
telephone IN his private office To be
greeted by n strange humnling OF the
wires. Then two or three voices began
calling and talking Then some one
used energetic language to central, and
she answered resentfully. Then came
voice that gave the banker a start
II had been two years since he heard
it. From the jingle of voices he made
out the words.
Auto ran over calf: pay $40; farmer
won't let me go; no money; hurry up
Hello, central; hello. hello! Oh. dear,"
The banker smiled. TWO years before
while fishing from the wharf and be-
fore establishing the bank summer
girl from the hotel on the hill had come
padding about In her store made ca
noe. He saw at once that she was a
novice He saw also that she had
not yet passed her twentieth year and
was his style Of beauty. For q young
man Of twenty-four who had fished
fun hour without nibble Mr.. Gilbert
was In luck,
OF course the owner Of the canoe was
bound to show off 1t was only her
second voyage in the birch bark, but
she thought she knew all the canoe
tricks and was ready to resent any
J advice. She wasn't rendered any to
resent, however. The young man con-
tented himself with taking off his coat
and slipping off his shoes. When the
canoe turned turtle he was ready. He
took d long dive and came to the sur
face with the choking. struggling girl
in his arms and reached the shore with
her
5 That evening he appeared at the ho-
tel to be effusiyely thanked by Judge
Henrys, the father, and by the CRATE
full, IL chagrined, canoeist Several
other evenings saw him there as well,
and between talking politics with the
father and canoeing with Miss Kitty
/ the time was passed very pleasantly.
Something was said about correspond
ence when father and daughter left
for their home in the city AS mat
ter of fact two or three letters did
pass. and then Uncle Sans carriers
failed to deliver The young banker
had puzzled bit, as perhaps had
some one else, and now, on account Of
the crossed wires, he was hearing her
voice again.
What had that voice said? 1t was
trying to reach some one at the hotel
on the hill but evidently making a
failure of 1t. The owner was in trou-
Bile somewhere. 1t looked as if she
had gone ont in an auto and run down
calf and the farmer was holding her
until the damages were settled. The
banker thought for a moment and then
ordered his auto around.
Which way? He had trusted to luck
, once and would again. out Of town
by the west highway-over the bridge
up the long hill and then straight
ahead for five miles. Far ahead he
saw an auto beside the road with two
female figures in it and farmer in
sulky attitude leaning against the
fence. The females in the auto were
Miss Henrys and a girl friend. There
was handshaking and introductions,
and Miss Kitty explained:
1--WE were coming along at about ten
miles an hour when the calf ran in
front Of the machine. | was willing
to pay damages. but had no money,
and the man here would not take one
of my rings"
II hain't taking no rings any more.
Teller come along here last summer
and run over my old woman and then
left diamond ring that turned out to
be glass"
He was given his money by the
: banker.
OF course Mr.. Gilbert had to call at
the summer hotel that evening to talk
the matter over. There was some
thing that the young people wanted to
say, but they couldn'e say it until after
Judge Henrys had poured out his
thanks and remembered that he had to
meet a man in the lobby. Even after
he had departed the matter fingered,
/. but 1t was very soon cleared up.
Two weeks later, In the bankers
auto, Miss Kitty and Mr.. Gilbert
went spinning over the west road. SO
, earnest was their talk that they failed
to note that they were drawing near
the farm where the calf accident had
. occurred. They were forcibly remind
ed Of the locality, however. when a
hog suddenly rose from the wayside
ditch Id front Of the farmhouse and
reached the center Of the road just
In time to be converted into fresh
pork. The farmer was looking on, and
he came out to say, and looking at
Miss Kitty as he said 1t:
.Ding my buttons, If you haven't
went and gone and done II ag'in,"
| "Of course RI pay" said the bank
err as he took out his purse. How
much is it,"
you needn't say anything to the gal
about It. but I'll make II an even 49,"
"You are very generous was the
reply as the money was handed over.
X what was he talking about2" ask
cd tho Young lady as the banker re-