New Ulm review., 1911-03-01
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/ "HavSn't got it out Of your blood
WET, eh2' asked Valentine.
"Not the craving for real money.
w learned ito let the wheat in the grain
N elevator alone after a month or two
iA but coarse money like that-wow!
ri The old man stared fascinatedly al
the entising tray
"WellI we watched each other for
awhile,H commented Red, pointing to
his chief.
"Aud amt neither Of you ever
snatched even one bundle?" asked
Avery incredulously
mo"
"Well, you better get me out OF
n here. I'm going to have lockjaw In
II both hands in minute" He reached
for his hat and stick.
mo, you're not" put in Valentine.
'Come on. Red" he said, walking to
\ the vault room door. I'm going to
prove, to Bill that he's honest. He's
going to watch that money till we
come BACK"
Averys. cried out in protest. but Red
/ follower his superior and the time
worn thief, who had confessed to his
friends the weakness that he we'll
knew ySt lurked within him. was left
alone i'll the banking office before a
tray containing $4,000 in cash. With
in rcaclE was the door leading into the
open halfway through which it was
but fey seconds dash to the busy
street, wfcre a man would Immediate
lv he lost to view in the passing
throng I
"It's Il klirty trick muttered the old
man. t?lEing after the others. 4 shaft
of yelloR light reflected from one of
the cold$h coins caught his eye. drove
into his Merry brain, into the thin red
blood TIL coursed through his hard
ening vesF,s. He stopped. He turned
full arorfid and slowly. with hands
eagerly sttstretched, tiptoed back to
the table s1)earing the precious burden.
His broWks narrowed down over his
pale gra} eyes, his fingers, long talons
in theiS curved fxedness. began to
nervousfy twitch. Then Avery jerked
himselfga.way Of sudden. He straight
ened himself up and started toward the
vault room door to summon Valentine.
But evenSa he did so his glance roved
back toNthe alluring tray. He was
drawn y. it as the nerveless rabbit
that sued lmbs to the insidious charm
of the OS&illating head of the hungry
python.
He stepped to the tray. He seized
two panHages of hundred dollar bills.
thrust them into his pockets then
clutched, two more. The fever had
him. ,HLs eyes shone with the fire of
gone days and gone nights. His poi
sOned bSod sang through his veins. |
Then he, 3topped once more. He raised |
his headis .
Sand { gave the coppers after me |
again." sjeb murmured thoughtfully. He
laid down a package. "And double !
cross ipaI that put me straight. Not |
me, not nse!' He replaced the re-
mainder sof sthe money. "And coin that
comes c. iooLted never was any good"
Avery SstGod before the tray of mon
ey. Now E,e looked at the tempting
fortune viii III the sure knowledge that
he had conquered he had faced
his greatesat test and had not been
found wanting.
The thought Of how narrowly he
had escaped committing the meanest
crime of lhis career came over him,
and he realized that he had been on
the verge Of plunging himself into the
death def ling life from which Valen-
tine hag.Y sescued him. Ungovernable
rage passsessed him at his insane lapse
Into thea self that he had cast from
b1im HA swung his fist at the neatly
stacked s)iles Of gold pieces.
Course you. curse your he cried in
frenzy. yThe tray and its contents
crashed - the floor and the money
in all directions.
ValentiVle and Red. hearing the noise.
.ame rustling in from the vault room.
They SAW the floor Uttered with bank
notes = coins. And crouching for
ornly III GA chair was the figure of old
Bill Avefsy. His hands were pressed
'ver his seyes. and he sobbed in the.
lgony thasl gripped the soul which had
'een rest pred to him.