The Washington herald., 1912-01-07

I q
Yes, sir: he's waiting for you, sir
He said was 70 send you up a. soor
as you carne In
IAN right Thomas. Is there some
cracked ice up ,there7'
Yes. SIR"
Very wen. Some gentlemen win be
here later. Show them in here and tell
me when they come"
Yes, sir"
As he entered the smoking room. his
alarm. There were deep lines OF worry
in the thin. parchment-like skin Of HIS
race. He had been uneasy when wilbur
did not come home for dinner, and the
feverish eyes and grim. tense set OF his
boys mouth and jaw did not reassure
him.
What on earth has happened. Will
burr he cried. This Is a terrible bear
raid 1 understand that the money Is
pouring out Of every bank in the city
in torrents"
That's about the size Of It. father"
the young man quietly replied. Tor
rents Is the word"
And how-are we-win We" began
Mr.. Emerson, anxiously.
oh. we're all right" answered the
son calmly. without turning his head
from the buffet. where he was busily
connecting a highbalL "AII we need Is
little ready cash and then we can
laugh at the whole business"
"A little ready cash. echoed his faith
er. why, surely, with all our re-
sources"
Yes, yes, / knowl" interrupted wil-
bur. turning. Under ordinary circum-
stances there wouldn't be any trouble
about IT at all. But these are rather
more than ordinary circumstances"
His father dropped heavily into q
chair. :
But don't understand!' he protested
feebly. Surely. the clearing house.
The clearing house refused our paper
at half-past two this afternoon" Wilbur
broke in quietly. His father stared at
him. dumb with amusement.
See here, father" he went on gently.
I don't want TO make any mystery of
this business. nor do / want to alarm
you needlessly, but the facts are these:
The big fellows are after us at last
They caught us Just at the time when
before all Of them had secured a sure
footing. They knocked the bottom out
OF the market and there was a general
run for cash. We're soIvent-onee and
half over again-but we can't stand an
other run like this two hours this after
noon.
It's due TO start at in the morning,
and we have TO have the actual coin IN
the banks by noon or''-he shrugged his
shoulders-''for the first and last time in
the financial history OF the family a bank
with the name OF Emerson connected
with II will be forced to-suspend pay
ment."
And then" The words were barely
audible.
And then wen go into the hands Of
receiver and a lot OF trusting men
and women win suffer. They'll all get
their money-eventually But Ehe trouble
is that they'H get a lot OF ours at the
same time II we are forced to suspend
don't like to give up the fruits OF four
years work"
The older man wet his dry lips ana
cleared his threat. His fine. clean cour-
age rose quickly after the moment Of
shock had passed.
What can you-what can we DO, VIII
burr he asked, calmly.
The young man stopped in his march
up and down the room and faced his
father with his long jaw thrust out.
Just this he replied grimly. In any
case. father. your private fortune viii
amount to more than 81, ,0ooo0o, won't TT
Well, so will mine-even after the re-
ceiver gets through. ] know where can
get 100000 in gold VIII you give me
your note for S1.OoO. o00?''
The old man stared at him for nearly
a minute in utter bewilderment
But. Wilbur" he protested at last,
III this crisis is going to be as bad as
you say-Tny unsecured note for a mill
lion"