Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-28
PAGE SEVEN

cause ! cherish DOn ihe scene you
are enacting here this morning is q
disgrace to humanity. You have SUR
rendered to the u%nmeaning fear that
drives a nerd Of swine over q
precipice. You have. BY an act Of
will. Joined in a movement to ~paralyze
the motive power of the world-faith!
There is but one thing that runs this
earth of ours for a single day-faith
in one another.
"You are scrambling here for a few
dollars in this bank. What can you
do with it when you draw it out?
There is not enough cash in the world
to transact a single days business.
Business is run on c~redit-faith. The
business of a bank is to keep money
moving and make 1T do the worlds
work. You are attempting to stop
the work by the destruction of its
faith.'
Suddenly a man who had quietly
pushed his way through the crowd
sprang on the step before the speaker
and thrust a revolver into his face.
A cry of horror swept the crowd.
as Stuart paused. turned pale and
looked steadily down the flashing bar
rel into the madman's eyes.
who started this work of destruc-
| tion?" the man cried. "You-you-do
you hear met And I've been com
manded by God Almighty to end this
trouble by ending you'll"
AS Stuart held the glittering eyes
levelled at him across the blue black
barrel be could see the mans nervous
and uncertain finger twitching at the
trigger. With a sudden panther like
spring be leaped across the five feet
which separated him from the man
who held the revolver. His left hand
gripped the weapon and threw it into
the air as it was fred, while his right
hand closed on the throat Of his assail-
ant. With his knee against the mans
breast he hurled him down the steps.
wrenched the revolver from his hand
and with a single blow knocked him
into insensibility.
The spell was broken. The mob that
hated him saw their chance. A yell of
rage swept them, and a dozen men
| sprang toward him with curses. For
a moment he held his own. when sud-
denly a we'll directed blow from behind
knocked him down. In blind fury he
felt the smash of blows on his face
and head. A stream Of blood was
trickling down his forehead and its
salty taste penetrated his mouth.
A sudden crash from space seemed
to send the world into a mass Of fam
ing splinters and the light faded. He
heard the soft rustic Of silk and felt
the pressure of a woman's lips on his.
thought that flashed through his mind
And then from somewhere far away
in space came Mans voice low and
tense:
"Come back. Jim, dear. I've some
thing to tell you. You can't die. you
shall not die until I've told you'll!
He opened his eyes and found Nan
bending over hin. His hand rested on
her soft arm. and his head lay pillowed
OF her breast
"Why, Nan. it's you! What's hap
pened? What on earth are you doing
here?'
He looked about the room and saw
that he was in the inner Office Of the
president of the bank, alone with Biv-
ems wife. He was lying on the big
leather couch.
II heard that you were going to speak
this morning. l wanted to hear you
and came. l arrived just as you be-
gan and managed to get into the bank
I saw that man try to kill you, Jim.
and that crowd of wild beasts tram
ping you to death. Two detectives
pulled you out ard dragged you into
the bank" ="
A doctor entered a;nl .ni"kl. dressed
Etuart's wounds. and inrreu to Nan.
He'll be all right III II week I" 50,
Mrs. Bivens. provided he d",.snt s">'~t
on breaking the run Oh another au"k
by the spell Of his %eloquence. nope
you can persuade him not to try that
again"
II think I'm fully persuaded, DOCTOR"
Stuart answered grimly. I've seen a
great light today"
When the doctor had gone and Nan
was left alone with Stuart an embar-
raised silence fell between them.
She was quietly wondering If he were
fully unconscious when she was Sob
bling and saying some very foolish
things. Above all, she was wondering
whether he knew that she had kissed
him.
When her car stopped at South
Washington square and Stuart insisted
on scrambling out alone, she held his
hand tight a moment and spoke with
trembling earnestness:
You will see me now. Jim. and be
friends?" .... .
He answered promptly.
Eyes. Nan. | will. The world is nev-
er going to be quite the same place for
me after today. There was one moment
this morning in which I think I lived
a thousand years."
A hot flush stole over the woman's