The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-07-10
AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD
BY FRANK n. MELON,

! Ouiy tudI mOWSuI lOIu lFOuu the Srlmy
envelope, Chase Precott groaned
aloud. Although he was not man
| given to despairing, he could see plain.
| ly that the words spelled probable
ruin. AS acting president of the Wyo.
ming Banking company, with branches
bility of the twin institutions lay on
the shoulders of the one-time cashier;
from the president, whose recovery
! from a dangerous fever seemed i'm.
! probable, he could expect neither aid
nor advice. The telegram read:
Fremont, Wyo., Sept. 23.-Chase
Prescott, The Muddy River House,
Casper: Run on bank certain tomor.
row. twenty-five thousand necessary
by noon. Come at once yourself ar.
! ranging for special train to follow
Dick Moses"
That's pleasant message to re-
ceive on the eve of ones marriage!"
he exclaimed. Il wonder what Ina
would say to that. Lucky we ar
ranged to be married at her home in
Fremont"
Chase Prescott glanced at his
watch, noting that the hour was eight
o'clock. He stepped quickly to the
telephone booth, giving his orders
clearly and briefly to his associates
of the Casper National, closing by tell.
ing them that he was about to leave
for Fremont on the 9:15 p. m. train.
Have the money on board the spe-
cial as early as you can tomorrow
morning. he admonished I'VE must
take no chanes. If it wasn't for that
confounded new time lock, I'd open
the safe tonight, get the coin to Ere
mont and have it in the bank there
by the time we open for business to-
morrow morning"
Once in Fremont, Chase Prescott
fastened to meet Dick Moses, pay.
ing teller of the Fremont National, and
a brother of the girl who was to be-
come his wife on the morrow. The
substance Of the information conveyed
by Dick Moses was that disgruntled
depositor had started in circulation a
story that the Fremont National was
quickly, and but for the fact that the
bank closed it's doors daily at three
o'clock, would have meant ruin that
day. On the morrow the bank doors
would swing back on their heavy
hinges at $3.50 o'clock. The amount
of currency and bills in the bank was
good, possibly, for three hours run;
anyway, not for more than that.
Everything depended, therefore, on
the timely arrival of the special from
Casper.
The officials went to the bank in a
body the next morning. A crowd was
already gathered, about the building.
For an hour there was a steady out.
flow of carefully counted money
through the little wicker over which
was the sign Deposits and With
drawals." Chase Prescott stood by
the big plate glass window, watching
the crowd outside.
A messenger boy from the nearby
telegraph Office came running into
the bank, all out of breath. Has
tily Chase Prescott tore open the en-
velope. It read:
Casper, Wyo.. Sept. 24.-Chase
Prescott, the Fremont National FIRE.
mont: Special has left here with
twenty-five thousand in currency,
Should be in Fremont, barring acct
dents, by 11:3O.-William."
The face of Dick Moses paled as
the pile of currency at his right hand
dwindled.
Again the messenger boy from the
telegraph Office was seen running
through the crowd, elbowing his way
vigorously. This time the scrap of
yellow paper was crushed in Chase
Prescott's hand. 1t told of a washout
II. miles away. There had been dam
burst, it said; the money was being
brought on by wagon, and would be
at the door of the Fremont National
with in hour.
In an hour!' groaned the acting
president. In an hour! Great Scott
the bank will be busted inside of 20
minutes! No, it shan't be! l say it
shan't be-" AS he uttered the words,
half aloud, he ran out into the street,
hailing passing express wagon. Ev-
cry cent the bank had in it's Golfers had
been placed in full view for effect;
and now it was nearly gone. There
was not sufficient to last another five
minutes.
The rumble of the express wagon
was again heard, and the crowd in
the street was forced to scatter to let
it through. 1t was piled high with
bags of precious coin-rough meal
sacks, seized on hastily, the most of
them were, but the money inside had
the rattle and jingle of gold. Without
a word, bag after bag was carried in
side the big doors. At last the crowd
cheers split the air,
and the line of walters broke up
but satisfied the bank was
safe.
Thirty minutes later the wagon
from the washout arrived, the driver |
looked more like a man dead than
alive, and the horse white with the |
foam of terrible exertion.
How in the world did you do it?"
gasped Dick Moses to Chase Pres
CT It.
The first load was made up of