The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-04-10

w
their own medicine. render service
to the nation and incidentally. OF
course, earn an honest dollar or two
for ourselves. | trust ! have your
hearty support in this programr'
Biveps again bowed low.
MY hearty support and my pro-
foundest gratitude"
"I'll expect your secretary With your
check for four millions within thirty
minutes"
The king waved friendly gesture
of dismissal. and the little dark figure
tremblingly Withdrew. He. had been
ordered to stab his associates
Without moments hesitation ne
gave the cruel orders that sent them
hurling over the precipice.
When the president Of the Van Dam
Trust company failed to receive the
promised millions from Rivens he call
ed his telephone and. receiving no an
swer. sprang into his automobile and
dashed downtown to the little main
office
When the clerk Mt the door Informed
him that Mr. Rivens could not be seen
by any one he drove back tO the pala-
tial house of his bank. smiled sadly
ut the mob In front of its huge pillars.
ordered it's bronze doors closed. walked
around the corner to his home. locked
himself in his room and blew his brains
out
For a week the panic held the f1nan
cial world in the grip of death doz
Ell banks had closed their doors and
score of men who had long boasted
their courage among men had died the
death of towards when put to the test,
One of the most curious results OF
| the panic was the revulsion of pop
nlar feeling against the daring and
honest young officer OF the law who
| had rendered the greatest service to the
people wrought by any public servant
in n generation He was hailed MS the
arch traitor Of the people. the man who
had used his high office to produce
| panic and carve fortune ont OF the
ruin of millions whose deposits were
tied up in hanks that might never again
onen their doors
Stuart. stung to desperation by their
infamous charges. attempted Mt first
to rerel them He stopped at last IN
disgust aud maintained afterward a
dignified silence,
From the first day of the run Bivens
had laughed in the face of the crowd
that besieged the door of his big Broad.
way bank. He stood on top Of the
granite steps and shouted in their
faces:
Come on. you dirty towards! rve
got your money inside waiting for you
every dollar of it-lO0 cents on the dol
lar!'
The crowd made no reply. They
merely moved up In line in stolid 81
lence little closer to the door. Eact
day this line had grown longer. Biv
ems was not worrying The king hat
spoken The folly of these people II
their insane efforts to wreck Riven'
bank was making impossible retur,
to normal business.
Stuart determined to face this GROVE
and have it out with them. He be
Iieved that bold appeal to their rea
son would silence bis critics and ALA
their insane fears BE told Bivens o
his purpose over the telephone. and tn
inancier protested vigorously:
Don't do it. Jim. beg of you" b
pleaded 1T will be waste Of breatf
Besides, you risk your life"
3 "I'll be there when the bank opens 8
10 O'Clock tomorrow morning." was th
! firm answer
J. When Stuart appeared the next morl
; ing roar Of rage swept the GROVE
Howls. curses. catcalls, misses. hoot
T and yells were hurled into his face.
t was new experience in Stuart's lif
] He flushed red. stood for momel
D surveying the mob With growing ang'
and lifted his hand for silence.
The answer was storm Of hisse
e Apparently ne hadn't friend In all Il
swaylng mass OF bowling Inaniacs.
drew his heavy brows down over b
eyes and the square jaws ground
y gether with sullen determination
= With sudden Impulse he threw n
right hand high above his head and b
y voice doomed over the crowd In pc
4 Of command The effect was electric'
~ A painful hush followed.
!, "Gentlemen!'
y He paused and his next words we
spoken In intense silence.
= "My answer to the extraordina
&c greeting you have given me Il
. morning Is simple. am not work.
for your approval work for
own approval. because must In OF
dience to the call within me. 10
ago In my life | gave up ambition a
~ ceased to ask anything for myse
:" You cannot destroy my career
cause | cherish none. The scene
= are enacting here this morning Is
disgrace to humanity. YOn have s.
g., rendered to the unmeaning fear IL
:. drives Il herd OF swine over
=, precipice. Yon have. ny an net
:. will ioined in movement to Darai!
:. the motive power of the wOrid-fai
There Is but one thing that runs I
;. earth OF ours for single dny-fa
-, in one another.
-, "You are scrambling here for
-. dollars In this bank What can
,;s do with 1t when you draw II o
There is not enough cash In the VIC
:, to transact single days busin'
10 Business is run on credit-faith
ZEN business OF oa'k - " ep -
.nt moving and make It do the w0r
90 work. You are attempting to
nh the work by the destruction OF