Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-05
The Daily Story
How She Saved the Bank-By Willard Brakeman
Copyrighted 1914 by AS ISOLATED Literary Bureau

my wife stopped me.
go back TO the bank" she said
land let me attend to this. You ara
needed there. and / can convey this
gold to Mr.. Redfeld."
There were the shining gold uiece,
that had accumulated slowly and bv
constant work and that / was goin1
/ to send to another on the eve Of need,
ing them myself to save me from ruin
"'Charity begins at home" l said
| to Molly. 81 fear we are going to do
something we will regret"
THAT adage has a good deal Of
truth In it." she replied. but l have
never come across any adage that will
cover every case. 1 prefer the one
| Cast your bread upon the waters.'"
Every well, sweetheart; IL we q,
/ under through saving another you viii
not chide me with having done so and
| / shall have a stout helpmeet with
whom to begin anew"
1 left my wife to attend to the mat
ter in her own way and returned 10
my own immediate duties.
few minutes before O'Clock Molly
came to my bank.
'WelI," she said, I've taken the gold
to Mr.. Redfield. / chose a coarse bag
that had held potatoes to carry it in,
and the bulk looked very small. 1t &C.
Cured to me that 1 would be seen de-
livering it at the bank and If l could
make the crowd believe there was
more of the gold it would induce con-
fidence. 1 emptied the coal scuttIs
standing beside the range into the bot
tom Of the bag and put the gold on
top"
'AlI of itY'
every dollar"
go on
when got the coal and the gold in
the bag and had tied a string around
the top I cut a slit in the bag near the
gold, over which held my hand. Then
1 called cab, got in with the treasure
and drove to the Henderson bank.
When 1 reached it 1 sent in for some
one to come out and carry it inside.
The crowd watched the clerk take the
bag from me, and as l handed it 10
him 1 took my hand away from the slit
I had cut in it, and out rolled half
dozen gold pieces.
1.-The crowd set up a shout, and, hur-
rying the clerk into the bank. picked
is, all 1 could find. 1 think I must
have lost something like five half ca
giles, or $25."
"An investment worth S25,000" I
exclaimed.
"As 1 went into the bank to take
receipt for the funds there was an.
other shout, and l noticed number
of persons leave the line"
1 threw my arms about Molly's neck
and kissed her.
There was a call at the telephone. 1t
was Redfeld.
THAT wife OF yours" he said, ''far
more than the gold she brought has
saved me. We have counted a dozen
depositors whose accounts would ag-
gregate $4,000 leave the line. The =
gold wouldn't have been enough. 1t
was the coal that did it,"
told Molly that had had some very
large amounts drawn during the day
and if there was as much cash called
for on the morrow 1 would surely so
under.
The next morning I was Mortified at
seeing a line of unintelligent depos-
ftors before my bank waiting for the
doors to open. 1 thought could stand
the run for that day, and l did, but
the next as early as IL O'Clock our
funds had been so reduced that knew
we could not keep paying till the clos
ing hour.
The morning journals had given an
account of my wife's arrival at Red
fields bank with bag of gold and Of
the effect it had produced. This help
ed me a good deal, but it seemed that
every depositor 1 had in the lower
walks of life was in line. 1t was half
past 2, and our pile had been reduced
to $500. Despite the delays practiced
by the receiving teller to gain time [
knew it would not hold out for the re-
half hour.
At twenty-nine minutes to 3 Mol
ly drove up to the bank with a sack
and called for some one to carry il into
the bank. 1 rushed out, seized il and
ran with it into the bank amid the
plaudits of the crowd. When l got it
into my private office and opened it.
hoping that Molly had effected loan.
1 was shocked to see nothing but nut
coal.
But her ruse was effective. Some
OF those ia the line. having deposits
which for their class We're quite large.
on seeing her carry in a bag. suppos-
Ing that she was repeating her act OF
the day before. left the line. leaving
those near the window whose accounts
were very small. When the clock
struck and the window was closed
there was but SO in the bank.
But meanwhile Redfield had got in
his loan and the next morning return;
ed sufficient of what had sent him 10
larry me through. AS soon as all dan
ger had passed he had the gratitude 10
ell the story OF how he had been saw
ID, and. while Molly became a heroine
protited In emoluments.
OF all the acts OF my life this pleascs
ne most.