The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-08

mean if l refuse him." she said.
Jones wanted to lie to her. He want.
ed to assure her that it would mean no
moro if she refused to marry Quigley
than if she should refuse to marry anv.
one else. But he found that with those
clear eyes upon him he somehow could
not do so. A lie exposed to those eyes
would perish as certainly and as quick
ly as filth exposed to the sun.
"I'm afraid" he told her, cit will
mean that by this time next week the
Beardstown National Bank will have a
new first assistant cashier"
Then he slowly wet his lips Those
lips seemed utterly bloodless. His en-
tire face seemed bloodless, for that
matter; and one somehow suspected
that his whole body was, too. A friend
had once laughingly remarked that his
blood had all been absorbed by the
firm for which he had worked the last
S5 years. That friend never guessed
how near he had come to the truth
A Light famed up in the girls eyes
Jones saw it and forestalled what he
knew she was about to say.
No, Gertie, l don It mean that.n he
said. Quigley wouldn t have me let out
because you refused to marry him. He
ism It that kind I'm sure he would
want you to come to him absolutely of
your own accord or not at alln
"Then-what do you meant"
Jones raised shaky right hand to
his chin. That hand did not shake
merely because of any momentary ex.
citement. It had started shaking Is
years before, and it had grown more
and more shaky every year since.
Gertie," he said quietly, "I am
IS years old. Now, the first assistant
IN bank is required to do a great deal
OF work. He is required to do all of
his own work, part of the work of those
below him and most of the work of
those above him. To do all this and to
do it well is task that is difficult
Of performance for even a young man.
For man of my age it is absolutely
impossible of performance. So. YOU
see"
"But surely, father, they won t for
get that you We slaved for the bank
half of your life; that you We"
"My dear" Jones smiled, "there is
not much sentiment in any business.
There cannot be. And there is probably
less sentiment in the banking business
than in any other. When first assist
ant remains first assistant until he
Is no longer able to do all the work
that is given him, he is practically al
ways replaced by younger man. This
is not right, possibly but it is newt
able, and no one is to be censored for
1T. The life-or the health, at least
OF the bank requires that it be done. -
Have you any reason for thinking
that they intend to let you out just
powf"
"Yes. Sanders, who is under me. is
son-in-law Of Lakers, the president of
the board of directors. 1t has come to
me that Sanders has been telling about
that he expects to be at my desk by
the middle Of next week. This means.
OF course, that Lakers will try to have
me let out at the next meeting of the
board-and the next meeting is tomor
row morning"
A frown settled on Gertie's face.
81 know what's bothering you, " said
Jones. "You re wondering where Ouig-
ley comes in. III tell you. No one is
ever let out without the vote of the
board being unanimous-no one above
the position of clerk, that is. Now,
Lakers is president of the board and
a man of much influence, and few of
the directors would care to hold out
against him. Quigley is one that might.
He would be certain to do so if he
knew that l was to be his father-in.
law Do you see3"
Nobody but Jones himself could ever
realize what it was costing him to talk
like this to Gertie. But he could not
help it. When little child, Gertie had
turned those clear gray eyes upon him
and asked him the truth about Santa
Claus, and he had told it to her, and
never since had be been able to tell