Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-04-11
CHAPTER III.-cortinued

NEdi I'lSNt'l ID Od't W ~ Nttl ] i'h
three bank accounts, two Of them not
very large and seldom checked upon.
The third Was In New Yorks al-night
bank He kept busy. Il feel as ii I
ought TO see the sun rise often" he
explained "Sunrises are so beauti-
full"
His first shock came When the All
Night bank wrote him a letter, asking
his TO call and talk Of his account. and
this did not occur until four years
had vanished in the haze of Broad
ways lights Ii made him sit straight
in his chair and blink as cold dash
from a setter bottle sometimes had
when he had needed 81. Rankin. en-
tering, asked him if he had a pain.
You bet | have said he And
I'm afraid it's serious"
Shall call a doctor SIR"
mo, call a banker
Rankin, puzzled, withdrew carefully.
He had learned to step with catlike
tread when he discovered that his
master was in serious mood. He had
no wish TO anger him. No butler in
the history of butling had ever had
place so utterly ideal.
The day of the banks letter was the
first after he had reached New York
when Broadway did not go about his
gay and simple routine of up Broad
way in the afternoon and down Broad
way at night. with movements so
timed that they made long pauses near
the Circle and near Forty-second
street seem natural. He went home
before five
When Rankin ventured to express
surprise at his return to the apart
ment at that hour. he snarled at him
Go to the devil, Rankin" he sug-
gested when he fingered
Yes, sir; thank you. sir" said Ran
kin and withdrew
He reached the kitchen with a face
so troubled that the Japanese boy. who
had sought domestic service here with
(judging from his wages the COM
mendable intention of periodically
sending home, each year, enough
American money to build a warship
for his nations navy, showed interest.
WAT ISIS matturr. Ranekeen?" the
sympathetic Oriental aueried.
II know men, said Rankin. "and if
/ didn't know that Mr.. Jones is really
a millionaire-made it out of chewing
gum, his family. I'm told should say
he was hard up"
The japanese boy stared politely;
he did not understand at all
'Of course he's not hard up" Ran
kin continued. No hard-up man could
have sworn at me as he did just now
1t can't be money, so it must BE-
women"
'Limmin," said the Japanese. who
had not mastered VS.
Lemons" Rankin granted. You're
almost right | never saw man
more popular. He spends his money
like he didn't care for it. and does #
well because that is the fact. He
doesn't care for il. I never saw a
human being who cared less. Why,
he never counts the money on his
dresser in the morning. Just throws
1t there when he gets into bed. and
The Japanese laughed merrily. You
gettin lich!'
No; you little heather: only know
he does it. that is all stack IL up
for him. Sometimes he throws it all
about-that and his clothes and fur
niture He's often merry that way.
He threw me about one night A fine
strong youth! | thought it better not
TO say much till he went TO sleep. and
then, as | crawled out from under the
bed, had a chance to see his arm.
Quite muscular it is-just as it felt
when he was joking with me-"
The next day. BY chance, while visit.
ing the kitchen. Rankin had a sudden
inspiration. Il wonder If he is in
love?" he pondered. That Mr. Hen.
riot that ] attended just before he
married that grass widow was as alb
sent-minded--oh. quite absent-minded.
quite! Now. which one
Rankin suddenly came to a stand in
horror, Even to the small and vary
yellow cook ii was plain that tragic
thoughts had flashed into his mind.
II wonder" he so1ilouuized if it
could posi- ~ be that terrible Gerard
old woman. She's had her eve on him
ever since the first night that she got
q glimpse OF him"
AS he spoke his master. as request
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