The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-27
eaEM SORRY can't do it," said

UayS.
Morrison slammed down the cover
of his suitcase, and regarded his room
mate with a curious glance. He scrib-
bled an address on the back OF an
envelope and handed it to Billy.
"Will you forward my mail'" he
asked.
"Sure,' said Billy. "I hate to see
you dig out, though. They didn't give
you much notice, did theya'
..Hang it, no, returned Morrison.
"That's one of the joys of being a.
civil engineer. You get sent north in
the winter and south in the summer.
And here l am starting for West
ern state on eight hours notice, Sun
day, and the banks closed. Are you
going to the traina"
eyes," said Billy. He picked up
Morrison s suitcase Together they en-
tered the elevator, r7alked through the
club office and jumped into taxi.
On the way to the station they.
scarcely spoke. Morrison knew that
Billy would bite his tongue off before
he would ask again for the loan Billy
owed him several hundred now. The
man was desperate; he had to have
the money, but he would not ask
Morrison second time.
81 am sorry, Billy Morrison spoke
of his own volition. "But | can t lend
you the money. l got my balance yes
terday. I've only $500 in the bank
at this moment, and III need every
cent of it. Times are pretty shaky.
"That s all right, old mani know
How long will you be gonea" he add
ed.
"Three weeks, at least; perhaps
month.
Five minutes later they stood to
gcther at the ticket gate. Billy hand
ed over his friend S suitcase.
"'Good luck, old man..
Morrison took both the outstretche'
hand and the suitcase. "Billy,' san
he, thanks 4or coming down. You r
good friend, anyway; l can depen
upon you. -
Billy smiled as he waved goodby.
The conditions on the street wei
frightful. Money had never been
tight Several of the big bond hous'
had failed. Banks were demandlr
payment on all call loans and we
refusing an extension of time. 1t wi
this unexpected furry that had caug
Billy as it had caught hundreds
others. He knew that he couldn t bo
row a dollar, except through the cha
mel Of some personal friend, and Nc
rison had refused him. He would SCI
no further. The money market co
tinued even more critical. Three da
later Billy was passing the Citizen
Trust Company where Morrison h
his account "Ill be gone three wee
at least. and possibly month. - BIZ
kept repeating his friend S words.
thought hard he hesitated. Why nc
Ho entered the bank boldly secur
several of the Citizen s Trust Go
pany's blank checks and hurried O
Late that night he bent over the de
in his own room, forging his frient
name
In the little Western mining tov
two weeks later, Morrison had che
returned to him marked "No funds
He telegraphed the cashier OF
bank and received the following rel
sent collect:
"Your account overdrawn on
3rd inst.
"CITIZEN s TRUST co.
Morrison sat down and thought
harder he thought the more perple.
he became. Several days later he
an account in the paper that
Citizens Trust Company had fai
He wound up his business earlier tt
he had expected and returned.
train got in at o clock, he W
directly to the Citizens Trust G
pany, which was still doing busir
under the supervision of state Q
cials. As he approached the CASH
window that gentleman smiled at
~ don't understand about my
count began Morrison. "You W
that it was overdrawns"
eyes" returned the other unh
AI..Ix. >, ,,o,, dram fun chnckS