Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-03-04

emotion. Il shows lack Of breeding.
So she always suppressed It. 1t seemed
to grow inward To find her weeping
and almost audibly-impressed Alaric
that something Of more than usual Inn
portance had occurred.
Hello, mater!" he cried cheerfully.
though his looks belied the buoyancy
Of his tone. Hello! What's the mat
ter? What's up7"
At the same moment Ethel came in
through the door.
1t was 1870. and precisely at that
time every morning Ethel practiced for
half an hour on the piano-not that
she had the slightest interest in music.
but 1t helped the morning SO much.
She would look forward to 1t for an
hour before and think OF 1t for an hour
afterward, and then It was lunchtime.
1t practically fllled out the entire morn
ing.
Mrs. Chichester looked up as her be-
loved children came toward her, and
real tears were In her eyes, and real
note Of alarm was In her voice:
"Oh. Ethel! oh. Alaric!'
Alaric was at her side In moment.
He was genuinely alarmed.
Ethel moved slowly across, thinking
vaguely that something must have dis
agreed with her mother.
''What Ia 1t, mater?'' cried Alaric.
Mother said Ethel, with as nearly
tone Of emotion as she could feel.
We're ruined!' sobbed Mrs. Chiches-
ter.
Nonsense" said the bewildered son.
"Really?" asked the placid daughter.
"Our bank has failed! Every penny
your poor father left me was In it,"
walled Mrs. Chichester. We've moth
ing-nothing! We're beggas!"
A horrible fear for moment gripped
Alaric-the dread Of poverty. He shiv-
cred. Suppose such thing should
really happen! Then he dismissed 1t
with shrug Of his shoulders. How
perfectly absurd! Poverty, indeed!
The Chichesters beggars? Such nom
sense! He turned to his mother and
found her holding out letter and
newspaper. He took them both and
read them with mingled amazement
and disgust. First the headline Of the
newspaper caught his eye:
Failure Of GifKord's Bank"
Then he looked at the letter:
"Giffords bank suspended business
yesterday" Back his eye Travelled to
the paper:
"Ginord's Bank Has Closed Its
Doors!'
He was quite unable at first to grasp
the full significance Of the contents Of
that letter and newspaper. He turned
to Ethel:
"Eh?" he gasped.
Pity" she murmured. trying to lind
particular piece Of music among the
mass on the piano.
"We're ruinedy' reiterated Mrs. Chi
chester.
Then the real meaning Of those cryp-
tic headlines and the businesslike let
ter broke In on Alaric. All the Chiches-
ter blood was reused In him.
Now. that's what call q downright,
rotten, blackguardly shame-a black
guardly shamew His voice rose In
tones as 1t increased in intensity until
1t almost reached shrek.
Something was expected Of him-at
any rate, indignation. Well, he was
certainly indignant.
CLOSED its doors. indeed!' he went
on. "Why should 1t close its doors?
That's what want to know! Why
Shouldn't And he glared at the un-
offending letter and the noncOmmittal
newspaper.
He looked at Ethel. who was sur
reptitiously concealing yawn and
was apparently quite undisturbed by
the appalling news. He found no In
SEPARATION there. Back he went to his
mother for support.
What right have banks to fail?
There should be law against 1t.
They should be made to open their
doors and keep em open. That's what
we give 'em our money for-so that
We can take it out again when we
want II"
Poor Mrs. Chichester shook her head
sadly.
Everything gone" she moaned.
Ruined, and at my age!'