The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-03-05

Terrill, do yuh think they can pla,
today? It's pretty wet"
10 Haley was sunk in the depths o
his big leather chair He did not lool
up as Ted entered. "Sit down" hs
said. Ted sat down and waited
puzzled.
"As wizard at figures" unused il
Haley at last softly as though to him
self, I'm frost. A column of figures
on paper makes my head swim. But
can carry whole regiment of 'em in
my head. / know every time the bar
keeper draws one in the dark. I'VE
been watchin' this thing for the last
two weeks hopin' you'd quit and come
and tell me-" He turned suddenly and
faced Ted. Ted, old kid" he said
sadly, "what'n'ell made you do it
again.
whats the joker" asked Ted.
Now, Ted" demonstrated 10 Ha-
ley, that way of talkin' won't help
matters none. AS said, I'm rotten at
! figures. But you're the first invest
rnent that ever turned out bad, and let
me tell you I've handled some mighty
bad smelling ones. Why, kid, if you
had just come to me on the quiet and
asked for the loan of a hundred or
so, why"
Whats the joke, Jo?" said Ted
again slowly.
This amt my notion of a joke"
came the terse answer Were three
hundred short"
The last flicker of Ted Terri1Ps old
| time radiance seemed to flicker and
die, leaving him ashen and old.
"Short?" he repeated. Then, my
God!" in strangely colorless voice
MY Cod" He looked down at his
fingers impersonally, as though they
belonged to someone else. Then his
hand clutched 10 Haley's arm with the
grip of fear. 90! JoI That's the
thing that has haunted me day and
night, till my nerves are raw. The
fear of doing it again. Don't laugh
at me, will you? l used to lie awake
nights going over that cursed business
of the bank-over and over-till the
cold sweat would break out again. step
by step, until-Jo, could man steal
and not know it? Could thinking of
thing like that drive man crazy? Be-
cause if it could-if it .could-then-"
Il don't know" said 10 Haley, "but
it sounds darned fishy." He laid a |
hand on Ted's shaking shoulder, and |
was looking into the white, drawn |
face. 81 had great plans for you, Ted. |
But Minnie Wenzers got it all down /
on slips of paper l might as well
call her in again, and we'll have the
whole blamed thing out"
Minnie Wenzel came. In her hand
were slips of paper, and books with
figures in them, and Ted looked and
saw things written in his own hand
that should not have been there. And
he covered his shamed face with his
two hands and gave thanks that his
mother was dead.
There came three sharp raps at the
office door. The tense figures within
jumped nervously
Keep out!" called 10 Haley, who
ever you are" Whereupon the door
opened and Birdie Callahan breezed in.
Get out, Birdie Callahan" roared {
10. You're in the wrong pew" I
Birdie closed the door behind her
composedly and came farther into the :
room. Pete, tn pastry cook, just tells +,
ne that Minnie Wenzel told tn day 1
clerk, who told the barkeep, who told
h janitor, who told tn chef, who told |
Pete, that Minnie had caught Ted s
;tealin' some three hundred dollars" '
Ted took a quick step forward. '
Birdie, for heavens sake keep out of S
his. You can't make things any bet q
er. You may believe in me, but 1
Where's the money!" asked Birdie. S
Ted stared at her a moment, his a
Mouth open ludicrously.
''Why-I-dont-k he articu-
ated painfully. 'I never thought of ..
hat" a
Birdie snorted defantly. 81 thought g
0. Dye know" socially, 81 was Wis fl
in with my aunt, Mis- Mulcahy, last NJ
venin'" m
There was a quick rustic of silks W
ON Minnie Wenzel's direction. to
Say, look here" began 10 Haley, if
npatiently. m
Shut up, 10 Haley" snapped Birdie. sa
As l was sayin', was visitin' with 10
y aunt, Mis- Mulcahy. She does II
ncy washin' an ironin' for the swells. ril
n Minnie Wenzel there bein' none wi
weller, hires her to do up her weddin' tn
1ens. Such smears av hand en-
idery an Irish crochet she never
e tn likes, Mis- Mulcahy says, and
ELS seen lot. And as a special
eat to the poor ovid soul, why Min
e Wenzel lets her see some av her is
,ddin' clo'es. There never yet was CT;
woman who cud resist shown her
'ddin' things to every other woman lik
s