The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-05-05

emotion. 1t shn VIZ u 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 u u usual I'M
portance had occurred.
Hello, mater" he cried cheerfully.
though his looks belied the lHlOyancy
Of his tone. Hello! What's the mat
ter? What's up"
At the same moment Ethel came In
through the door.
1t was 11:3U. and precisely ut that
time every morning Ethel pracrced for
half an hour Oh the ~piano-not that
she had the slightest interest In music.
but it helped the morning 80 much:
She would look forward to 1t for al
hour before and think Of it for an hour
afterward. and then it was lunchtime.
1t practically filled 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 u reul
note Of alarm was in her voice:
"Oh, Ethel! Oh. Alaric."'
Alaric was at her side in d moment.
He was genuinely alarmed.
Ethel moved slowly across. thinking
vaguely that something must have dis
agreed with her mother.
"Wha Is it. mater?' cried Alaric.
Mother said Ethel. with as nearly
q tone Of emotion as she could feel.
We're ruined!" soDbed 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 beggars!"
A horrible fear for a moment gripped
Alaric-the dread Of poverty. He SHY
cred. Suppose such a thing should
really happen. Then he dismissed it
with n shrug Of his shoulders. How
perfectly absurd! Poverty, indeed:
The Chichesters Deggars? Such non
sense! He turned to his mother and
found her holding out a letter and a
newspaper. He took them both and
read them with mingled amazement
and disgust. First the headline OF the
newspaper caught his eye:
Failure Of Girord's Bank"
Then he looked at the letter:
"Gifrord's bank suspended business
Yesterday Back his eye travelled to
the paper:
"Gitford'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 find
a particular piece OF music among the
muss Oh the piano.
Were ruined" reiterated Mrs. CHI
chester.
Then the real meaning Of those cryp
tic headlines und the DuSiDessIike let
ter broke in Oh ,Alnric. All the Chiches-
ter blood WAS reused In him.
Now. that's what | call u downright.
rotten, blackguurdly shame-a black
guardly shume!' His voice rose In
tones as 1t increased in intensity until
it almost reached Il shrek.
Something was expected OF him-at
any rate. Indignation. Well. he was
certainly indignant.
CLOSED it's doors. indeed!" he vent
on. Why should it close its doors?
That's what 1 want to know! Why
should-it!" And he glared ut the I'm
offending letter and the nOncOmmittal
newspaper.
He looked ut Ethel. who was u r
reptitiously concealing a yawn and
vas 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 q law against It
They should be made to open their
doors and keep 'em open. That's what
we give 'em our money for-so that
We a take it put again when we
want it,"
Poor Mrs. Chichester shook her head
sadly.
Everything gone" she moaned.
Ruined. and at my age!".
ITO be continued.)