Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-02-26
-wenzel says tn old man want, I'll

I
$50 you. s in his office. Say, MIR.
Terrill. do yuh think they can play
today? It's pretty wet"
10 Haley was sunk in the depths of
his big leather chair. He did not look
up as Ted entered. sit down." he
said. Ted sat down and waited.
puzzled.
AS wizard at figures" unused 10
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 joke?" asked Ted.
Nov, 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
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 Tcrril's old.
time radiance seemed to flicker and
die, leaving him ashen and old
"Short?" he repeated. Then, my
God!" in strangely colorless voice
MY God!" 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. 30! 10! 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
y by step, until-Jo, could u man steal
and not know it? Could thinking of a
thing like that drive man crazy? Be-
d cause If it could-if it could-then-''
r Il don't know" said 10 Haley, "but
e 1t sounds darned tishy." He laid a
u hand on Ted's shaking shoulder, and
q was looking into the white, drawn
face. Il had great plans for you, Ted.
But Minnie Wenzel's got it all down
j. on slips Of paper. might as well
y call her in again, and We'll have the
t whole blamed thing out"
Minnie Wenzel came. In her hand
q were slips of paper, and books with
a figures in them, and Ted looked and
/. saw things written in his own hand
r that should not have been there And
he covered his shamed face with his
h two hands and gave thanks that his
Il mother was dead.
4 There came three sharp raps at the
o 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
q Get out, Birdie Callahan" roared
q 10. You're in the wrong pew"
y Birdie closed the door behind her
h composedly and came farther into the
: room. pete, tn pastry cook, just tells
q me that Minnie Wenzel told tn day
o clerk, who told the barkeep, who told
q tn janitor, who told tn chef, who told
4 Pete, that Minnie had caught Ted
n stea'in' some three hundred dollars
n Ted took a quick step forward.
Birdie, for heavens sake keep out of
n this. You can't make things any bet
), ter. You may believe in me, but
Where's the money!" asked Birdie.
4 Ted stared at her a moment, his
i mouth open ludicrously.
). 'Why-I-don't-kn he articu.
!. lated painfully. Il never thought of
:. that"
= Birdie snorted defiantly. II thought
v so. Dye know" socially, II was vis-
!, tim with my aunt, Mis- Mulcahy, last
u evenin'."
4 There was a quick rustic of silks
+ from Minnie Wenzels direction.
n Say, look here" began 10 Haley,
y impatiently.
Shut up, 10 Haley" snapped Birdie.
a LAS was sayin', was vistin' with
! my aunt, Mis- Mulcahy. She does
4 fancy washin' an ironin' for the swells.
4 An Minnie Wenzel, there bein' none
y sweller, hires her to do up her weddin'
n linens. Such smears av hand en-
v bribery an Irish crochet she never
r see tn likes, Mis- Mulcahy says. and
). she's seen a lot. And as a special
4 treat to the poor ovid soul, why Min
a ME Wenzel let's her see some av her
n weddin' cloes. There never yet was
9 a woman who cud resist shown her
weddin' things to every other woman