The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-11-18
"A Fool
Countrynlan
BY EUNlcE BLAKE

AsASSSsSes~S
lent Of the Ascola First National bank,
1--WE got to send $4,000 to San Miguel
right off, and want you to take 1t
there You'd better make an armed
fortress Of yourself, for I'm positive
there h some one connected with this
bank who n giving information to
criminals whenever any sum Of money
leaves the bank. Hemstreet was rob-
bed Of $500 a week ago when he left
without q possibility Of any one out
side the bank knowing that be had any
money with him."
I assented to what. Mr. Whiteomb
said, but Ismade up my mind to t1y to
pull through in my own way. ! knew
that q trap had been laid for Hem
street and be had fallen into It. If
there was any trap laying in my case
proposed to have a hand in 1t myself.
I slung short bulldog" up my right
sleeve by an elastic strap in case Of an
emergency, but did not expect to use
1t. l got myself up as "hayseed," not
that expected to fool those who might
be laying for me, but because l might
wish to fool some one else. In my
hand carried an old fashioned carpet
bag made Of real carpet
I carried the money home with me
and the next day took train that
passed through the town at 4 o'clock
in the morning. Glancing through q
window while dressing, saw the face
of a man at a window on the opposite
side of the street. His face was very
white in contrast with very black
beard. He was looking straight at my
window, and as soon as be saw me
looking at him he disappeared.
On my way to the station l neither
saw nor heard any one in the street,
the stiffness being marked, but once l
heard faint footballs behind me. I
turned, but saw no one. However,
while walking back and forth in the
station who should come In but the
pale faced man with the black beard.
He went to the ticket Office and from
there to the train. On taking my seat
did not look to see If he was In the
car with me, but presumed he was.
After the train had started went to
the cooler to get drink Of water, tax
ing my bag with me, and then l saw
my watcher, as l supposed him to be,
sitting not far distant from the seat l
was using. ..a... ..... ...
Returning to 1t, I began to talk to q
man sitting beside me. I asked him
how far It was to San Miguel and what
hour the banks closed there. He asked
me II was going there, and told him
was. asked him II he was going
there, too, and he admitted that he was,
whereupon whispered to him that !
had a large sum of money in my bag
and offered him $25 II he would 80
with me from the station to the bank.
He said that he would go with me
cheerfully, but didn't care to take any
pay for doing so. ..... ~.
l became quite chummy with my new
found friend, who seemed to be a gen
tleman and was evidently q bit amused
at my country simplicity. Indeed, he
told me that / should not have divulged
to him my secret. If trusted him I
was likely to trust others and to lose
my money. pretended to be regretful
of my indiscretion, but declared that
since I had trusted him at all I would
trust him throughout. He seemed
grateful at my confidence and agreed
to do anything in his power to aid me.
For this pretended heartfelt graft
tude. s,7'.@..' e.. ar',r.s'@r-s. .o''~.
When we were approaching the next
station to San Miguel proposed plan
by which my new acquaintance might
get the funds safely through for me.
HI On s,.iod no ha GOA 90 haYinQ trunk