The Bossier banner., 1915-04-22

emotion. 1t shows lack Of breeding
So she always suppressed it. 1t seemed
10 grow inward. To find her weeping
and almost audibly-impressed Alaric
that something of more than usual i'm
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 up?"
At the same moment Ethel came in
through the door,
1t was 11:30. and precisely at that
time every morning Ethel practiced for
half in hour on the piano-not that
she had the slightest interest in music.
but it helped the morning so much.
She would look forward to it for all
hour before and think Of it for IN hour
ufterward. and then it was lunchtime
ing.
Mrs. Chichester looked up as her be.
loved children came toward her, and
real tears We're in her eyes. and real
note of alarm was in her voice:
'Oh. Ethel. Oh. Alaric!'
Alaric was at her side in a moment
He was genuinely alarmed.
Ethel moved slowly across, thinking
vaguely that something must have dis
agreed with her mother.
What is it. mater?" cried Alaric.
Mother said Ethel. with as nearly
a 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 beggars!'
A horrible fear for moment gripped
Aiaric-the dread Of poverty. He shiy
| cred Suppose such a thing should
really happen. Then he dismissed it
with shrug of his shoulders. How
perfectly absurd. Poverty, indeed.
The Chichesters besgars: Such non.
sense: He turned to his mother and
found her holding out u letter and Il
newspaper. He took them both and
read them with mingled amazement
and disgust. First the headline Of the
newspaper caught his eye:
Failure of Gifford's Bank
Then he looked at the letter:
"Giffords bank suspended business
yesterday" Back his eye Travelled to
the paper:
"Gifford'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
particular piece of music among the
mass OH the piano.
Were ruined" reiterated Mrs Chi.
chester
Then the real meaning of those cryp
ter broke in on Alaric. All the Chicles
ter blood was reused in him.
Now, that's what call Il downright
rotten, blackguardly shame-a black
guardly shamer' His voice rose in
tones as 1t increased in intensity unit
it almost reached shrek.
Something was expected of him-a'
any rate. Indignation. Well. he was
certainly indignant
CLOSED its doors. indeedr' he went
on. why should it close its doors
That's what | want to know! Why
should-it?'' And he glared ut the I'M
offending letter and the noncommitta
newspaper.
/ He looked at Ethel. who was sur
reptitiously concealing yawn ant
was apparently quite undisturbed b!
the appalling news. He found no In
spiration there. Back he went to hi!
mother for support.
What right have banks to fail
There should be a law against 1t
They should he made to open thei
doors and keep 'em open. That's wha
we give 'em our money for-so tina
we car take it out again when W,
want it,
Poor Mrs. Chichester shook her heat
sadly.
Everything goner' she moaned
Ruined. and at my age!"
Continued in nert 2CeeE's Banner