Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-01-21
CHAPTER VII.
The Face in the Draft.

Inc banker brought DacK the pIuSn
case and set it down on the table. The
Jew took out his check book and be-
gan to write.
The Pearlhunter never could re-
member the thoughts that came over
him at that high moment of his life.
For all he could recall, there were no
clear thoughts at ADJUST loosening
of the throat; relaxing of the
muscles, as if he had dropped load
under which he had been straining.
He didn't know it, but the old banker
was watching him. The old, embar-
raising question name to write
in the check-brought him back out
of the haze He noticed that the
Jews hand trembled as he wrote. 1t
was an odd trifie to notice, but it was
the one thing he could afterward
clearly recall.
The check, made ott TO "Pearfnunt-
err" was in his fingers! Five thou
sand dollars-in words, and big plain
figures 1t was the first check he had
ever owned-the first one he had ever
seen. He was still reading it, puz-
zling over it, when the banker grasped
his hand The banker shaking hands
with him! This was his day
'May I have the money on this?"
"Why, my dear boy" the banker an
swered. laughing. and slapping him on
the shoulder, "there isn't that much
cash in the bank"
~.
hunter. He had supposed bank had
In its vaults unlimited loads of money.
"What will I do?"
you can draw part of it, and de-
post the rest to your credit"
All of which was a foreign language
to the Pearlhunter.
"I didn't want to use any Of the
money" he finally managed to SHY. Il
don't expect to spend cent of 1t for
-you know-small matters. expect
to leave it right here till 1 can spend
it for something well-big. l just
wanted to show it to a-friend."
'eYou might show your-friend the
check" The banker stole glance at
Solomon gloating openly over the gem
now that the deal was closed. mo"
he continued, there's better
safer, he was about to say, but didn't
way than that. Why not deposit
the check and take out draft?"
Draft? What's that?''
The old banker reached his fingers
UP through his hair and studied the
man before him. Sitting down at his
desk, he wrote rapidly for moment.
This is a draft" he said, handing
over the slip he had been writing on
and taking the check in exchange. ut
is as good as gold anywhere, at any
bank, any time. Show it to your
friend, and l suggest that you after
ward bring it back to the bank and
deposit if. l will then give you a
check book and show you how to use
it
The Pearlhunter read the paper
over with curious interest, put it in
the big, formidable envelope the bank
.er gave him for the purpose, and but
toned it away in an inside pocket of
his blouse.
The little Jew had by this time put
the Blue Moon back in the plush case,
put the case in his vest pocket, and
pinned up the pocket.
"EIimmel !" he grunted, turning
away from the table. "You pearl fish
ers ISIS all crazy. I'd Gift it to you a
It'ousan' more"
81 got my price,
"Undt dots more as anybody got it
vet from Louie Solomon"
He chuckled all the way the door
A small crowd waited outside. No
body knows how news leaks out in a
small town. Not man but knew how
much the pearl had brought One of
the crowd. lanky. one-eyed fisher
man, sided up to the Pearlhunter
'Y'u got it, didn't y'u?"
The Pearlhunter was too slow, and
the little Jew answered for aim.
Course he got it. What chance a
pore devil pearl buyer got NIT DE
whole town against i'm"
That statement, or one like it, was
what the crowd had been waiting for
The tension was over. The finding and
selling of the famous gem, the most
valuable pearl ever "h'isted" along the
Wabash. was now history-Flatwoods