Evening star., 1925-06-27
One of a series of the
years best shors
stories.

Just you and the kids. hey said
Mr.. Sankey.
Well. that's gettin' along in life,'
Mr.. Sankey admitted gravely. You
can look after the kids. Of course.
And maybe the neighbors help with
| the heavy work"
Sam Hake helped me-" said Tim.
Sam must be a good feller."
! You bet" Tim agreed.
Live close by?"
mo. he lives at the Crossing. He's
a mountie."
Mr.. Sankey started slightly.
Them mounted police Is good
people" he said. I'D like to meet him,
You expectin' him along this evenin',
He was here yesterday and he
won't come again till next week"
Oh, said Mr.. Sankey. Well since
you've been kind enough to ask me.
son, l Will stay for supper"
He quite won Tessie Rigney's
heart by his praise of her cooking.
Later he smoked by the fire and
told them thrilling stories of the
West of an earlier day. He seemed
whatever it was, and Tim could do no
less than ask him to stay the night
So Mr.. Sankey stayed.
| Coin to be sorter lonesome for
you Christmas, amt it." he. said.
with your pa in the hospital?"
Sort Of Tim admitted. But
there's a Christmas tree at the school
mouse Christmas Eve. and I'm goin'
to take the kids"
Santa Claus visitin' there that
night?"
There were presents for all the
kids last year, whether they went to
school or not" said Tim. I'VE amt
been able to go this Fall. but maybe
we can after Christmas"
| In the morning when Mr.. Sankey
had gone Tessie found a IS bill on
the pillow where his head had laid,
and scrap Of paper bearing the in
scription Merry Xmas" She brought
| both to Tim.
He shouldn't have done that"
Tim frowned. I'VE weren't doing it
for pay. What'N we do with 1t, Tess"
II don't know" said Miss Tess.
who had several dozen uses for 1t.
"S'pose we send it to dad for
Christmas" Tim suggested. Hes
had hard racket, and he can buy
a pipe and smokin'. Maybe it'll cheer
him up"
"All right" little Tess agreed 10y
ally.
Meanwhile Mr.. Sankey rode on, and
| giving the Crossing a wide berth for
| iCdSOllS VI MS U" IL, came 10 th6 llIIl6
town of Pilot Hill. There he stabbed
his buckskin and took hired convey
ance to the larger town Of Clydebank.
which lay some IL miles to the
southwark. He put up at a cheap
hotel and loitered about apparently
atmlessly for some days, occasionally
entering the Commercial Bank to
get his bills changed. Then he re-
turned to Pilot Hill, where he had his
buckskin newly sharp-shod all
around, experimenting the Job him
self. Also he added a farrier's ham
mer and nails to his equipment
On the afternoon of December "a
he rode into Clydebank; but this
| time he rode directly to the rear of
the frame building which was occu-
pied by the Commercial Bank. The
vicinity was deserted. Mr. Sankey
| looked at his watch, which on a pre-
vious visit he had synchronized with
the banks clock. 1t was 10 minutes
past three. precisely. He dismounted,
and instead Of dropping his cayuse's
reins merely, he hitched the halter
shank to a telephone pole, anchoring
him securely. Then he took a gunny
| sack from the saddle and entered a
shed used for fuel and storage an
nexed to the building proper. Inside
this, he gently tried the door, which
gave admission to the bank itself.
| finding it-as he had found 1t on
| previous experimental occasions-un-
locked. Then he tied a large, dark
handkerchief across his face just be-
/ low the level of his eyes, wrapped
the fingers of his right hand famili-
arly around the butt of an eight-inch
six-shooter. and went in to transact
his banking business
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