The Argosy, August 1905 — page 154: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— . / 144 - for their eash. Don’t believe it, eh? You never can tell what’s going to hap- pen at a time like this.” “ No:asa matter of fact, Bob, I don’t believe it. Still”—his face grew grave “it is very true that one can’t tell.” “And suppose there was a run? Could you stand it?” “ Well "—the elder Janeway chewed his cigar—‘it would depend very largely on the size of the run. Things are strained mighty hard just now, as you seem to be aware. We haven’t much money, and we'd have to scratch like sin to get more. Nevertheless, we could stand any ordinary demands on us.” “Tf they come, they won’t be ordinary —I’ll gamble on that!” “Look here, my pessimistic young brother,” said the cashier, “ will you kindly dry up about runs and such like cheerful things? Don’t you suppose T’ve been over this devilish situation somewhere between three and four thousand times? If a run should come, wve’'d have to do the best we know how— that’s all. But ’ve got my mind firmly made up that there isn’t going to be any Tun—sort of Christian Science or New Thought treatment, I guess—and if you have no objection, we'll let it rest at that until we’re forced to do otherwise.” “Good, sensible way to look at it,” the Graves superintendent commented. He nodded to some one passing the glass partition. * Who’s that?” Richard, behind his desk, could not see the entrance. ** Carter, Dick.” “Frank Carter? ” “Same old Frank Carter, manager of the Smith shoe factory.” “Yes.” The cashier shook his head impatiently. “ He’s after his payroll, confound him! I wish to Heaven they’d postpone payday for a week this time! ” zs What does it amount to?” “Oh, about nineteen hundred, as a tule. Thunder! TI don’t want to pay that out to-day! ” “ Can’t be helped,” smiled his brother. “No, I suppose it can’t.” Richard Janeway drummed on _ his desk for a moment and mentally con- demned people who had to have payrolls ” in the middle of a money panic. He turned quickly as a teller entered. pas ei ae ese i THE ARGOSY. “ What is it, Brown?” “ Mr. Carter, Mr. Janeway. He’s just turned in his check for five thousand four hundred!” “ Fifty-four hundred!” The cashier gasped. “ What the deuce does he want all that for?” “Don’t know, sir. It wipes out his account to a few dollars, I think.” “Tive thousand four hundred dol- lars!**. muttered the elder Janeway. “It’s nearly four thousand more than he’s ever drawn on Monday before! ” “Yes, Src “Must be taking on new hands up at the shoe place,” the young brother com- mented facetiously. * That's a husky little payroll, Dick.” The cashier scowled, then turned to the teller with a resigned shrug. “Well; give it to him. That's “all, Brown.” “Very well, sir.” The door clicked again, and the cashier whistled softly. His brother wagged a knowing head. “What did I tell you?” “'There’s no need to gloat over it, Bob. Carter’s taken a bit of a fright— that’s all it amounts to. I don’t blame him altogether.” “And he looks relieved. There he goes now, with a wad of greenbacks big enough to fill a wheelbarrow.” “ Tifty—four—hundred!” Richard repeated under his breath. “ Well, I hope most fervently that he’s the first and last of his kind.” “So do I.” “Oh, pshaw, -he must be!” The cashier was trying hard to convince him- self. “'There’s nothing to justify a run on this bank. We’re fully equal to weathering even this crisis, if they'll let us alone. We're solid in so many ways 2 “ Aha! Another.” “ Another what?” “Another old friend, Dick. Look at him.” The cashier arose and glanced along the bank; he sat down again with a smile of satisfaction. 4 f “That’s only old Jim Co comicbooks.com |