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Show LOVE ANDFORTUNE Young Bank Clerk Saved Employer's Employ-er's Money and Wins Daughter Daugh-ter for Bride. By GEORGE ELMER COBB. When John White, the bunker of Scottboro, announced that he had dispensed dis-pensed with the services of Ned Walters, Wal-ters, people were a good deal surprised. sur-prised. The young man was a general favorite in the town. Ha had been industrious in-dustrious in his orovlnce of cashier and had helped u jild the bank Mr White had persuaded him to give up a promising position to come to Scotts-boro, Scotts-boro, anij Ned had every reason to believe be-lieve that he had b-en awarded a permanent position. Suddenly, at a day'B notice, he had been asked to turn over his books to a. new cashier. "Relative of mine, thiB new official, ' the bank president rather lamely explained. ex-plained. "Walters was all right fine young fellow, and all that but I had to make a place for my dead sister's boy. Sorry, but It couldn't be avoided." avoid-ed." "Rubbish!" commented Mrs. Bunsby, head gossip of the place. "Mr. Wal ters presumed to lift his eyes to Eloise El-oise White. That was enough for the old man, who wouldn't look at a son-in-law with less than a million." Mrs. Bunsby had read the situation aright, and no one knew It better than the sadly disconsolate Ned himself. Of course he looked around for a new position. Meantime, awaiting a decision deci-sion on some of his applications, he had a dull time of It In Scottboro. Mr. White had put his foot down firmly, firm-ly, forbade him the house, and Elolse was a dutiful daughter. She had met her lover Just once Bince hr father had dismissed him from his service. "It is the last time, Ned," he said, like the brave, Bensible little woman she was. "Until I am of age I shall feel that I belong to papa. You have told me that you love me. Now I am going to tell you that I return that love, and always shall. You must go away and make a name and position, and when I am eighteen we will meet again." "A whole year to give her father a chance to marry her off!" reflected Ned dismally after that. But there seemed to be no use battling bat-tling the Inevitable. He wrote a final letter to Eloise. It breathed undying fidelity, and as well restored faith in Two Stealthy Figures Were Entering the Rear Door. his ability to win for hlmBelf a place among men for her dear sake. The bank in another city where he first had been employed offered him a sub-crdlnate sub-crdlnate position. This was humiliating, humiliat-ing, but It was a start. Ned decided to accept the position. It was his last night in Scottboro. With the morning he planned to go to his new place of employment. He was under promise not to see nor write to Eloise. It was nearly midnight, and he felt that he could not sleep, and left his room bent on a restless stroll. As a magnet, the home which held his one cherished treasure attracted him. . He passed its palatial front. All was dark, and the household apparently wrapt in slumber. Mournfully Ned passed the house. Then he started down a narrow lane. This was a short cut to the bank, which fronted on the next street. As he reached the point where it merged into an alley that ran directly behind the bank, Ned was surprised to notice, standing In the vacant space at the rear of the institution, a wagon. In an instant Ned glided down the alley. Then curiosity and wonder gave way to rapid excitement. The wagon was a covered box vehicle, with hinged doors closing tightly at its back. These were open. Two stealthy figures fig-ures were just entering the rear door of the bank. A metallic glint inside of the vehicle caused Ned to gaze more closely. Deeply stirred at an ex- r traordinary discovery, he gasped out:. "The small safe from the bank vault!" , Then robbery, burglary, was afoot!1 Whoever had entered the institution must have penetrated, to its most se-i cret vault, to thus secure the little safe which was in fact John White's real treasure house. The moment lost in deciding what was best to do, run and sound an. alarm or remain and face the raiders, was a precious one. A sound at thei rear of the bank attracted Ned's at: tention. Two men were coming thence, poking their pockets full of gold from bags of coin they carried Acting on a quick impulse, Ned gave a spring and landed In the wagon. The next instant he regretted It. The men slammed shut the two rear doors of the vehicle. "Let's hurry," he heard a gruff voice speak. "We've got about all there Is worth taking whoa!" Something had startled the horse. So suddenly did the unlmal start up that Ned was flung fl.it, striking the edge of the steel safe. He realized that the horse had run away. He stead led himself as he comprehended that the animal was dashing down the long incline sweeping to the river The wagon swung about like the tall of a kite. It struck one of the bridge pillars, the horse tore loose, and the wagon crashed through the railing and went over Into the river. Ned's head was bleeding from a severe se-vere wound. He felt the swift current cur-rent swirling the wrecked vehicle about. He tore at the shattered side of the box, squeezed through the aperture, aper-ture, the water all but engulfing him, and reached the shore, how, he never knew. Ned must have been In a kind of delirium de-lirium after that. When he was again restored to reason It was two days later. He lay on a couch In a strange room. A man, a farmer, sat by his side. "Keep still, stranger," he urged. "You are all right, but the doctor says you must rest You kept calling for some one so much," added the man, "that when my wife found a photograph photo-graph In your pocket with a name under un-der It, Miss Nellie White, she went to town and saw the young lady. She's here now, in the next room." "Who is?" almost shouted Ned. springing up on his couch. "Easy, friend, easy," Boothed the farmer. "She's a grand girl, let me tell you. When she learned you was hurt, she gave up home, father, everything every-thing to come and nurse you. I know the old miser man of means, and mean, too. He's down grade now, though bank rcbbe. everything gone Now, then, say, I'm curious to know how you ever got into this fix. Ned told. The farmer evinced the greatest excitement as his patient spoke of the wagon box that went into the river. "Why," he exclaimed, "I noticed the battered wreck of Just such a contraption contrap-tion floated into the cut-off on my land. . Thought I'd fish it out for kindling wood some time." "If it iB the one I was In," declared Ned excitedly, "it holds the safe stolen from the bank." It did, as they soon ascertained. Old John White had felt, badly at losing his daughter; he had felt worse at losing los-ing his fortune. Now, with a chance to get both back, he graciously accepted ac-cepted Ned as a son-in-law. (Copyright, 1913. by W. G. Chapman.) |