ved a pleasant
surprise in the shape of a telegram from Arthur and Sadie, announcing
their marriage.

A letter from Sadie arrived the next day, in which she said that she
and Arthur had hoped to join them in Chicago and surprise them, but
that conditions were such at the store that Arthur's every available
moment was demanded, and he could not possibly get away. But this was
not the half of it. The panic of '93, of which premonitory notice had
been given by numerous bank failures, was now a stern reality.
Collections were bad, business was dead, and the firm of Kendall & Co.,
which had unfortunately laid in a larger stock of goods than usual that
season, found it all they could do to keep themselves from going to the
wall.

Checkers and Pert returned and soon fell into their accustomed grooves.
They called upon Arthur and Sadie, and found them reasonably happy
under new conditions, although Arthur was evidently carrying a load of
care and responsibility; while Judge Martin sat up and cheerfully
predicted "confusion and every evil work" as a result of the
demonetization of silver and other kindred political "outrages."

One morning as Checkers was working about the dooryard, he espied his
father-in-law coming up the road at a gait which presaged important
news. The old man reached him, out of breath. Checkers waited
expectantly.

"Well, what do ye think has happened now?" panted Mr. Barlow. "The
First National Bank of Little Rock has gone up--busted; got yer money."

There was in his voice and manner something of the triumph that mean
spirits feel at being the first to bring disastrous news, as well as a
show of personal injury at the thought of Checkers allowing himself to
lose what he himself had even the shadow of an interest in.

"My God!" exclaimed Checkers involuntarily, growing pale at the news.
Then for a moment he stood in silence, nervously biting his upper lip.
He had had long experience in controlling himself under trying
circumstances. "If that's so," he finally answered in a quiet voice,
"it 's tough."

This exasperated Mr. Barlow. "Tough," he repeated; "you nincompoop,
it's actual ruin; the bank has been robbed by its president--looted--ye
'll never see a cent of it ag'in," and he started toward the house.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Checkers, grabbing him by the arm. "Not a word of
this to Pert; it will only excite her, and not do any good."

But the old man shook him off and continued his wa