Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-07-16
From the Columbian Magazine.
THE OVER-PAID CHECK
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

"I'll tell you something, if you'll prom
ise not to say anything about it, said a
young man named Wheeler to a fellow
clerk named Watson.
sI'm no hand at keeping Secrets" re-
turned Watson, @so you better not tell
me"
"Oh, yes will. But you mustn't say
anything about it. You know l had a
check for my quarters salary today"
"Yes."
sIt was for three hundred dollars. Now
look here' And, as Wheeler spoke, he
opened drawer of the desk at which be
--was-writins, took out. "a small parcel Of bank
bills, and commenced counting them over.
The whole amount was eight hundred dol
lars.
3There is what I,,received for my check" !"
said he, in tone and with g lance OF exul-
tation.
Slight hundred dollars" remarked Wat
son, evincing surprise.
sYes."
II thought your check called for only
three hundred dollars.
$50 did l. BUTT seems the teller thought
differently"
"Then he over-paid your check five huns
dred dollars.''
SHE did, no m stake replied Wheeler,
Amt lucky? No errors corrected out Of
bank, you know.
sBut you don't intend keeping the mon
ey."
sYes do. Suppose the check had been
for eight hundred dollars, and the teller had
paid me but three hundred? Would he
have rectifed the error? No indeed It's
poor rule that won't work both ways"
allow could he have made such mis-
take?"
Easy enough. The counter was lined
with a dozen persons waiting with their
checks, when l handed UP mine. You
know how curiously Mr.. y makes his
figures? IT'S no great wonder that there
should be mistakes sometimes. Now what
figure do you call that |"
The clerk pointed to piece of paper that
lay on the desk.
sits figure three"
aYet one might easily enough mistake ii
for an eight in hurry"
xOh yes"
sJust such another figure on my check.
aThen the teller was not SO much to
blame" =-.f....-
aOh no. The mistakeis by means sur
prising one.''
aBat do You mean fo. take advantage Of
theserra?" -
certainly do. IF it had been on the
other side, would he have corrected it?'
sThs loss will fall upon himself"
Il don't care where it falls. I'll get the
advantage. A man doesn't meet with such
good luck every day."
3Indeed, Wheeler, l think you're wrong,'' y
said his fellow clerk, earnestly. @We
should never seek to do good to ourselves
through another's loss. The teller will lose
five hundred dollars, unless you go forward
and correct his mistake, and that will be a
serious matter for him. You know that he
has large family.
sLet him take better care another time
But don't believe the bank will make hin
lose it.n ss
aEyen if they should not, the principle
upon which you act is wrong
9That for the principle" swapping hi
thumb and finger "When man gets fv
hundred in his grasp, it takes large a
mount of principle to get the money ou
again. My principle is to hold on to all
can get"
The conversation between the two youn
men was interrupted at this point, and the
separated to attend to the various dutie
that were required Of them.
Il hope you've thought better of it, an
intend returning the five hundred dollar
you drew out Of the bank in mistake" sal
Watson, when he had an opportunity
peak again with Wheeler alone.