The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-22

| anu, Win well-stuhed, old-fashloned pair o
leathern saddle-bags on his arm, sought the in
stitution inquired for.
Mr.. Inkpea, assisted by two clerks, behint
mahogany counters, was very busy doing moth
| ing. The tall stranger approached the clerk
| Do you pay specie for your notes here ?"
Certainly, sir" was the response.
| MIR. Inkpen, cool, methodical business man
obeyed orders. He had been directed, on tn,
appearance OF any stranger demanding speci,
Tor notes, to at once summon the President an(
Directors. MIR. lnkpen, as l said, obeyed or
ders. He had no opinions, and of course n,
judgment, OF his own, but understood his routine
and followed it faithfully.
On one occasion, when a desperate fight hap
pend in the bank, Mr.. Inkpen although chair
were broken and pistols ex ploded, never raised
his head from the ledger or ceased his employ
ment. When demonstrated with afterwards
ne only said, that had he been called upon b,
Mr.. Johnston, and ordered to interfere, he should
have done 60 with due diligence.
MIR. Inkpen handed the stranger chair over
the counter, begged him to be seated, whispered
to the runner to fetch the President at once
and then quietly resumed his writing.
Mr.. Johnston hurried to the bank. II,
his broad-brimmed hat, while seated in the chat
that MIR. Inkpen had furnished him.
| lou have some notes for which YOU desire
the specie" said the President, cycling the ole
man carefully.
Les, small amount. Banks are Dustin
up Just at this time so numerous and promscu
Gus: like, 1t is rather dangerous to have any stuff
on hand"
mr.: johnston examined the applicant more
closely, on the delivery of this rough speech. The
shrewd expression that accompanied it was moi
lost. He overdoes his disguise, thought Mr.
Johnston. Internal scoundrel, he wants to draw
me on with his small amount and the Presi
dent looked at the well stuffed saddle.baps with
intense disgust.
Yes, sir, you are quite right. We are in
the midst OF commercial crisis, and Heaven
only knews when it will end. But, sir, so far
as our institution is concerned, we do business
on so cautious and safe a principle, that we
consider ourselves quite an exception, sir
Would you like to walk into the bureau, and
examine the character and condition of OUT
bank! Our Cashier will be at your service in q
few moments, SIR"
"Don't care eff do" was the response and
Homespun, with the eternal pair of saddle bags
to which he chung with significant closeness
was ushered into the handsomely fitted up room
where, round mahogany centre table, the Di
rectors were Ia the habit of celebrating over
the affairs of the bank. Seating him in a we'll
stuffed arm chair, the President opened book
after book, and, in a short space of time, sue
ceeded, or appeared to succeed, in mystifying
completely the applicant for specie. While
thus engaged, one of the clerks, entering the
room. whispered to Mr. Johnston.
Will you excuse me few moments?
have some important business with the Board
You can continue an examination Of these
matters, if they interest you. Oil here is little
address of mine on the Muskrat Ercauatio7
and Tadpoe Stakeholder Suppose you dir
into that. The Cashier will attend to your bust
ness directly"
Oh sartin don't mind me- can wait"
cool as Satan" said Mr.. Johnston to him
sell, as he went into Inkpen's room, where the
directors were assembled, being turned out o
their ordinary place of meeting. They were the
SIX solid men of West Independence.
Well, gentlemen, our trouble is at hand"
| Brokers about?" asked fat Mr.. Slocum
almost breaking down Inkpen's bed, on the
edge OF ehch he sat.
| One," answered the President "but he evi
IDENTIFY represents the whole tribe. He has
taken extraordinary pains to disguise himself
and evidently seeks by this means to draw us
on, and, little by little secure our specie before
we are forced to close"
| Are you certain of this 2" demanded Mr.
Ienwait, cautious, slow-spoken gentleman.
Let me have look at him." exclai med Mr.
Flnkbne, evidently the master spirit of the
Board, small man, neither spare nor inclined
to flesh, but preserving Just medium. His
most remarkable feature was hooked nose
1t was not fat nose nor lean nose, a small
nose nor large nose. But, in word it was
remarkable nose, a countenance in itself
without model or like. Into this protuberance
| seemed to centre the condensed energy of the
entire body. 1t was one of the poles of action
That nose seemed the one reliable feature. The
| eyes, from under their cavernous recesses
watched that nose-the mouth spoke for the
nose-the whole body seemed attached to the
nose This was so remarkable, that everybody
remarked it. People said, Finkbine has his
nose in everything" or if Finbbine once gets
his nose into that affair."" or "Finkbine would
soon nose it out" and other phrases of like
character, when speaking of the Director.
| No one objecling to the proposition, Mr..
Finkbine rushed into the room, and brough
his nose to bear upon the stranger His first
impulse was to say, "Pooh, pooh" but he
caught the cunning expression Of the half.clos.
ed eyes, and into these eyes Finkbine dived.
nose and all he travelled through the brain.
down into the heart, along the arm, into the
saddle bags, and he saw the great heaps OF
notes; so, returning to the Board, he threw him
| self into a chair, exclaiming-
Fact, gentlemen saw through the scoun.
| drel at once"
| No one seemed disposed to contradict the
conclusion 80 emphatically announced and the
Board proceeded to business. / have not the
space to give in detail the painful discussion
which followed. Every fifteen or twenty min.
utes, the stranger was apologized to, for the de-
lay he suffered The apologies were quite un.
called for. He only responded, ooh, sartin,"
and continued a careful perusal of the Il" Musk
rat Ercaration and Tddpole Slack,oater." This
cool patience only the more irritated our friends
of the Board. From it they became satisfied
of the fact that the mysterious man of the cad
die bags represented all the brokers in the
world, and fearing no competition, could afford
to wait. To the inexpressibe relief of the Di-
rectors, three o'clock rung out in silvery tones.
and the Bank was closed. Mr. Johnston invi-
ted the troublesome customer to dinner. There
was one thing very clear in this strange speci.
men of Spectator. He had the talent at 81.
lence to an eminent extent. At dinner, he
eyed curiously his silver fork, but said nothing.
he ate with his knife, without expressing any
fears as to the consequences He declined
wine, but swallowed large quantities of cider.
without edging in between efforts more than
monosyllables.
After dinner, Mr.. Finkbine dropped in, and
was introduced. The two Directors spoke of
the Auskrat Excavation, &C., in the most &C.
ductive style. They brought to notice other
projects, equally pleasing, but their new friend
evinced no disposition to invest. The only
time he did brighten up happened when Mr..
Finkbine suggested something about exchang.
ing Middleburgh Bank notes for their own.
"No, sirsl" exclaimed Homespun, with some
energy, grasping the everlasting pair of saddle.
bags. mo, sirsl That'ed be gettin' out of