Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-12-16
HWhv do YOU ask ?"


"Why do you ask p
t'Answer my question, and you will
knowv'
every we'll, [ do bank with Marsh, Stra-
cey, Fauntleroy, & Graham-and what
then %
"Draw out every farthing of balance
you have got before the bank closes at five
to-day"
I stared at him in speechless amazement.
The words, for the instant, absolutely petrl-
fed me.
''Stare as much as you like" he proceed
ed, coolly; Il mean what I say. Look at
your clock there. In twenty minutes it will
strike five, and the bank will be shut. Draw
out every farthing, I tell you, again; and
look sharp about it"
"Draw out my money! exclaimed,
partially recovering myself. care you in
your ight senses? Do you know that the
firm [ bank with represents one of the first
houses in the world? What do you mean
you, who are total stranger to me-by
taking this extraordinary interest in my at
fairs? If you want me to act on your ad-
vice, why don't you explain yourself?'
Il have explained myself Act on my
advice, or not, just as you like. 1t don't
matter to me- [ have done what promis-
ed and there's an end of it..
He turned to the door. The minute
hand of the clock was getting on from the
twenty minutes to the quarter.
''Done what you promised % [ repeated,
getting up to stop him.
eyes" he said, with his hand on the lock.
'Ihave given my message. Whatever hap
pens, remember that Good afternoon"
lie was gone before [ could speak again.
[ tried to call after him, but my lips had
suddenly got dry, and the words seemed to
stick on them [ could not imagine why,
but there was something in the mans last
words which had more than half frightened
me.
I looked at the clock. The minute-hand
was on the quarter. My Office was just far
enough from the bank to make it necessary
for ME to decide on the instant. If [ had
had time to think l am perfectly certain
that [ should not have proftcd by the extra
ordinary warning that had just been address
ed to me- The suspicious appearance -A->1
manners OF the stranger-the outrageous
improbability of the inference against the
credit of the bank toward which his words
pointed-the chance that some underhand
attempt was being made by some enemy Of
mine to frighten me into imbroiling myself
with one of my best friends, through show
ing an ignorant distrust of the firm with
which he was associated as partner-all these
considerations would unquestionably have
occurred to me if I could have found time
for reflection; and as a necessary consc-
quence. not one farthing of my balance
would have been taken from the keeping of
the bank on that memorable day.
AS it was [ had just time enough to act,
and not spare moment for thinking. Some
heavy payments made at the beginning of
the week had so far decreased my balance
that the sum to my credit in the banking
book barely reached fifteen hundred pounds.
[ snatched up my check-book, wrote draft
for the whole amount, and ordered one of
my clerks to run to the bank and get it cash
ed before the doors closed What impulse
urged me on, except the blind impulse of
hurry and bcwilderment, [ can't say. [
acted mechanically, under the influence of
the vague, inexplicable fear which the mans
extraordinary parting words had aroused in
me, without stopping to analyze my own
observation-disclosures without knowing what [
was about In three minutes from the time
when the stranger had closed my door the
clerk had started for the bank; and | was
alone again in my room, with my hands as
cold as ice and my head all in whirl.
[ did not recover my control over myself
until the clerk came back with the notes in
his hand. He had just got to the bank in
the nick of time. AS the cash for my draft
was handed to him over the counter the clock
struck five, and he heard the order given to
close the doors.
When [ had counted the bank notes, and
had locked them up in the safe, my better
sense seemed to come back to me on a sud-
den Never have [ reproached myself be-
fore or since as [ reproached myself at that
moment. What sort of return had [ made
for Mr. Fauntleroy's fatherly kindness to
me? had insulted him by the meanest,
the grossest distrust of the honor and the
credit of his house--and that on the word
of an absolute stranger-of vagabond, if
ever there was one yet! It was madness,
downright madness, in any man to have
acted as [ had done. [ could not account
for my own inconceivably thoughtless pro-
ceeding. could hardly believe in it my
self. opened the safe and looked at the
bank-notes again. [ locked it once more,
and flung the key down on the table in a
fury of vexation against myself. There the
money was, upbraiding me with my own in
conceivable folly-tellng me in the plainest
terms that had risked depriving myself of
my best and kindest friend henceforth and
forever.
1t was necessary to something at once to-
ward making all the atonement that lay in