Smyrna times., 1859-12-01
BUYING DRESSING GOWN;
OR,
what Came of Calling "a Bill Counterfeit.
BY MRS. NJ. A. DENIsON

over counters, read papers and yawned. tn
j. man TO whom Alice Locke addressed berse
n was Jaunty and middle.agcd. He was the bea
IT CLERK OF the extensive establishment of Hun
!. iey q warner, and extremely consequential
his manner to customers.
! "Ihat dressing gown we value at six dollar
y you shall have it at five, as trade is dull to
r day." ~
Five dollars Alice looked at the dressin,
gown longingly, and the clerk looked at her
lie saw that her clothes, though made an,
worn genteelly, were rather common in tex
tqre' ana that her face was very handsome
now II changed now shaded, now Iiphtenet
oy the varied play Of her emotions. That clerl
could almost have sworn that she had no more
than that very sum, five dollars, in her purse.
: The gown was very good one for the price G
II was OF crimson shade, tolGrable merino, and
lined with the same material
~ thlnk-" she hestated a moment: ,s
thlnk I'll take it," she said, then seeinp in The
lace before her an expression she did not ike.
she blushed as she handed out the verv bill that
The cItrk had made up his mind to receive.
Jennlus," cried Torrent, the head clerk. in
qulck pompous tone, pass Bank Dectec-
tor"
Up ran tow-headed boy with the pamphlet.
und up and down ran the clerks eyes from col.
unn to column. Then he looked over with
! sharp glance, and exclaimed That's counter
felt bill, Miss"
y, how pale the sweet face grew.
"Counterteit! oh, no, it cannot be! The
man who sent it could not be SO careless Won
must be mistaken, sir"
I'm not mistaken; I'm never mistaken.
MISS. This bill is a counterfeit. | must pre.
sumo, ot course, you did not know it, although
so much bad money has been offered us of late.
that we intend to secure such persona as pass IT,
Who did you say sent it!"
" Mr.. C, Of New York. He could not
send me bad money" said the trembling,
frightened girl.
"Humph humph!" said the clerk. "Well
there's no doubt Of this you can loo for YOUR
SELF Now don't let me see you here again.
until you can bring good money, for we always
suspect such people as you that come on dark
days with weli-made story"
/" But sr-''
Z" You need make no explanations. Miss"
said the man, insutingly.
" Take your bill, aud next time YOU want ia
buy dresslng-gown, don't attempt to pags
counterfeit money! and as he handed it, the
bill dropped from his hand.
Alice caught 1t from the floor and sprang
into the street.
Such shock that young girl had never re.
celVed IN her life before. 1t was the first insult
she had ever known, and it burned her cheek
and panied her heart. Straightway, indignant
and grieving, she hurried TO a banking estah.
ishment, found her way in, and presented her
note 10 noble looking man with gray hair and
prepossesslng appearance, and tallered out
3" Is that bill bad one, sir I"
The cashier and his son happened to be the
only persons present Both noticed her extreme
looked narrowly and handed it back, with
polite bow, and prolonged look saying-"I is
a coed bill, young lady,"
81 knew 1t was" cried Alice, with oniver.
ing lip" aud he to dare"
She could go no further, but entirely over
come, she bent her head and the hot tears had
their way.
81 beg pardon-have you had trouble about
it - asked the cashier.
40, sir, you Will excuse me for giving way
to my feelings, bat you spoke go kindly, and /
was SO sure it was good! Aud | think, sir
such men as one of the clerks IN Huntlev &,
Warmers should be removed. lie told me il
was counterfeit, and added something that. ifi
my father had heard, don't know but he
would have killed him. | knew the publisher
would not send me bad money. "Who is YOUR
father, young lady :" asked the cashier, becom.
ing much interested.
" Mr.. Benjamin Locke, sir"
" Ben aInin-Ben Locke-was he ever clerk
in The Navy Department at Washington
I" Yes, sir, we removed from there" replied
Alice. /" Since then "-she hestated-" he
has not been Well-and-we are somewhat re-
duced. y, why do tell you these things?"
:" Ben Loek-reduced! murmured the cash
ler; I" the man who was the making of me =
Give me the number and street, my child
Your father, once the greatest, perhaps the
only friend had. have not forgotten. -Four.
Liberty street; will call this evening Mean.
while let me have that billet me see, I'll let
you have another. Come to look, haven't a
| live-here's ten-we'll make it all right"
That evening the inmates of a comfortable
but shabby genteel house received the cashier
of NJ Bank. Mr.. Locke, man of gray
hair, though numbering but fifty years of his
varied life, arose from his arm chair, and much
affected, greeted the familiar face. The son of
the cashier accompanied him, and while the
elders talked together, Alice aud the handsome
young man grew quite chatty.
Yes, sir, have been unfortunate" said Mr..
! Locke, in low, confidential voice. 81 have
Just recovered, as you see, from u rheumatic
1 fever, caused by undue exertion, aud had 1t not
been for that sweet girl of mine, | know not
what should have done. She, by giving les
sons in music and French, and writing for peri
odicals, has kept us thus far above want"
"You shall never know want, my FRIEND"
said the cashier. "lt was a kind Providence
that sent your daughter to me. There is a
place in the bank just made vacant by the
death Of valued clerk, and it is at your disoo.
sal /; II is in my gift, and valued at twelve hun.
dred year."
Pen cannot describe the joy with which this
kind offer was accepted.
On The following morning the cashier enter
! ed the handsome store of Huntley g. Warner,
} and asked for the head clerk. He came all oh.
sequious.