The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-03-07
viRaT CAME OF CaLLIHGR GERUlNE
BILL COUNTERFEIT.

"W hat is the price of this dressing gown,
sir % asked sweet faced young girl, en-
tering the elegant store of Hunter 4 War
ner in city and the street OF city which
shall be nameless.
It was cloudy day. The clerks lounged
over the counters, read papers and yawned.
The man to whom Alice Locke addressed
herself, was jaunty and middle aged. He
was head clerk Of the extensive establish
ment of Hunter & Warner, and extremely
consequential in his manner.
This dressing gown--we value it at six
dollars-you shall have it for five, as trade
is dull to-day
Five dollars? Alice looked at the
dressing gown longingly, and the clerk
looked at her. He saw that her clothes,
though made and worn genteely, were
common enough in texture, aud that her
tace was very much Of the common line.
How it changed, now shaded, now lighted
by the varied play of her emotions. The
clerk could almost have sworn that she
had no more than that sum, five dollars, in
her purse or pocket.
The gown was very good one for the
price It was OF common shade, tolera-
bic nlerino, and lined with the same ma
terial
q think''--she hesitateda moment-E.I
think I'll take it, she said /; then seeing
in the face before her an expression which
she did not like, she blushed as she hand
ed out the bill the clerk had made up his
mind to take.
'.Jennis," cried Torrent, the head clerk,
in quick, pompous tone, pass up the
bank Getect0I .
Up ran tow headed boy with the de
tector, and Up and down ran the clerk
eyes from column to column. Then he
looked over with sharp glance, and ex-,
claimed
That's a counterfeit bill, Miss"
Oh. how pale the sweet face grew,
"Counterieit, Oh, not cannot bel
The man who sent it could not have been
so careless: you must be mistaken, sir.
"I'm not mistaken; ] II never mistaken,
Miss. The bill IS counterlei5. [ must
presume, Of course, that you did not know
it. although SO much bad money has been
offered US Of late, that we intend to secure
such persons as pass it. Who did you
say sent it ?'
..Mr. C, sir, of New York He
could not send me bad money" said the
trembling, frightened girl.
"Humph," said the clerk, "wen there's
no doubt about this; you can look for
yourself Now don't let me see you here
again until you can bring good money, for
we always suspect such persons as you,
that come on dark days with a well made
story"
"But sir
"You need maxi go explanations, Miss"
said the man lnsuItingly. "Take your
bill, and the next time you want to buy
dressing gown, don't intend to pass coun-
terfeit money" and, as he handed it, the
bill fell from his hands
Alice caught it from the floor and hur-
ried into the street.
Such shock the girl had never receiv-
ed in all her life before Ii was the first
insult she had ever known, and it burned
her cheek and panied her heart.
Straightway, indignant and grieved, she
hurried to banking establishment, found
her way in, and presented the note to
noble looking man with gray hair, falter-
ING out, "is this bill bad one, sir?"
The cashier and his son happened to be
the only persons present Both noticed
her extreme youth, beauty and agitation.
The cashier looked at it closely and hand
ed it back, as with a polite bow and some
what prolonged look he said =
"It's good bill, young lady
81 knew it was cried Alice with quiv-
ering lip, "and he dared"
She could go no further, but, entirely
overcome, she bent her head, and the hot
tears had their way.
81 beg pardon, have you had trouble
with it?" asked the cashier.
''Oh, sir, you will please excuse me for
giving way to my fcelings--but you spoke