The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-05-08
What Came Of Chilling a Good Bill
i s1ises A Counterfeit. zsb.

g
ssas"What is the price of this dressing
gown. sirl" asked a sweet-faced girl, en-
ssterfng the elegant store of ldntiey and
Warner in city, and the streets of al
1ecity which shall bs namelesss.
~ It was q cloudy day. The clerks
lounged over the counters, read papersl
and yawned, The man to whom Alice
Locke addressed herself was jaunty and
middle aged He was head clerk in the
extensive establishment of Huntley Il
Warner. and extremely ,couseq quential in
: his air. }e @
- "That dressing gown-we value it at
six dollsrs--yaa shall have it for live, as
trade is dull to day y
aa Five dollars! Alice looked at the
ssdressing gown longingy, and The clerk
looked at her. He saw that h2r clothes,
4 though made and worn genteelly. were
sacommon enough in texture, and that her
face was very much of :hs common line :.
How it changed! now shaded, now lighted
by the varied play of her emotion Tae
clerk could almost have sworn that she
had no more than that very sum in her
e pocket.
THE gown was very good one for the
price. IL was of common shade, toler-
able merino, and lined with the same ma
tsrial.
x III think" she hestated moment
~ think III take it, she said; then see
ing IN the fece before her en- expression
which she did not like she blushed as she
handed out the bill which the clerk had
5 made up his mind to take.
-o.a aJeunis cried Turnout, the head clerk,
sin quick, ponpors tone, 'pass up the
bank detector." -
Up ran tow headed boy with detec-
tor. aud up and down the clerks eyes ran
from column to column. Then he looked
bs over with sharp glance, aud exclaimed:
"That's counterfeit bill. Miss !"
50 %. how pale the sweet face grew!
"Counterfeit! Oh. no, it cannot be!
The man who sent it to me could not be
20 careless; you must be mistaken, sirP'
Al!s "I'm not mistaken-I'm never mista.
ken. The bill is counterfeit. l mast
presume, of course, that you did not know
lit, although SO much bad money has been
offered us Of late, that we intend to Sc
cure such persons as pass it. Who did
you say sent it?''
nMr. O., sir, of New York. He
could not send me bad money" said the
trembling, frightened girl.
"Humph! humphP' said the clerk.
10 esWell, there's no doubt about this;
son can look for yourself. Now, don''
.saet me see you here again until You car
bring good money, for we always suspect
such persons as you, that come on DARK
days with well-made Story"
"But, sir
1You need make no explanations
: Miss,n said the man, insultingly. "Tak'
your bill, aud the next time you want t.
buy dressing gown, don't attempt t.
pass counterfeit money" and as he hand
led it, the bill fell from his hands
Alice caught it from the aoor and hur
ried into the street.
,i Such shock the girl had never re
q ceived in all her life before. 1t was tn
first insult she had ever known, and
burned her cheek and panied her heart
Straightway. indignant and grieving, sh
hurried to banking establishment, foun
herway in, and presented the note to
ahoble looking man, with gray hair, falter
ing out, "Is this bill bad one, sir?'
- The cashier and his son happened t
be the only persons present. Both NO
ticed her extreme youth, beauty, and agi
tstiop, The cashier looked at it closely