The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-03
The rejected BANK Nore.

q Warner, in aeily and a street OF q
city which shall be nameless.
1t was q cloudy day. The cleI ks
lounged over the counter and yawscd.
The man TO whom Alice Lock ad-
dressed herself wac jaunty and mid.
die aged. He was bead clerk Of the
extensive establishment OF Huntley &
Warner, and extremely consequential
in manner
This dressing-gown we value at
six dOllars-you shall have il for five
as t-ade is dull to-day" a
1 "Fiye dollars Alice looked at the
dressing, gown loDgingly, and the
clerk looked at her. He saw that her
clothes, though made and worn gen.
teelly, were common enough in text
ure, and that her face was very much
out of the line. How it changed, how
shaded, how lighted by the varied
play of her emotions. The clerk
could have sworn that she had no more
than that sum, five dollars, in her pos
session.
The gown was q very good one for
the price. 1t was of common shade,
a tolerable merino and lined with the
same material. .(...l.....
II tbink" k"-she hesitated a moment;
~ think I'll take it" she said. Then
seeing in tho face before her an ex
preston she did not like, she blushed
as she banded out the bill the clerk
had made up his mind TO take.
"Jennis," cried Torrent, the head
clerk, in u quick, pompous tone, "pass
up the note detector."
! Up ran the tow-hcaded boy with the
detector, and down ran the clerks eye
from column to column. Then he
looked over with sharp glance, and
exclaimed:
"That's counterfeit bill.
"Counterfeit Oh, not cannot be-!
The man who sent it could not have
been SO careless; you must be mistaken,
sir -
IL am not mistaken; l am never
mistaken, Miss. l must presume, of
course, that you did not knoH it, al
though so much bad money has been
offered us of late that VIC intend to Sc
cure 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.
| ~ an;1 tbo ,.la.1, f:IU Ill
there's no doubt of 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 well made story" @
tBut, sir"
"You need make no explanations,
Miss" said the man insultingly.-
"Take your bill, and the next time you
want to buy dressing gown, don I
try to pass your counterfeit money"
and as he handed it, the bill fell from
his hands.
Alice caught it from the floor and
hurried into the street.
Such shock the girl had never re-
ceived. She hurried to banking es-
tablishment, found her way in, and
presenting the note to a noble looking
man with gray hair, she faltered out,
"Is this bad bill, sir ?"
The cashier and his son happened
to be the only persons present. Both
noticed her extreme youth, beauty and
agitation.
The cashier looked closely and hand
ed it back, as with a polite. bow and
somewhat prolonged look, he said:
at is a good bill, young LADY,
81 knew it was cried Alice, with a
quivering lip, and he dared"
She could go no farther, but entire
ly overcome she bent her head, and
the hot tears had their way.
"I beg pardon, have you bad trouble
with it 2 asked the cashier.
"Oh, sir, you will excuse me for
giving way to my teelings-but you
spoke so kindly and l felt so sure that
il was good. And think, sir, that
such men as one OF the clerks al Hunt.
lev & Warmers should be removed
He told me it was counterfeit, and
added something am glad my father
did not hear 1 knew the publisher
would not send me bad money"
"Who is your father, young lady ?"
asked the cashier, becoming interest
ed.
"Mr. Benjamin Lock, SIR"
"Benjamin, Ben. Lock 2was be ever
a clerk in the Navy Department at
Washington2'
"Yes, sir; we removed from there
replied Alice. "Snce then "-sbe hes
itated--"he has not been well-and We
are somewhat reduced. Oh, why do
1 tell these things, sir2"
"Ben. Lock reduced, !" murmured the
cashier; "the man who was the max
ing of me !--Give me the number and
street, my child. Your father was one
of the best, perhaps the only friend l
had. have not forgotten him. No
4 Liberty Street | will call this eve
ming. Meanwhile, let NE have the
bill; let me see--lll give you another
Since / come to look, l haven't got q
ive---herc's a ten; we'll make it all
right"
That evening tho inmates of shah.
by genteel house received the cashier
Of the M Bank. Mr.. Lock, man
OF gray hair, though numbering but
fifty years, rose from his arm chair,
and afRectionately greeted the familiar
face. The son of the cashier accompa-
MED him, and while the elders talked
! together, Alice and the young man