Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-21
Miscellany.
TWENTY DOLLARS.

WE'D rather not take that bill, If you
please" said the clerk, handing me back
the twenty dollar note had given him
" IL may be all right, but the Detector says
there are counterieits on that issue. The
bank will open in half an hour, and they
will know there. If it is good, it will be
all the same 10 you and If 1t is bad, why,
as you are stranger on the island you
might be gone before we could get it back
soy1u." m
things and call for them when the bank
opens and get my bill changed"
This conversation took place in small
shop In the town Of Nantucket, and "the
things were some South Sea carvings,
whales teeth with sailor drawings on
them. and the like, which had been buy
Ing. The bill was the only one | had In
my possession. and / had no doubt of its
goodness, supposing | could tell Just
where it came from. / did not have 80
many twenties in my hands then as To be
at any loss as TO where had taken them.
SO strolled down the sandy Main
street, and out on the silent and grass
grswn wharf, lined with decaying ware
houses, looked at the solitary New York
yacht lying at anchor In trim beauty, and
then stroled up again just as the town
clock on the South Church tower was
striking nine, 80 as to enter punctually
the bank, the only bank which the island
now maintains. handed the bill to the
cashier and asked for change. He took
IL, smoothed 1t professionally with wave
Of his hand, and was about To drop it in
the dra wcr, when something In it caught
his eye He held it up to the light, eyed
me, eyed the bill again, and then, with
shake of the head, pushed it back over
the counter. Bad" said he, laconic-
ally.
+" Bads" replied l, interrogatively
Counterfeit" he rejoined; and then,
seeing by my blank look that was really
surpri,ed, he kindly pointed out the
marks by which to detect the cheat.
looked and listened, but was not much the
wiser, for, to tell the truth, another train
of thought was ut work In my mind. What
was to dol
This was the situation which, as pock-
eted the bill and walked away toward the
Ocean House, came clearly before me. !
WAS then Junior clerk in a Boston house,
on a limited salary, and with but trifle of
income from other sources. l was an or
phan, and had not many acquaintance
and no relations near at hand. had come
to Nantucket on fortnights leave, and
my time would be up the next day.
Now having been always careful about
money matters, and feeling a horror OF
debt not al wa shared by young clerks OF
nineteen, when left home l had taken
with me Just the little balance had saved
up for nv summer vacation, and had been
ENJOYING well-earned leisure in various
cheap and innocent designations.
had been sailing, fishing. and ba hing
had driven out To, Sconset" and the South
Shore, had passed two rainy days in the
alcoves of the Athen9um, and had con
graduated myself that was keeping well
within bounds. This twenty had enter
tained till the last. The night previous
had settled my hotel bill, expecting tc
leave that very morning in the boa, but
she had started at six to go to wreck
and her passengers had to choose between
some extra hours of sailing or waiting
over. preferred the latter, especially as
could so well afford 1t, for even then
should get home with several dollars II
nv pocket Now, instead Of the com
Portable capitalist / seemed, was ,
wretched bankrupt. went up to my
room, pulled out my pocket memorandum
of expenses, laid the unlucky bill upol
the table, and sat down to think where
could have got 1t. There was just chanc
that 1t might have been taken on tn
island only knew 1t wasn't. remem
bered but too well that had kept 1t In al
inner pocket of my porte monnaie, resolved
to go home as soon as it became necessar.
to break it, But where could have 60
itY NV money was always paid me by GU
book keeper, and he would have almost q
soon have taken the sate.key to wind VI
his watch with as doubtful note.
So took up the bill and stared at 1t, q
people do, blankly trying to wsken
dormant memory. Then 1t all came 4
me.
The day before left home had beel
sent up State Street to make deposit
Belo RS started, seeing that the sum wa
in los and COS, and as my own po,!
mon naie was unpleasantly stuffed with /
which had been saving up against vacs
tion time, / had taken 20 from the bank
book and put my own bills in its place.
How did l happen to have SO many IL