Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-21
IChambers' Journal

FNA-A-N+I
We had Just locked up the safe, and had put
the key in MY pocket am the accountant OF
the North and South Of England bank at Its
Padsev branch, W. X. Yorks-l had rot my hat
o. and had taken mp my umbrella, when man
came running into the banki with bag oil
money in his hand.
''Deuce take it!' he said; land I'm of TO
Liverpool by the next train, and then 10 Amer
lea"
'sory for it, said; ''but we can't take the
money"
"Wel, then, what is 10 be done? Here IS
twenty-five thousand pounds in this bag, and
those drafts of mine come due in a couple OF
days. Well, you'll have to take 'em up, he
said; 81 can't, unless you take the money in
tonight"
1 knew that those drafts were coming due,
and that our manager was little anxious ABOUT
them, for they were rather heavy, and the other
names on them were not very good. Black, too,
ithat was the man with the money ba@)-back
was a capital customer; and not only good
customer himself, bat he brought good accounts
with him, and we were young branch and on
our mette.
Well, here was the money 10 meet the drafts,
anyhow, and should have been great fool 10
send it away Just because ii was after hours. So
| counted it all over; thereSwaS about nineteen
thousand in cheques and notes, and three thou
sand in gold.
Come and have a glass of beer with me,
said Black, ION the way to the station.
/ pat the bag of money in my desk, and
locked 1t up. would come back presently, and
have 1t placed in the safe. | walked to the sta
ton with Black, we had some beer together,
and then he went off AmericawardS, and | on
the way TO Metropolitan Villas. You see, was
rather in the habit of calling for glass OF beer
as went home, and then going on; consequent
", from the force oil habit, I'd almost got HON
before remembered the bag Of money. 1t was
yexng too, because we had tea party that
night, the first since our marriage, and 1t began
at six O'clock, and I'd promised to he home an
hour earlier, to draw the corks aud help TO get
| things ready. And here it was six O'Clock,
| and had TO 20 all the way back to the bank.
All the way back went as hard as | could
pet. However, the money was all right in my
desk, and now I'd put it in the sale. "Iell MIR.
Cousins our manager, you know--l said TO
the servant who'd let me in, "that ! want the
key oil the safe" But you had it in your peck
ct, say you; which shows that you are not ac'
quainted with the rules and regulations Of the
North and South of England bank, which say
| that the accountant or chief cashier shall be
responsible for the due custody of the cash
whist it is III his possession in the day time
| and that at night all moneys and securities
| shall be carefully secured within the office sale
which shall be secured by two keys, one oil
| which shall be in the custody of the manager,
| and the second in that OF the accountant OF
| cashier. Bat, you say again, as long as you
| had one key, what did you want with two
| There, | own, the regulations are obscure. They
| were drawn ND by somebody without any liter
| airy skill; if they'd consulted me about 'em,
| could have suggested a good many improve
| ments What they meant to say was, that the
| safe was to be secured by two locks, aud that 8
| key of each, not interchangeable the one with
the other, was to be in the custody, Sc Now
| you understand why wanted Mr.. Cousins key
az ,n;1 ~, h.,
| mouth; "and what might you want Mr. "ous
| ms key for?"
| Just as stupid as you, you see. was mac
| with the girl. own always get out of ten
| per with those Yorkshire people. Ii you asst
| 'em the simplest question, first they open thei
mouths and cape at you. When you've repeat
| ed the question twice, they shut their mouths
and think for a bit. Then the idea seems t.
reach the thing that does duty with 'em TO
| brains, and eXctes a sort of reflex action, for
| by jingol instead Of answering your question
they go aud ask you one. And that makes M
| SO mad! Oh, they're very dense race, thos
| Yorkshire people.
"Why, 10 open the safe, you stupid, said |
"Where is hep
"Don't We know" SAYS she.
"KnnwY ] cried in a rage. "What should
ask yO,t for, if | did knowp
Didn't than know he were at thai housed"
All so he was. I'd nearly forgotten that h
| WIS JUG VI tlC eucslS at lily WIG party
Clearly, l couldn't get the safe open, and
didn't like 10 leave the money in my desk; so
| Put it in my pocket and took it home, thinkih!
| I'd give ii to Cousins with my key, to put it il
| the safe when be returned.
A nice mess got into when | reached home
| for you see that it had been arranged that | wa
| to 90 up stairs and dress before anybody came
and then our room was to be made ready for tn
ladies to take their bonDets off-lOr they wer
not all carriage people. We'll, YOU never saw
such thiug When got home and crept III
stairs 10 dress-the people had all come, so th
servant said-ihere were six mulfs and fou
bOnnets, and five pork-pie hats, and half doZe
shawIs on the bed; and one lady had left he
every day curlS hanging over the looking glass
Upon my word, really didn't like to perform
my toilet among all these feminine gear; an,
there was no lock TO the door; and my dres
clothes were all smotnered up amongst thes
NUTS and things. But | got through prett
well, and had just got one oil my legs into m
trousers, when banG-a-trop -dop-dopl such
rattle at the knOcker, and | heard my wifi
scuttling awaynto the hall. They were III
Markbys, our trump cards, who kept their ow
carriage and everything grand.
$50 kind of you, dear p said my wife kissin
Mrs. Marksby most affectlonately; | could hea
| the reports where stood
80 delighted! Really, how nicely how beau
tiIuly you arrange everything! ! can't hay
things so nice with all my servants and
run up stairs, dear, dor said my wife; "yo
| know the ToOm-my room, right hand at III
top of the stairs"
heard futter of female wings on the stair
What was TO do? If could have manage
the other leg, wouldn't have minded, but
couldn't. hadn't worn those dress-things iC
a good while, and don't get any thinner as
grow older. No, for the life OF me. | couldn
have disposed oil that other leg at such short NJ
lice. What could do? could only rush
the door, and set my back against it Did te
| you this was our house warning party? | Thin
not. Did tell you our landlord had altered I'll
house for us, making our bedroom larger h
adding slip that had formed separate room
! think not And yet ought to have told you a
these circumstances, to enable you 10 unde
stand the catastrophe that followed. Iu wor
the door opened outwards. I'd forgotten tina
pecnliarity-neyer having had room so const
tuted beforehand never will again. The doc
went open with crash, and | bounded bae
ward into Mrs. Narkby's arms Smelling-sal
and sal volatile, was there ever such an unit
ward affair?
R1m-tid-itimity-tuM-te The music struc
up for the dances as I hoped back into IN
room. bid my head amongst the holsters an
muifs, and almost cried; for Pm such deicat
minded man. Yes, it hurt me a good deal MOI
than it did Mrs. Markby, for, would you beiey
II she told the story down below TO the who
company, with pantomimic action, and when
showed myself at the door of the drawng-roon
| was received with shouts of inextinguisht
laughterl
think called the Yorkshire people den
iustnOw, didn't 1? Well, I'll add another eJ
tibet, coarse, dense and coarse. | told 'em S,
but they only laughed the more.
The guests were gone, the lights were on
slumber had just visited my eyes when rigl
into my brain, starting me up as if I'd been she
came noise, sort of dull, bursting noise.
wasn't really certain at first whether had heal
anoise or only dreamed Of it. sat up in bed al
listened intently. Was it only my pulse thum
Ing in my ears, or were those regular beats ii
, tramp Of somebody muffied feetl Then hea
an unmstakabe sound-creaI, creak, creak-
door being opened slowly and cautiously. A
IN moment the idea flashed into my head
= twenty-five thousand poundsl You see all III
dancing and junketing, and laughing and cha
inc, had completely driven out of my mind
thought OF the large sum | had in my posse
sion. had lett il In my greateoat pockt
which was hanging up in The hall down stair
Pun! gust of wind came through the hous
rafting the doors and windows; and then
heard door slam, and a lootstep outside
some one stealing cautiously away.
Away down stairs went like madma1 m
one thought to put my hand on that greatCoa
1t was brown greatcOat with long tails, al
two pockets behind, and little cash pocket {
the lett hand side in front, and this brea,
pocket in which had put the bar of none,
This pocket wasn't, as is usual on the left han
I WNaa.