The Portland daily press., 1873-11-08
lFrom Chambers Journal.l
An UNLIMITED Guest.

running out il the usual business-ike man
her. From a raised desk in nv private from,
l, the Manager of the Royal Domestic Bank,
looked out on the busy scene with a certain
pride and pleasure. The Royal Domestic is
not long-estabshed institution, and, with
out vanity, may say that much of its pros
perity and sucee is attributable to the zeal
and experience of lis Manager. In corrobor-
alton OF this starement, might refer to the
last printed report of the Directors, laid be-
fore the shareholders at their annual meet
ing, in which they are pleased to say-But,
after all. perhaps l may be thought guilty of
undue egotism and conceit, if l repeat the
hattering terms in which they speak of me.
A clerk put his head inside my door. Mr.
Thrapstow. sir. to speak to you.
''Send him in, Roberts, said.
Charles Thrapstow had known from boy
hood we had both been rearea in the same
country town. The fact that his parents
were of considerably higher social status than
mine perhaps made our subsequent intimacy
all the pleasanter to me, and caused me 10 set
a value upon his good opinion greater than
its intrinsic worth. Thrapstow was stock
broker, very clever, pushing fellow, who
had the reputation of possessing an excellent
judgment and great good luck. At my re-
quest, he had brought his account to our
bank. 1t was a good account; he always
kept fair balance, and the cashier had new
er 10 look Twice at MS cn2ckS.
Charlie, like everybody else in business, &C.
casionally wanted money, [ have let him
have advances at various times, of course
amply covered by securities, advances which
were always promptly repaid, aud the securi-
ties redeemed. At this time, he had five
thousand pounds of ours, to secure which we
held City of Damascus, Walter-com Dany's
bonls to the nominal value of ten thousand
NY Directors rather demurred 10 these bonds,
as being somewha: speculative in nature; but
as represented that the Company Vas high
ly respectable, and its shares well quoted in
the market, and that had full confidence in
our customer, our people sanctioned the adj
vance. had perhaps little uneasy feeling
myself about those bonds, for they were not
everybody's money. and there might have
been some little difficulty in finding Gus
toner for them in the case of the necessity
for sudden sale.
Thrdpstow came in radiant he was a
good looking fellow, With a fair bear and
moustache, bright eye; of blush gray, a nose
tilted upwards, giving him a saucy, resoiute
air; he was always well dressed, the shinicst
OF boots, the most delicate shade of color in
his light trousers and gloves, the o siest of
blue frock coats, a neat light dust coat OF @ it,
blue bird s-eye scarf round his threat, in
which was thrust massive pin. containing a
find topaz, full of luster, and yellow as beat
en- gold.
swell. I've got customer for those Da-
mascus bonds waiting at my office; sold 'em
well, toto Billings Brothers, who want
them tor au Arab firm. One premium, and l
bought at OF discount
I'm very glad Of it Chariie,'' / said, and l
felt really pleased, not only for Thrapstow's
sake, but bee use should be glad to get rid
OF the bonds, ard the Directors shrugs when
ever they were mentioned.
30, al eli
''and ii bring you Billings's check up in
five minutes. You wont have closed by then;
or if you have, Pll come in at the private
door,
went to the safe, and put my hand upon
the bonds.
Charley stood there looking so frank and
free, holding out his hand for the bonds, that
l hadn't the heart to say to him, as onght
to have done, Bring your customer here, and
let him settle for the bonds, and then will
hand them over. l should have said this 10
anybody else, but somehow couldn't say it
to Charlie. There would be only five minutes
risk, and surely it was no risk at all.
The thing vas done in a moment; I was
carried away by Thrapstow's irresistible man
ner. l handed over the bonds, and Charley
went off like a shot.
1t wanted seven minutes to three, and |
sat wat hing the hands of the clock in a lit
Tie tremor, despite my full confidence in
Thrapstow; but then l had so thorough
knowledge of all the rules of banking, that l
couldn't help feeling that l had done wrong.
A few minutes, however, would set il right.
Charles white hat and glttering topaz would
soon put in an appearance.
Just at a minute to 3 the cashier brought
me three checks, with little slip of paper,
attached. They were Threpstow's checks,
for fifteen hundred-twelve hundred and
three hundred odd respectively, and his bal
ance was only five hundred odd.
.uIn ned white and cold "Of course you
must refuse them," l said to the cashier.
When he went out, sat in my chair quite
still for few minutes, bewidered at the sud-
den misfortune that has happened to me.
Charles Thrapstew was clearly a defaulter;
but there was this one chance-he might have
given the checks in the confidence of selling
those bonds, and placing the balance to his
account. In due course, these checks, which
were crossed, would have been brought to the
clearinghouse, and have been presented on
the morrow. But it seemed that his credit
ors had some distrust of him, and had caused
the checks to be demanded out OF due course.
The clock struck three. Charles had not
come back. The bank doors closed with
clang. | could endure the suspense no lon
ger. Telling the bank porter that if Mr..
Thrapstow came, he was to be admitted at
the private door, and was to be detained in
my room till returned, went ont and made
my way to his Office, which was only few
yards dista.t. He wasn't there. The clerk,
youth of fifteen, knew nothing about him.
lie was 10 Capel court, perhaps anywhere.
he didn't know Had he been in within the
last half hour? Well, no; the clerk did not
think he had. His story, then, of the Gus
TONER waiting at his Office was lie.
With heavy heart / went back to the
bank. No; Mr.. Thrapstow hadn't been in,
the porter said. took a cab and went @ / to
the office of Mr. Gedgemount, the Solicitor
to the bank / told him in confidence what
had happened, and asked his advice. ''Coud
get warrant against this Thrapstow for
stealing the bonds ?"
Upon my word,' said Gedgemount, II
don tnlhk you can make a criminal matter
OF 1t. 1t isn't larceny, because you abandon
ed the possession of the bonds voluntarily.
No; l don't see how you can touch him.
You must make bankrupt of him, and then
you can pursue him as having fraudulently
carried off his assets"
But that advice was no good to me. I
think was wrong in taking it. think I
ought to have gone straight off to the police
office. and put the affair in the hands of the
detectives. Dignifed men of the law, like
Gedemount, always find a dozen reasons for
lnaction, except in matters that bring grst
to their own MILL
went home completely disheartened and
detected. How could 1 face my Directors
with such story as that had TO tell? The
only excuse that l could urge of private
friendship and confidence in the man who
mad robbed rs, would make the matter only
the worse. Clearly, at the same time that
told the circumstances to the Directors.
should be bound to place my resignation in
thelr hands, to be put in force if they saw fit.
And there would be little doubt that they
Woulu accept it. How damaging, too, the
story would be to me, when tried to obtain
Another appointment.
49, ns se promised to take my wife and chill
dren lor an excursion down the river. as soon
as the bank closed, and the Youngsters eager ag
ly reminded me Of my promise. ranled %
savagely and sterny, that the children made
off in tears; my wife, coming to SEQ Ivbat
was the NATTER Jared little better n mn@t
have had sunstroke, or something. she toIJ
me, and brought bandages and can de- Co'
logne. flung them away in a rage. and
went out of the house. L must be dome
something, felt, and L hailed a cab and
dove to Thrapstow's lodgings.
Mr.. Thrapstow wasn't coming home that
night, his landlady told me, she thought he
was away for little jaunt; but she didn't
know. He occupied the ground floor Of a
small house in Ecclesford st:eet, Pimlico-