Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-11-06

DoHuS, anu tnen Will nand them over" L
should have said this to anybody else, but
somewhow | couldn't say it to Charlie
There would only be five minutes risk,
and surely 1t was no risk at ALL
The thing was done in a moment: l
was carried away by Thrapstow's irresisti-
bic manner. | handed over the bonds,
and Charlie went off like shot.
1t wanted seven minutes to three,
and | sat watching the hands of the
clock in little tremor, despite
my full confidence in Thrapstow;
but then l had so thorough a knowl-
edge of all the rules of banking, that I
couldn't help feeling that I had done
wrong. A few minutes, however, would
set it right. Charles white hat and gilt
tering topaz would SOON put in an appear
ance
just at a minute to three the cashier
brought me three checks, with a little
slip of paper attached. They were Thrap-
stOw's checks, for fifteen hundred-twelve
hundred and three hundred odd respec-
lively, and his balance was only five
hundred odd
l turned white and cold. "Of course
you must refuse them" | said to the
cashier
When he went out, l sat in my chair
quite still for few moments, bewildered
at the sudden misfortune that had hap
pened to me. Charles Thrapstow was
clearly 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
clearing house, and have been presented
+I,a, DIT. DoI Il, l.,
creditors had some mistrust 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 longer. Telling the bank porter that
if Mr.. Thrapstow came, he was to be ad-
mitted at the private door, and was to be
detained in my room till | returned, |
went out, and made my way to his office,
which was only few hundred yards
distant. he wasn't there. The clerk,
youth of fifteen, knew nothing about
him. He was in Capel Court, perhaps
anywhere, he didn't know. Had he been
in within the last halfhour? Well, no
the clerk did not think he had. His story,
then, Of the customer waiting at his Office
was a lie.
With heavy heart, went back to the
bank. No; Mr.. Thrapstow hadn't been
in, the porter said. | took cab and went
off to the office of Mr. Gedgemount, the
solicitor to the bank | told him, in con-
fidence what had happened, and asked
his advice. could l get warrant
against this Thrapstow for stealing the
bOnds?"
Upon my word" said Gedgemount, 81
L., i
ter of it, 1t isn't larceny, because you
abandoned the possession of the bonds
voluntarily. No; | don't see how you
can touch him. You must make bank
rupt of him, and then you can pursue
him, as having fraudulently carried off
his assets"
But that advice was no good to me. |
think | was wrong in taking it. | think
| ought to have gone straight off to the
police office, and put the affair in the
hands of the detectives. Dignified men
of law, like Gedgemount, always find a
dozen reasons for inaction, except in mat
ters that bring grist 10 their own mill.
/ went home completely disheartened
and detected How could | face my di-
rectOrs with such a story as that | had to
tell? The only excuse that l could urge,
of private friendship and confidence in
the man who had robbed US, would make
the matter only the worse. Clearly, at the
same time that told the circumstances to
the directors, ! should be bound to place
nv resignation in their hands, to be put
into force if they thought fit. And there
would be little doubt but that they would
accept it, How damaging, too, the story
would be to me, when L tried to obtain
another appointment.
7 had J1rpnicpi take wife and
children for an excursion down the river,
as soon as the bank closed, and the young
sters eagerly reminded me of my promise.
l replied so savagely and sternly that the
children made off in tears my wife, COM
ing to see what was the matter, Jared little
better I must have had sunstroke or
something, she told me, and bros ght ban
dages and eau de Cologne. l flung away
in a rage, and went out of the house. /
must be doing something, l felt, and l
hailed cab and drove 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-ioor Of a small house in Ec-
clesford street, Pimlico-two rooms,
opening into each other. / told the
woman that / would sit down and write
a letter. She knew me well enough, as |
had frequently visited Thrapstow, and
she left me to myself. Then | began to
overhaul everything, to try to find out
some clue to his whereabouts. A few let
tiers were on the chimney-piece; they
were only circulars from tradesmen. In
the fireplace was considerable quantity
of charred tinder He had evidently
been burning papers recently, and
quantity of them. | turned the tinder
carefully over, spreading it out upon
newspaper / found nothing legible ex-
cept one little scrap of paper, which the
fire had not altogether reduced to powder.
on which saw the name Isabel shining
with metallic luster. Then l went to the
bedroom, and searched that Here, too,
were evident coats and other garments
thrown hastily into cupboards, boxes
turned out, an odd glove or two lying
upon the dressing-table. | carefully
searched all the pockets for letters or
other documents, but | found nothing.
The KEYS were left in all the receptacles;
an instance of Charles thoughtfulness
for Others in the midst of his rascalIty.
Living upon the wash-stand was card,
which was blank upon one side, but on
the other had the name of a photographer
printed upon it. The card was wet, as II
it had been soaked in water; and near
the upper end of it was a round irregular
cut, which did not quite penetrate the
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