The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-11-28
1t wanted seven minutes TO tb-

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would set it right. Charles white
hat and glitteriDg topaz would soon
put in appearance.
just minute to three the cash
Iier brought me three checks, with a
little slip of paper attached. They
were Thrapstow's checks, for fifteen
hundred-twelve hundred and three
hundred respectively, and his bal
ance was only five hundred odd.
1 turned white and cold. "Of
course you must refuse them," I
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 happened to me. Charles
Thrapstow was clearly a defaulter;
bat there was this one chance. He
might have given the checks in the
confidence of selling these bonds,
and placing the bonds 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 his creditor had some
mistrust of him, and had caused the
check to be demanded out of due
course.
The clock struck three. Charles
had not come back. The bank doors
closed with a clang. l could endure
the suspense no longer. 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 1 returned. 1 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 Caple 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 customer waiting at his Office
was a lie.
With heavy heart, l went back to
the bank. No; Mr.. ThrapstoW hadn't
been in, the porter said, I took
cab and went to the office of Mr..
Gedgemount, the solicitor of the
bank. told him in confidence what
had happened, and asked his advice
"Could l get a warrant against this
Thrapstow for stealing the bonds"
"Upon my word" said Gedge-
mount, 81 don't think you can make
q criminal matter Of it. 1t isn't lar
ceny, because you abandoned the
possession OF the bonds voluntarily.
No, 1 don't see how you can touch
him. Yon must make bankrupt Of
him, and then you can pursue him,
for having fraudlently carried off
his assets"
But that advice was no good to
me. think I was wrong in taking
it. think 1 ought to have gone
straigh5 to the police Office, and put
the affair in the hands OF the detect
i've. Dignlfed men Of law, like
Gedgemount, always find a dozen
reasons for inaction, except in mat
ter that bring grists to their own
mill.
Iwent home completely disbeart-
ened and detected. How could Il
face my directors with such story
as that l had to tell? The only ex-
cuse that I 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 l told the cir
cumstances to the directors, I should |
be bound to place my resignation in
their hands, to be put into force if |
they saw fit. And there would be
little doubt but that they would &C
cept it. How damaging, too; the
story would be to me, when I tried |
to obtain another appointment.
I had promised to take my wife
and children for an excursion down
the river, as soon as the bank closed,
and the youngsters eagerly remind
ed me of my promise. l replied so
savagely and sternly, that the child
ren made of in tears; my wife, com
ing to see what was the matter, far
ed little better I must have had a
sunstroke or something, she told me,
and brought bandages and eau de
Cologne. l flung it away in a rage,
and went out Of the house. l must
be doing something, 1 felt, snd l
hailed a cab and drove to Thrap-
stow's lodgings.
Mr.. Thrapstow wasn't coming
home that night, his landlady told
me; she thought he was away fer a
little jaunt; but she didn't know
He occupied the ground floor of
small house in Ecclesford street,
Pimlico-tWo rooms opening into ]
each other. l told the woman that
would sit down and write a letter.
She knew me well enough, as ! had 1
visited Thrapstow, and
she left me to myself. Then 1 be-
gan to overhaul everything, to try
to find out some clue to his where
lbouts. A few letters were on the
piece; they were only cir
culars from tradesmen. In the fire
place was a considerable quantity Of
charred tinder. He had evidently \
been burning papers recently, and
quantity of them. 1 turned the tin
der carefully over, spreading it out
upon q newspaper. 1 found nothing !
Iegible except one little scrap of pa
per, which the fire had not altogether
reduced to powder, on which 1 saw
the name Isabel shining with metal
ic luster. Then I went to the bed
room and searched that. Here, too,
were evident preparations for flight;
coats and other garments thrown
hastily into cupboards, boxes turn
ed out, an odd glove or two lying
upon the dressing table. carefully |
searched all the pockets for letters or
other documents, but I found moth
ing. The keys were left in all the
receptacles; an instant of Charles
for others, in the
midst of his rascality.
Lying upon the wash-stand was I
card, which was blank upon one side, i
but on the other had the name of a
photographer printed upon it. The
card was wet, as if it had been soak
u =; 4 -. Al. .,-,. ,,,5 of l.