Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-13

There would only be five minutes risk
and surely it was no risk at all.
The thing was done in moment;
was carried away by Thrapstow's irresisti
BILE manner. l handed over the bonds
and Charlie went off like shot.
1t wanted seven minutes to three
and l sat watching the hands of the
clock in little tremor, despite
my full confidence in Thrapstow
but then I had so thorough knowl
edge of all the rules of banking, that !
couldn't help feeling that / 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 al minute to three the cashier
brought me three checks, with a little
slip of paper attached. They were Thrap.
slows 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" l 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
| l.
| 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
on the morrow. But it seemed that his
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 a clang. could endure TIE suspense
no longer Telling the bank porter that
| if Mr. Thrapstow came, he was to be adj
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, a
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 lie.
| With heavy heart, l 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 Gould | get warrant
against this Thrapstow for stealing the
| bonds?"
Upon my word" said Gedgemount, 81
| don't think you can make criminal mat
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 of
| his assets"
But that advice was no good to me. l
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
tiers that bring grist TO their own mill.
| went home completely disheartened
and detected. How could face my di-
rectOrs with such story as that | had to
tell? The only excuse that / 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, I should be bound to place
my 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 | tried to obtain
another appointment
| | had promised to take my 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.
! 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. / must have had sunstroke or
something, she told me, and brought ban
dages and eau de Cologne. / flung away
| in rage, and went out of the house. |
must be doing something, / felt and
hailed cab and drove to Thrapstows
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-foor of small house in Ec-
clesford street, Pimlico-two rooms,
opening into each other. l told the
| woman lnat J. WOulu Sit uoWu anu Niit
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 finder. He had evidently
been burning papers recently, and a
quantity of them. ] turned the finder
carefully over, spreading it out upon a
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 | 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 rascallty.
Living upon the wash-stand was card
| ,-l:nb ,,,aa hIapb t1npp one side brt on