Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-02-12
An UNLIMITED Guest.


An UNLIMITED Guest.
1t was nearly three O'Clock on hot
summers day; the long polished coun-
tiers of our bank, the Royal Domestic
Bank, were crowded with customers
money was flowing in and running out
in the usual business-like manner. From
raised desk in my private room, l, the
manager of the Royal Domestic Bank,
looked out OH the busy scene with Ger
tain pride and pleasure. The Royal Do
mestic is not a long-established institu-
tion, and, withou. vanity, may say that
much OF .its..prOsperity and success is at
tributable to the zeal and experience of
its manager. In corroboration of this
statement, l might refer to the last prin-
ted report of the directors-laid before
the shareholders at their annual meet
ing-in which they are pleased to say
=. But after all, perhaps / may be
thought guilty of undue egotism and
conceit, if repeat the flattering terms
in which they speak Of me.
A clerk puts his head inside my door.
"Mr. Thrapstow, sir, to speak to YOU"
"Send him in, Roberts, 1 said.
Charles Thrapstow had known from
boyhood; we had both been reared 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 pleasan-
ter to me, and caused me to set value
upon his good opinion greater than its
intrinsic worth. Thrapstow was
stockbroker, very clever, pushing fell
low, who had the reputation of possess
Sing an excellent judgment and great
good luck. At my request he had
brought his account to our bank. 1t
was good account; he always kept
fair balance, and the cashier had never
to look twice at his checks.
Charlie, like everybody else in busi-
ness, occasionally wanted money. had
let him have advances at various times.
of course amply covered by securities,
advances which were always promptly
repaid, and the securities redeemed. At
this time, he had five thousand pounds
of ours, to secure which we held City of
Damascus Water-company's bonds to
the nominal value of ten thousand. MY
directors rather demurred to these
bonds, as being somewhat speculative
in nature; but as represented that the
company was highly respectable, and
its shares well quoted i'm the market, and
that had full confidence in our custo-
mer, our people sanctioned the advance.
had perhaps little uneasy feeling my
self about those bonds, for they were
not everybody's money ,and there might
have been some little difficulty in find
ing customer for them in case of the
necessity for sudden sale.
Thrapstow came in radiant. He was
Il good-looling fellow, with a fair beard
and mustache, bright eyes of BLUSH
gray, nose tilted upwards giving him
saucy, resolute air; he was always
well-dressed, the shiniest of boots, the
most delicate shade of color in his light
trousers and gloves, the glossiest of blue
frock coats, a neat light dust-ceat over
it, blue bird's-eye scarf round his
throat, in which was thrust massive
pin, containing fine topaz, full of lus-
tire, and yellow as beaten gold.
swell, I've got a customer for those
Damascus bonds waiting at my Office;
sold 'em well, too-to Billing Brothers.
who want them for an Arab firm. One
premium, and l bought at one discount.
'I'm very. glad of it, Charlie" said,
and l felt really pleased, not only for
Thrapstow's sake, but because l should
be glad to get rid of the bonds, and the
directors shrugs whenever they were
mentioned.
"Hand 'em over, old fellow" said
Charlie, "and III bring you Billings
check up in five minutes. You won't
have closed by then; or if you have,
I'll come i'm at the private door,
went to the safe, and put my hands
upon the bonds.
Charlie stood there looking SO frank
and free, holding out his hands for the
bonds, that l hadn't the heart to him
as l ought to have done: Bring your
customer here, and let him settle for
bonds, and then l will hand them over.
1 should have said this to anybody else.
but somehow couldn't say it to Char
lie. There would only be five minutes
risk, and surely it was no risk at all.
The thing was done in a moment; /
was carried away by Thrapstow's :r-
resistable 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 con-
fidence in Thrapstow; but then l had
so thorough knowledge Of all the rules
of banking, that couldn't help feeling
that had done wrong. A few minutes
however, would set it right. Charlie's
white hat and glittering topaz would
soon put in appearance.
just at Il minute to three the cashier
brought Inc three checks, with little
slip of paper attached. They were
Thrapstow's checks, for fifteen hundred
Twelve hundred and three hundred
odd respectively, and his balance was
only five hundred odd.