The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-12-31
Tie Rejected RanF.Solc.

III was Cloudy uay. Inc CiSfN'
lounged over the counter and yawned
The man to whom Alice Locke al
dressed herself was jaunty and middle
aged. lie was head clerk Of the exten
sive establishment Of liun,ley & War
hcr, and extremely consequential il
manner.
This dressing gown We value al six
dollars you shall have it at five, Is
trade is dali today"
olive dollars :" Alice looked at thc
dressiug-gown loagingiy, and the clerk
looked at her. lie saw that her clothes
were made and worn gcntecly, were
common in texture, and that her face
WAS very much ont Of line. How il
changed, now shaded, now lighted By
the varied play Of other cmot,o.s. The
clerk could have sworn that she had no
more than that sum, five dollars, N her
possession.
The gown was very good one for the
price. Ii was Of common shade, "A toll
cradle merino, and lined with the same
material. al think. she hesiiatcJ "a
momcnt-"I think III take il, she said.
Then seeing on the face before her an
expression ,ho did not like, she b!u>hcd
as she handed ont the bill the clerk had
made up his mind to take.
"Jcnni~," cried Torrent. the head Gle, K
in quick pom?ous tone, pass up the
note dctectOr."
Up ran a tow-hcaled boy, with the
dctcctor, and down ran the clerks eye
from column to column. Then he looked
0yer with a sharp CLAN -, aud cxc!aim-
cd
That's counterfeit bill"
"Countcricit. Oh, no, it cannot be I,
The man who sent it could not have
been 50 careless; Yoa must be mistak
en-, sir.
81 am not mistaken am never mis-
taken, miss. | must presume of course,
that yoa iiI not know il. although 50
much bad money has been offered US IF
late that We intend to secure such per.
so.'s rs pass it. Who ID you say sent
it?"
"Mr C, sir OF New York. lie
coaId not send bad money" said the
trembling frightened girl.
"llumph," said the clerk. "Wcll.
there is nD doubt Of THIS you can look
for yonSef. Now don't let me see vou
again until you can bring good money,
for We always suspect such persons as
you that come Oh dark days with well
made story"
4" Bat, Sill
"lou need make no explanations,
miss, said the man, insultingIy. take
your bid, and the next time YOU want
"a dressing gown, don't try. to pass your
counterfeit money!" and as he handed
it, the bill fell from his hands.
Allco caught it from the floor, and
hurrIed into tho street.
Such shock the girl had never re-
ceived. She hurried TO banking estab /
lishment, found her way inland present |
ed the note To a noble-lool;ing man with
gray hair and taitered out, "ls this bad
bill, sir?"
The cashier and bis son happened TO
be the on y persons present. Both no.
uccd her extreme youth, beauty, and .
agitation.
The cashier looked closely and handol
il back, as with a polite bow, and with
somewhat prolonged look, he said
at is a good bill, young lady"
al knew it was" cred Alice, with a
quivering lip, "and he dared"
She could go no farther, but entirely
overcome. she bent her head, and the
hot tears had their way.
81 beg pardon, have you had trouble
with III" asked the cashier.
"Oh, sir, YOU VIII excuse me Tor CIV
ing way TO my feelings, but yea spoke
SO kindly, and felt so sure that il Was
good. And think, sir, that such men
as one Of the clerks AT Iluntlcy d War
ncr's should be removed. He told me
that il was counterfeit, and added some.
thing am glad my father did not hear.
l knew the publisher would not send me
bad money"
"Who is your father, young lady ?"
asked the cashier, becoming interest.
ed
"Mr. Benjamin Lock, sir"
"Benjamin, Ben. Lock. Was he ever
clerk in the Navy Department at
Washington ~
"ics," sir; we removed from there"
replied Alice. "Since thcn-shc hesita-
lei-"hc has not been well, and We are
somewhat reduced. Oh, why do | tell
these things
"Ben. Lock reduced, murmured the
cashier, "thc man who WAS the making
ot me Give me the number ana tht
street, NY child. lonr father was On Q
OF The best perhaps the only friend
had. / lave not forgotiea him. No. I
Liberty street. viii call this evening
Meanwhlie, let me have The bill, let mo ,
sec-l'li give you another. Since come ,
10 look, l haven't got a five. Here a
ten; woll make it all right"
That evening the inmates OF shabby, ,
gentccl house received the cashier OF the ;
N-Bank. Mr.. Lock, a man with gray ,
hair, though numbering but fifty years,
rose from his arm chair, aud atfec-
tionatcly greeted the familiar face. The !
son Of the cashier accompanied him,
ald while the elders talked together,
Alice and the young man grew quite
chalty.
eyes. have been unfortunate. said
Mr.. Lock in low zone, 81 have Just re-.
covored,,a as YOU see, from rheumatic fever ,
caused By unduc exertion, and had il
not been for that sweet girl Of mine, ,
know not what should have done. She ,
by giving lessons in music aul French,
and writing for periodicals, has kept me
50 far, from want