American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-26
A BANK CLERKS STORY.

WERE you ever suspected ana Openly
accused of crime by your friends. L
many years ago, when was a youth. :,
will tell you the whole story.
Henry Mark was the friend of my
youth The dear old man! Ifancy SEE
him yet, with his broad, rudy, good ma
tured face; his large, earnest, blue eyes
his massive forehead; his sandy hair
thin, but not yet streaked with gray, al
though he was sixty; his gOld-bOwed
spectacles, and the great blue coat thai
enveloped his portiy form.
All! he was the very pattern of fine
ward, and, above all, my friend. Many
a walk we took together after business
hours, many joke we exchanged, and
often did see his fat sides shake with
laughter when a particularly "good
thing" transpired. So much older than
myself, and yet SO vivacious, he was at
once my teacher and companion Indeed,
friendship became a faUric SO well woven
that no light breeze was likely to ever
blow it away.
Henry Mark was cashier of the only
bank in Walesburg. and, as the business
at one time was not heavy, he did it all
himself, the President, Mr.. Morgan, &C.
casionally looking in to help him through.
But there came time when increased
business required an assistant for him.
He told the directors SO, and they author
lied him to engage one at q moderate
salary. was out of employment, and
of course he chose me. So / went into
the bank as the cashiers assistant, and
worked steadily for two years, by the end
of which time 1 began to feel myself
quite a banker.
Everything went on SO smoothly dur
ing those two years that l think they
composed the most tranquil period Of
my life. But those quiet days were dis
turbed by an event which, as l look at
it now after a period of thirty years,
seems like a strange, weird dream
1t was the day before my twenty-first
birthday, lovely day in October 1 felt
very light-hearted that day, probably be-
cause l was SO near my majority, so near
the time when should become imam"
in the eyes of the law, and no longer a
" minor" OF course SO important an an
niversary had to be made known to
Henry Mark, and, as finished footing
up a column of figures that beautiful
afternoon, remarked:
Henry, tomorrow is my birthday"
"How old, Will."
"Twenty-One."
You ought to have a present." he
said.
Now was afraid the dear old fellow
would go and buy some costly present
for me, and / did not want him to do SO,
because he was scarcely better off in the
world than ], and he was old and had a
family while was young and had none !;
so | replied, telling little fib:
I'm going to get one; SO, if you think
Of giving me one save it till next
year, when won't get present from any
one else"
:" All right :" he said, laughing.
During this conversation l had been
leaning over ledger on the counter,
while Henry sat at a writing-desk, and, as
1 casually raised my eyes, l saw a strange
man standing by the open door, leaning
against the wall, with his hands behind
him, and regarding me with a cold stare.
There was something in his manner that
sent cold chill through me, and, after
staring a few seconds longer, he deliber
ately transferred his gaze, with exactly
the same expression, to picture Of
George Washington that hung against
the wall, a dozen feet to my left
If he had regarded me with dislike, it
was also evident that he was no friend of
Washington, and l felt a momentary
pride that for once the General and l
found ourselves placed on an equal foot
ing. After staring full half minute at
the picture the stranger deliberately
tuihCu anu Outy WIN HIS Hduus III
his pockets, and look on his face that
seemed plainly to say that Gen. Wash
ington and myself would catch it before
long.
Henry, who is that MANI" / asked.
.Where-" he responded, looking up.
told him about the stranger
Il did not see him. Some country
man, | suppose"
Nothing more was said; but I could
not drive the mysterious man from my
mind. ! felt that the strange look with
which he had regarded me meant some
thing, and j kept thinking of it till, in
my quiet room that night, I fell into an
uneasy sleep. There was shadow
hanging over me.
Now, it was secret known only to
the president, cashier and myself that
carried the keys home with me every
evening and hid them at the bottom of
my trunk This arrangement was made,
not only because the officers had full
confidence in me, but also because they
thought that no one with notion of
robbing the bank would have suspected
that the keys were in the hands of a
youthful clerk Burglars were not so
skillful in those days as now, and the
height of their ingenuity was getting
possession of keys that would open any
locks that stood in their way.
Strangely enough, did not dream that
night of the mysterious man who had