Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-23
The Sturv Trller.
AN UNLIMITED GUEST.

1t was nearly three o'clock on hot sum-
mer day the long polished counters OF our
bank, the Royal Domestic Bank, was crowded
with customers-money was flowing IN ana
running out in the usual business-like man.
ner. From raised desk in my private room,
I, the manager of the Royal Domestic Bank,
looked out on the busy scene with a certain
pride and pleasure The Royal Domestic is
not long established institution, and, with
out vanity, may say that much OF its pros,
perity and success is attributed to the zeal ana
experience of its manager. In corroboratlon
of the statement, l might refer to the last
printed report of its directors, laid before the
shareholders, at their annual meeting, in
which they are pleased to say-but after all,
perhaps, l may be thought guilty of undue
egotism and conceit, if repeat the fattering
terms in which they speak of me.
A clerk put his head inside my door.
"Mr Thrapstow sir, to speak to YOU
"Send him in, Roberts, said.
Charles Thrapstow had known from boy
hood. 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 pleasanter to me, and caused me to set
value upon his good opinion greater than
it's intrinsic worth. Thrapstow was stock
broker, clever pushing fellow, who had the
reputation of possessing an acknowledgement
and great good luck At my request he
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.
Charley, like everybody else in business,
occasionally wanted money. had let him
have advances at various times, ofcourse am
ply covered by his securities, advances which
were always promptly repaid, and the securl-
ties redeemed.
At this time he had FIVE thousand pounds
of ours, to secure which we held City Of Da-
mascus Water Company's bonds to the NOM
inal value of ten thousand. My directors
rather demurred to these bonds, as being
somewhat speculative in nature; but as l rep
resented that the company was highly re-
spectacle, and its shares we'll quoted in the
market, and that had full confidence in our
customer, our people sanctioned the advance.
I had, perhaps little uneasy feeling about
those bonds, for they were not everybody's
money, and there might have been some diff
uCultJ III uuuIuS q CuSeoi'Sh AoA 'HeAA' 49, WV
Of the necessity for sudden sale.
Thrapstow came in radiant He was
good-looking fellow, with fair beard and
moustache, bright eyes Of blush gray, a nose
tilted upward, giving him saucy, resoute
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, neat, light dust-coat over it, a
blue bird's.eye scarf round his throat, in which
was thrust a massive pin, containing fine to-
paz, full of lustre and yellow as beaten gold.
"Well, I've got a customer for those Da'
mascus bonds waiting at my office; sold 'em
we'll, TOTO Billings Brothers, who want
them for an Arab firm. One premium, and
I bought at one discount"
81 am very glad of it, Charlie" said, and
I felt really pleased, not only for Thrapstows
sake, but because I should be glad to get rid
of the bonds, and the directors shrugs when
ever they were mentioned.
"Hand 'em over, old fellow" said Charlie,
"and I'll bring you Billings check up in five
minutes. You won't have closed by then F.; or,
if you have, I'll come in at the private door,"
I went to the safe and put my hand upon
the bonds.
Charlie stood there looking so frank and
free, holding out his hand for the bonds, that
I hadn't the heart to say to him, as ought to
have done, bring your customer here, and let
him settle for the bonds, and then will hand
them over. I should have said this to any
body else, but somehow couldn't say it to
Charlie. There would be only five minutes
risk, and surely it was no risk at all.
The thing was done in moment; was
carried away by Thrapstow's irresistible man.
ner I handed over the bonds, and Charlie
went off like shot.
1t wanted seven minutes to three and I sat
watching the hands of the clock in little
tremor, despite my full confidence in Thraps-
tow; but then had so thorough knowledge
of all the rules of banking that I couldn't
help thinking that had done wrong. A few
minutes would set it right. Charles white
hat and glittering topaz would soon put in an
appearance.
Just at minute to three the cashier
brought me three checks, with little slip of
paper attached. They were Thrapstrows
and three hundred odd respectively, and his
balance was only five hundred odd.
turned white and cold. "Of course you
must refuse them" said to the cashier.
When he went out, sat in chair quite
still for few minutes, bewildered at the sud-
den misfortune that had happened to ME.
Charles Thrapstow was clearly a 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 ac-
count. In due course those checks, which
were crossed, would have been brought to
the clearing house, and have been presented
on the morrow. But it seemed that his cred
itors had some mistrust 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 suspense no longer.
Telling the bank porter if Mr. Thrapstow
came he was to be admitted at the private
door, and was to be detained in my room till
returned, I went out and made my way to
his office, which was only few hundred yards
distant. He was not there. The clerk, a
youth of fifteen, knew nothing about him.
He was in Chapel Court, perhaps anywhere,
he didn't know. Had he been in within the
last half hour? WE'LL no, the clerk didn't
think he had. His story, then, of the custom
er in his office was lie.
With heavy heart l went back to the
bank. No; Mr.. Thrapstow hadn't been in,
the porter said. l took cab and went off to
the Office of Mr.. Gedgemount the solicitor of
the bank. told him in confidence what had
happened, and asked his advice.
"Could | get a warrant against this Thrap-
stow for stealinp the bondsY'