The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-08

II seemed an age, although IL lea ~.
barely a month had passed, before NV NV
from MIR. TAFT, the chief Inspector sm a.
Duff's sor,-ft,.law}, set che matter az le ss
6. I'm consideration" the note ran. oI .ss
admirable mode in which the pusiue ~, y,
e enndncses. the directors have agreed 10
wine ofY the deficiency In cash, whtcu IL
may he hoped will vet turn up ana DC to.
nradited: but In doing so 1t must be nrini!
kent In view shst tho directors by no lheans 4
establish the present case as preceoen.,
end must remind the gentleman VINO nas
charge OF the banks cash at 1'oaiK'rk tnaI
ut M f,,turc time will the directors De G,s-
noscd To relieve him OF tsfe respohsio's''s
attaching to his Office" ,,o.
(. There. jamie. take that 70 your nio-
,herD said Mr.. Duff kindly, handins rne
nSEci,, mite te Hamilton. !" thongM re
ter would manage it," referring 10 us SUI 80,
in-laev, the inspectors v nus we a:a" ;nto
i,cynxr.o said the banker, reiapsH,s i"t ~
broad Scotch. to pr& the P lopY', I'm n
might be called, In the seh''e''
| si- -rhera were tears OF relief in Hamilton
cves NJ he read the note, "Iist IS sens,
IONS treatment, sir; was aia,u NY 10y !
4 ,yor,d roup (sell by auction1 me ana my o'u
mother out OF Tosikirk. ,odo
WRa,1n We? couldn't spare !e, iaa.
T,ben The youth went home to bis nothes
iubilant, burden fitted from R'm'
PM on the next evening, after business
hours Hamilton7s face was winter .na'
sU His hands we're trembling as he 1om-
t1aa over his casb. aud least anu "cc-
casl,s the long columns Of figures IN hfs
sash hook. It was passed into ana OUT .,
his hands. To bis horror be 1ouno nis oas"
three hundred pounds short He hao noe
the courage on this occasion 10 20 ~ NJ
Duff,s room with his plant But Tue ram
ssv at once, as he passed through tle 'in .'oe
on bis way upstairs, that sothe'nins ""'
| wrong. u,;,,o,v fsIr
oaynr in a general way called james
..Mr;, His doing so now implied mlsglV-
ings.) .;.,. ,.or,t no ,one -
his Inns felt parched from excitement.
care We ready to lock up the SAFE with
me?" h,,rrr cir
nerbans we can lock up when you come
down."
"Vcry WELL" .,.
Mr., Duff went up stairs; but on TINS oc-
casion he did not linger over his neal.
When he came down half an hour later
Hamilton was not ready to lock the SAFE;
He was sitting looking into space, his heao
resting on bis hands.
g Have YOU balanced your cash now"
Mr.. Duff asked, with just perceptioie euse
of annoyance in his tone. :,
"No, sir. differ thu hundred pounos.'
"Oyer or hort?"
"Short, sir"
uMcrcv on us! This will not do. You
must bestir yourself and-and find 1t. L
have to 90 out to q meeting Tonight" The
banker spoke sternly.
Hamilton once more, under Mr.. Dufl's
eve, nervously went over his figures ana
countea his cash. The deficiency could III
no way he accounted for.
"This is terribly awkward, James
There were tears in the youths eyes as
he uttered, Yes, sir; and it will drive me
mad"
When MIR. Duff returned from his meet
ing, at II O'Clock, Hamilton was as far from
peace as ever. The younger clerks had gone
away. Again the banker and Hamilton
went over each item together-in valn...
eve can't report this to the head Office,
whatever happens" Quoth Mr.. Dun grlmly.
"What is to be done, slr!"
Find it,"
They looked blankly in each others faces.
Roth men went 20 bed with heavy hearts;
nor did the search next day throw any light
on The mysterious transaction. Mr.. Dun
could not bring himself TO report this sec
ond deficiency 10 bis head office; anu the
only alternative left was TO refund the
amount from his own private means. This,
as NAV be imagined, he did very reluctant
lv: and for the first time in his experience
he watched the younger men. and perhaps
his trusted teller, too, with Just faint and
irrepressible glimmerinS OF suspicion. A
mistake OF this sort might happen once;
but to happen Il second time. ut so short an
interval, made him uneasy on othcr matters
than mere loss Of money. He had Il frame
work OF mahogany and glass made for Ham,
| ilton's desk, so that no one could come near
the cash in future but Hamilton himself.
And so. with what grace he could summon,
and with many grave warnings, Mr.. Duff
paid the "short " money, having, as he
Said, to "grin and bear it."
For week or so things worked well un-
der the new arrangement; but for the third
time Mr.. Duff was destined to see Hamilton
poring over his books long after bank hours,
this time to hear on inquiry that the luck
less lad was short by no less an amount than
five hundred pounds! Had the shrewd.
quick. witted James Hamilton, after ten
Years of faithful service, become suddenly
dolt?
"This is beyoad endurance" the banker
said sharply, as the fact was communicated
to him.
cit is most strange" replied the helpless
teller, feeling that the fates were against
him.
1T is impossible you can have paid the
money away"
lit is gone. ST."
Then you must find it. can no longer
be responsible for your blunders. Here
is no less q sum than nine hundred pounds
in less than six weeks to be accounted for.
Many one has been sent across the sea for
less"
The youth put his hands over his face and
| fairly burst into tears. II must give 1t up
sir. l can't stand this. I must leave the
place"
| Mr.. Duff was looking at him with very
! keen eyes rs this was sobbed out. "Leo'e
Tollkirk? Understand, Mr.. Hamilton lhat
YOU dQre not leave Tollkrk before THIS Hill
ter is cleared up" ,. .,o
For the greater part of the nlght the
men sat up searching, but when Tue inG i. IT,
ing came they were as far from the m;lih Us
ever. ,:,, - o,,s
.on,ars of tbe hank, next day "took over -
tho cash himself, and, rather awkwardly
from want OF practice, became his own
cashier Hamilton was degraded to subor-
dinate duties. His spirit, poor fellow, was
fnirly brokea. No trace Of the missing
money could be found. Or course Mr..
Dnlr could not long continue acting as
.ejlcr The work interfered with even