Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-28
A BANKERS DILEMMA.
CHAPTER I.


agent of the Central Bank at Tolikirk,
was startled by his teller, James Hamilton,
coming to him TO say just as the banker
had signed the last official letter, before
proceeding TO lock up the safe: Il am
sorry to say, sir, the cash appears TO be
one hundred pounds short. ;" James was
very pale as he spoke, and despite his eff
forts to prevent it, his voice trembled. A
stranger could not have told whether the
Youths agitation was the result of fright
or guilt.
MIR. Duff knew him too well to let the
latter alternative dwell in his mind for
even a moment, but the lads excitement
was somewhat infectious, and it was with
Just little throb that he replied '' You're
Joking, jamie" MIR. Duff leaned back in
his chair and nibbled the feather end Of
his quill as he looked in the lads face.
81 was never more serious in my life, :"
reiterated Hamilton.
cit is some mare's-nest, depend upon it, .
said Mr.. Duff in tone that partly reas-
sured the poor fellow. Have you been
very busy at the desk to-day, James ~
''Tha5 is the mystery ofit, sir s; we have
not been busy. Hardly three pages of our
cash-book are filed
ga hundred pounds HIM. l am 60
ing up stairs to dinner In the meantime,
check your summations and your cash, and
by-and-by I'll come in and lock up the safe
with We.
The teller went from the bankers room
to the outer office with a very grave face.
Mr.. Duff, who lived with his family, as is
customary in Scotland, in the very COM
modious house attached to the bank, sent
his letters to be copied by the junior
clerk, and then went leisurely up stairs
to dinner.
Mr. Dutf's was, for man who does not
object to permanent residence in provin-
cial town, very easy and pleasant mode
of life. His work was not hard, nor were
his responsibilities very heavy. He had a
pretty and comfortable home in an old
fashioned country town, and although his
wife lay in the churchyard ON the brae by
the riverside these ten years, still he had
two Of the prettiest girls in Tollkirk-
Minna and Mary Duff besides Jenny, the
married daughter Whose delight it was
to make his life sunny and happy. He
was naturally-being known to possess
private means, and on account Of his
bIuOlUl SalielOASJ do LlC dAoHSA1CA VI blo
counts and custodian of the wealth of the
neighborhood-a man Of some Importance
in Tollkirk, and formed part of, as well
as moved in, Tollkirks best society. He
was magistrate and farmer as well as
banker, and on Sundays, for many long
year, he had stood behind the plate at
the entrance to the auld kirk" Every
body knew him, aud he knew everybody !;
and perhaps nobody respected him the
less because ne pretty well knew to within
a pound or two what every ratepayer on
his side OF the county was worth fnan-
cially.
He took life very easy, as l have said,
making no undue fuss when an accommo-
dation bill was presented to him, if he
knew-as he was certain to know-the
pedigree and progress through life Of
drawer and indorser. He was respected,
too, by his Edinburgh employers as a man
of prudence and sagacity, who never
made bad debts, never troubled them
with applications for rise of salary or
transfer of agency-whose books always
stood the minutest inspection, and who,
speaking generally, wanted no favors from
them. Rather granted favors, by coca
SiOi4al INV iOeGiOA4o " FlS1S NM oG
where there is unsurpassed trout and sal
mon fishing, besides magnificent links 3"
for golf, and where the local distillery
yields liquid of more than local reputa-
tion The city birds were not slow to ac-
cept such invitations, Mr.. Duff being over
a tumbler of toddy the best of company,
and generous IN the matter of horses and
fishing-rods. The chief inspector of the
bank came often enough to WOO the fair
Jennie, the eldest of the family, and took
her away with him one summer day, to
the general bereavement of Tollkirk.
The banker did not hurry over dinner ON
the particular afternoon of which | write.
When he went up stairs he did not give
second thought to James Hamilton's pale
face, but quietly settled himself in his arm
chair, after doing justice to his simple re-
past, to read for the second time the report
OF his own recent great speech at the paro-
chial board, given at length in the Tollkirk
Herald, the fine roll of his own-somewhat
improved-spoken sentences, seen in black
and white, communicating a pleasing sense
of complacency and Importance as infiu-
encing public opinion. 1t was nearly 7
o'clock before Mr.. Duff remembered that
he had not yet locked up his safe, and that
his clerks were probably waiting below for
him. He was surprised when he opened
the office door-leading to the hall of his
house-to find Hamilton still bending over
his cash book with an expression of deep
anxiety on his face, and bundles of bank
notes living on the desk before him.
"W hat, James, still in a fog?" he
asked cheerfully as he came in. " Not
found your difference, Ell ?"
q am hundred pounds short, sir,
without doubt"
Hamilton had toiled through every entry
over and over again, had counted and re-
counted his bundles of notes, and now had
very sharply defined fear in his heart,
and vision in the background of his mag
nation of dearly loved old mother wait
ing for him at home, and who was i'll able
to bear the responsibility of such loss-if
loss it should prove to be.
"a mares nest, I'll be bound, Mr.. Duff
said. taking Hamilton's place before the
cash-b book Very carefully and with a keen
eye he went over each entry very care
fully he counted the cash. and reeounted it ;
but only to find that Hamilton words were
too true. The cash was undoubtedly fl0O
short.
~ think we had better sleep over II, y
Mr.. Duff said at last, looking at his watch.
The difference viii turn up in the morn
ing, you may depend upon it. Then the
cash and books were carried into the safe,
and the Office was closed for the night.
Poor Hamilton lay awake nearly all night
thinking over some probable clue to the
whereabouts of the missing money. Never
before had he left the bank with such a
dread on his mind, for he felt certain he
had gone over each item Of the day that
he had not oyerpaid any one to such an ex-
tent he knew that on him devolyed the
responsibility 70 make good any such def
cheney. He hardly spoke to his mother as
he ate what she called his ruined dinner
spoiled by three long hours waiting in
the oven. Nor could she get from him all
through the evening hint of the cause OF
his trouble. She guessed and limited that
perhaps Minnie Duff. the little firt, had
something to do with his gloom, for she
knew how her boys heart lay in regard to
the bankers younger daughter, but her
SONS reniv was enl1IyaIept tn n snlib