The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-01-23
Burgla,iousIy and FsIonIousIy.

We had just locked up the safe and
had put the key in my pocket am the
accountant of the North and South OF
England Bank, at its Psdsey branch, w,
X: Iorks. l had got my hat on and had
taken up my umbrella, when man came
running into the bank with q bag oi
money in his hand.
Am in timer he cried.
lshook my head.
"Deuce take it," l said; "but We
can't take the money"
"Weil, then, what is to be done
Here's $4,000 in this bag, and those
drafts of mine come due In q couple OF
days. Well, you'll have to take 'en
up," he said. II can't unless you take
the money in tonight"
i knew that those drafts were comm .
due, and that our manager was littl,
anxious about them, for they were rather
heavy, and the other names on them
were not merry good. Black, too-thst
was the man with the money bsg-was q
capital customer; and not only n good
customer himself, but he brought good
accounts with him, and We were young
branch and on our mettle.
Well, here was the none, TO meet the
drafts, anyhow, and l should have been
4 great foel to send it away because il
WAS after hours. So / counted il al
over; there was about Els, 900 in check.
and notes and $4,000 in gold.
"Come and have a glass OF beer with
me" said Black, on the way 10 the
station.
! put the bag of money in my desk
and locked il up. would come back
presently and have it placed in the safe.
walked 10 the station with Black; we
had some beer together, and then he
went OF Americawards, and / on my way
70 Metropolitan Villas. You see / wa.
rather In the habit of calling for glass
of beer as l went home, and then going on,
and consequently was home before re.
membered the bag Of money. 1t was
Sexing, too, because We had q tea.party
that night, the first since our marriage,
and il began AZ six O'Clock, and Id prom.
ised to be home an hour earlier 70 draw
the corks and help get things ready.
And here il was six o'clock, and ha
20 60 back to the bank.
All the way back | went as hard as
could pelt.
However, the money was all right Ia
my desk, and now I'd put II in the safe.
Tell Mr.. Cousins - our manager, you
kuow-l said 10 the servent who had let
me in, that want the key OF the safe"
But You had it in your pocket, you say,
which shows that you are not acquainted
with the North and South of England
bank, which say that the accountant OF
cashier shall be responsible for the due
custody Of the cash while il is in biz
possession in the daytime, and at nip h,
all moneys and securities shall be care.
fully secured within the office safe
which shall be secured by two keys, one
of which shall he in the custody of the
manager, and the second in that of the
accountant or cashier. But you say
sgsin, rs long as you had one key, wha,
did you want of two? There, / own
the regulations are obscure. They were
drawn up by somebody without any
literary skill; if they'd consulted me
about them, could have suggested 8
good many improvements. What they
meant 10 say was that the safe was to bt
secured by two locks, and that q key oil
each, not interchangeable the one with
the other, was TO be in the custody, etc
Now you understand why / want Mr.
Cousins key.
"Eh, my~ ssid the servant, opening
her mouth wide, "and what might you
want Mt. Cousins key for"
Just a. stupid as you, you see. Iva
mad with the girl. / own always re,
out of temper with those Yorkshire
people. If you ask them the simplest
question, first they open their mouth
and cape At you. When you've repeat
cd the question twice, they close thei
mouth aud think bit. Then the ide.
seems TO reach the thing that does duty
with 'em for brains, and excites sort OF
reflex action for, by jingo! instead o.
answering your question they 20 and asl
you one. And that makes me 10 mad
Oh, they're a very dense race, thos,
Yorkshire people.
"Why, 70 open the safe, you stupidr
said ]. " Where is he?'
Don't you known" says she.
"Know!" cried in q rage; "wha
should l AJAX you for IL knew"
"Didn't you know he was at thai
house,"
All, 80 he was. I'd nearly forgotten
that he was one of the guests ut m,
wife party. Clearly, couldn't get tn,
safe open, and didn't like to leave tn,
money in my desk, 10 ! put it In my
pocket and took it home, thinking IL
give il " Cousins with my key, TO pu
IL in the safe when he returned.
A nice mess got into when reached
home; for you rec II had been arranged
that WAS to 10 up stairs and dress before
anybody came; and that then our room
was TO be made ready for the ladies tc
take their bonnets ofi-for they were moi
all carriage people. Well, you never saw
such thingi When | got home and crept
up stairs 70 dress-the people had al
come, no the servant said-there were
six mufis and four bonnets and five pork
pie hats and half dozen shawls on the
bed, and one lady had left her every
day curls hanging over the looking
glsssl Upon my word, didn't like q
perform my toilet among all these fem.
mime gear; and there was no lock 10 the
door; and my dress clothes were all
smothered up among these mufis and
things. But got through pretty we'll
and had Just got one OF my legs into my
bodS SUCH
q rattle at the knocker, and heard my
wife scuttling away into the hall.
They were the Markbys, our trumy
card, who kept their own carriage, ant
everything grand.
$50 kind of you, my DEAR" said my
wife, kissing Mrs. Markby most afiec
tionstely. | could hear the reports
where ] stood.
$50 delighted! Really, how nicely
how beautifully you arrange every
thing. ] can't have things so nice, with
all my servants, Snd-"
" Run up stairs, dear, dol" said my
wife. You know the room-my room
right hand, Mt the top Of the stairs"
heard tho futter OF female wings OF
the stairs. What was I 10 do? IL
could have managed the other leg.
wouldn't have minded, but couldn't
] hadn't worn these dress things for |,
good while, aud ] don't grow any thin
ner as I grow older. No, for the life O
me ! conldn't dispose Of that other lie,
at sucl hort notice. What could | do
could oply rush TO the door and set NJ,
back against IL. Did tell you this wa