Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-28
ST don't know soul in Redport."

, face With should say, as you are con-
WINGED Mr.. Butler is not at home, I sup
pose you have friends or clerks IN Carces-
ter who could give evidence as to who you
are-are, 1 ought no doubt to say? The
, telegraph's as open to you as to me"
You positively are so insane as to say
you will forcibly detain me-me-in Red.
port unless | can convince you that l am
myself? And for no reason"
You must make up your mind to it. 1
know what the law is, said Mr.. Richards,
"and-well, not to n,ince matters, I've al
) ready got our Police Sergeant waiting in
the next room. A messenger from the
J bank can dispatch any summons to any OF
your friends, ii you'll write it down. Yes,
1t is In my power to give you into custody
on suspicion of having forged check
which you yourself admit has passed
through the hands of no third PARTIES
check for ESQ, signed John Butler. And
as to why | have particular reasons for
my belief, I don't mind telling you it's be-
cause the bank here has had special notice
; from the chief branch at Carcester to cash
no checks signed John Butler till we've
communicated with the drawer, and to de-
} tain the person presenting them, whoever
he may be-unless the checks bear a certain
private sign. There's reason for that, you
, may be sure. And there is the sign on
every one of these checks-except the one
for go"
"You mean to say that this check for
$50 is the only one unmarked ?"
1.-The only one.
"Let me see it, if you please" Z
) He held it so that l might see it, taking
care that l should have no chance of wreat-
ing it from his hands. certainly could
: not blame him any longer fer over zeal,
seeing it was on my own advice he was
acting. But what room could I find for a
single thought save that an unmarked
check, as like those presented by Adam
Brown as a check could be, had been re-
ceived straight from John Buffers very
own hands by my very own? Surely it
looked more like witchcraft than forgery.
And yet Adams effective confession of
guilt and the regularity with which the
undoubtedly forged checks had been pre-
sented-I could not make head or tail of it
all. l must have been beWildered Unjust
have seemed confused, as if with guilt or
fright, for was confused in reality l could
not even affect the indignation of injured
honesty l was not indignant with Mr.
Richards for being suspicious of what
might be witchcraft, but certainly had all
the air of a forgery, Charles Standish,
being the forger
''It is utterly unintelligibIe," said I,
using the common phrase of people who
won't, rather than can't, explain things
that seem going against them. "But
am sure of one thing-Charles Standish, OF
Carcester, l am. And l don't want to
stay in Redport till Monday. will tele-
graph, as you say. I'll send word to my
wife to-but no !; she's not in Carcester
either just now. | must send for one of
the clerks at the office, I'm afraid, and
have been doing at Redport to need proof
write message fer my clerk"
! justice to Mr.. Richards zeal, | chose to
wait in an inner office of the bank till
somebody whom | knew should come l
need hardly say that Mr.. Bnller, being
away from getting telecrsms, never came.
But it was not till hours had passed that l
began to realize that it was Saturday after
neon, and that my idle dogs of clerks had,
OF course, taken advantage of my absence
to close the office and go CT to play at an
exceptionally early hour. Closing time for
the bank itself (also earlier than usual on
Saturdays) had come when | saw in my
mind, as clearly and truly as with my eyes,
my telegram lying unopened on my clerks
desk at Carcester-an tomorrow was Sun
day.
All | could do was to send off six tele-
grams to six different people, in the bare
hope that one Of them might bring over to
Redport some respectable citizen of Car
cester before the very last train. Not one
brought soul. And | could see what MIR.
Richards thought of the result of my tele-
grams when l had perforce, to put up with
the accommodation of the police station
instead of the hotel, there to remain until
John Butler himself should come and set
me free.
In effect was prisoner on suspicion of
forgery-and l had in truth presented an
unquestionably forged check that had been
through no hands but my own Il was
the most unaccountable mystery had ever
| known, and it kept ne from sleeping, even
more than the discomfort OF my cell, as
much as If | were really conscious sharer
| in the -vilIainies of Adam Brown. This
could not be his doing-aud what then of
the rest, and of his admitted guilt con-
corning them? Not even Sleep when it
came IN an uncomfortable shape as last,
let me dream Of a possible way through
such mystery.
It was not'until Monday afternoon that
l received the welcome news that John
Baller was on his way to see me at the
police station in company with Mr.. Rich
ards. ! must say that l had become more
anxious now about getting home as fast as
l could than about anything else in the
world. 1t IS not an amusing thing to be
treated, In strange place, as suspected
felon and have held very strong views
about the treatment OF unconvicted prison
ers ever since that Redport Sunday.
g" Here he is, sir, said Mr.. Richards.
" This is the-the gentleman who present.
cd that check on Saturday morning l
hope and trust it's all right but in these
times Won see, one can't be too -
" Thank heaven. at last, -" said I, spring
ing from my seat and holding cut my
hand. " I've never passed so long day
since | was born ; but [ certainly don't
complain OF Mr.. Richards-he's been zeal
Gus enough, anyhow; and 1 only wish my
clerks would simply do what they're bid,
and give up that COMPOUNDED habit of
thinking for themselves. If you ever have
J to leave the company's service, Mr.. Rich
ards, for want of thinking power, never
mind I'll take you into mine. Well, Mr..
Butler, you must have slipped into draw
ing one unmarked check, after all -
mo, sir !" said John BGller, with
strange vehemence for him. "No-I did
not draw that check-with or without
sign. drew no check for fifty pounds at
all. And if you're the rascal that has
been up to these games, and got it all on
poor young Adams shoulders I'm glad 1
see you here; I'm glad of it with all my
heart and soul. I'm hanged if I didn't
know was right all along. Adam Brown,
if letter can find him, poor lad, goes
back to my works at Redport this very
hour !"
Could I believe my ears
"You-John Buller-yoa believe ne
guilty of having forged checks, and tried
to throw the guilt of it upon Adam Brown
Think for one least moment OF what you