Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-10

just tipsy enough TO be cunning so I replied
| Never you mind that; l can ALWAYS find a way
| to pay my debts of honor gave him the
money and rejOined Weed
mat was the widest night ever put In
| We had box at theater for little while then
got carriage aud took in the town. spending
| our money like crazy men. I LETT him at six
O'Clock In the morning at the Hoffman House
where he said he was stopping.
~ was late at the bank that morning and
when l got there was told that the cashier
wanted me- l, of course. expected q reprimand
lot oelng late, and had concocted yarn about
| sick lend but when went in saw that he
had Weeds check in his hand.
MI Jones, did you pay this check?
| Eyes. sir
| WAS the party identified to you by any
No sir; knew him. He was in my COM
| pany during the war
Was it to Mr.. Weed himself. then, that you
paid the money!?
Yes, SIR
"'H-m-m. This is very strange Have you
ever seen him since you left the army?'
t." Not until yesterday
Did you not know that he was supposed to
have been killed in the army?'
:" Yes. sir-that is, thought he was killed
at Antietam'
Were you not there at the time?'
" es, sir. l was struck by the same shot,
I" That will do. Mr.. Jones' This requires
looking into. You will consider yourself sus-
ptuueu lOT the present. ana would not advise
you to attempt to leave the city
IL was horribly indignant at his implied sus
plcion. and went out in speechless rage, hurry
Ing of to the Hoffman House to find Weed and
take him to the bank and triumphantly clear
myself OF any accusation of dishonesty. NV boy,
they told me there was no such man there.
Almost paralyzed by the scrape in which found
myself. spent the next three days in securing
the city for him. but he had disappeared and left
no trace The hackman and other people who
had seen us on that cursed night could not
remember him distinctly enough to think they
would know him again.
ION the fourth day was summoned to the
pank. and found the directors all assembled in
the bank parOr. was given a seat, and the
president addressed me:
:" MIR. Jones, very grave charge has been
made against you, and, after due investigation.
we find the evidence strongly In support of it,
IN Monday last you claim to have paid this
check to its signer, John P. Weed. We learn from
the War department, and from some Of his many
comrades, that Weed was killed at the battle of
Antietam. He has never been seen alive since.
and his back pay has never been claimed from
the government. You were his commanding
officer, were familiar with his signature, and
knew that he left no heirs. We have had your
habits OF life investigated. and we find that you
have been addicted to gambling and evil asso-
cations. that you are in debt. and have been
living beyond your means. We find that on
Monday evening you paid Mr.. Stone quite
q "uiA VI "oney WHICH you owed MIN,
although on that day you had told him
you were unable to pay the debt. You
were not seen = pay this check, although all
the other checks were in the bank as usual until
after you lett on Monday. Mr.. Jones, there is
only one conclusion that we can draw; unless
You can bring Mr. Weed himself before u.s. we
shall believe that yielding to what we hope
was mOmentary temptation, you forged this
check to provide means for the indulgence of
your vicious propensities. Have you anything
to say?'
What could I say7 l could not produce
Weed; and the temptation to get some one to
personate him was quickly put aside. for dis
cOvery would have been certain. / told them
the whole story. but they didn't believe me
and don't know that blame them. The pres-
dent said that out Of consideration tor nv
friends they would not prosecute me- gave me
some kindly advice about my future life, and I
went out of the bank a disgraced man. NV
oOndslnen paid the money and came west and
went to engineering. l heard afterward that
Stone was also discharged for playing poker"
Poor old Chief! He was killed soon afterward
by border rufian in North Platte. Was it the
ghost OF Weed. l wonder. or -? / don't like
TO speculate upon it. ] liked Jones, and never
knew him to tell an untruth.-San Francisco
ArgOnd,H.