The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27
NOT AN EMBEZZLE.R
Brother Gardner, of the Lime-KiIn Club,
Under Suspicion for Brief Period.
tTaot.zs. IHra.a p.aa-

Under Suspicion for a Brief Period.
Detroit Free Press
A majority of the members were consider
ably astonished to see Sir Isaac Walpole
take the chair as the meeting opened, and as
soon as Paradise hall grew quiet he said:
"Our respected president am not heah to-
night. A day or two ago he took a run
down to Elyria, Ohio, to organize branch
lodge an deliver a lecktur; an up to dis
hour he has not bin heard of by any of his
friends in de city. His ole woman has had
three fits an congestive chill, an de huh
nayburhood in which he Ibis am out at de
gate a-watchin'. What has delayed him l
kin not imagine but am hourly in hopes Of
his arrival"
The Hon. Clawhammer Potts had teen no
ticed hitching around in an uneasy manner
for some time, and he now secured the foo1
to make a suggestion. OF course he would
be the last man in the club to cast breath
of suspicion, but these were strange times
Bank presidents who had lived above re
proach for fifty years were every day com
ing to the front as embezZlerS and defa at
ers. Trusted advisers could no lougar Z,
trusted Wouldn't it be well, all thing On,
sidere1 for the chairman to appoint ,.ec-
mittee to-to--p
"Brudder POTTS. has you sunthin' on yer
mind| asked Sir Isaac.
"Yes sab. Wouldn't it be well to see il
de club funds am all safe? Brudder Gardner
wouldn't tech the fust red cent of course
but he am mysteriously absent, an it an
| our dooty to see dat our funds am all correct
l move that we investigate"
| No one seconded the motion Everybod,
seemed paralyzed for n moment, and it wa,
during this interval that Brother Gardner
walked into the hall He was bespIashed
with mud-one coat tail gone-three buttons
off his vest and his plug hat caved in, but
his face wore its usual serene aspect as hC
limped up the aisle and ascended the plat
form. While he was doing this the Hon
Clawhammer Potts was sliding for the door
and he shot out of it like man expecting t.
| feel sole leather.
MY friends" said the president, as ht
raped for order, "while war waitin' a
Elyria to take de train fur hum a stranger
axed me to change $40 bill fur him
complied. When l went to buy my ticke
de bill was spotted fur counterfeit. | rod,
as fur as | could on dollar an' half, an
den took de dirt road de rest of de way.
Let me say to you: Have confidence il
human natur', but doan sell yourself to-
cheap Regard all men as truthful, bu
hold yer hat ready to cotch lie. Believ
all men honest but carry yer money whal
a thief can't nab it. Be courteous to stran
gers, but doan' let 'em trabble at your e1
pense,"
While the president was looking over tn
minutes of the evening the secretary not
fed him of the utterances of the Hon Claw
hammer Potts. Some of the members ex
pected to see the fur fly, but they were dis
appointed. After disposing of half a
hours routine business Brother Gardne
said:
Il has no hard feelings agin' Brudde
Potts 1t has got so dat a county treasure
can't go rabbit huntin' widout somebod
starts de report dat he am defaulter to d
amount of $40, 0O0. Brudder Potts wa
simply leetle too prevus. He forgot da
de funds of dis club am deposited in q
bank in sich a way dat it takes three signs
lures an two individuals to draw eben
shillin.' Let us now wind up"