Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-19
THE FORGERY.

II.
Walter Crump, cashier of the firm of Messrs.
Livesey & Mason. quickcned his pace as he
made his way along Throgmorton street to
the scene of his daily toll 1t was not that he
feared to be late that Mr. Crump was walk
ing fast. During all of the forty years that
he had sat upon a high stool from 10 to ) Mr..
Crump had never been known TO I've late for
his work. A more mcthodical, careful man
never hung over ledger or balanced cash
book.
At length he reached the well-known stair
case, opened the Office door and stood still for
a moment IN surprise Young Carter, the as
sIStant bookkeeper, was there before him, al
ready at his work. Mr.. Crump smiled
grinly.
so you've made a beginning, young man" :"
he said. We'll, Wen see"
Carriers face flushed a little as he bade the
| older man good morning. The fact was that
Crump, who had married rather late in life
had bright-eyed daughter named Annie,
with whom Robert Carter had fallen very
much i'll love. Ii was only on the preceding
evening that things had come to a crisis, and
| somewhat to the young mans surprise, Mr..
CIump had rejected the proposed engage
| nient He did not like young Carter. He
did not approve Of the young fellows fash
| ionably cut collars, nor of his scarf pin, nor
of his cane. Such things Mr.. Crump con-
sidered were the signs Of a frivolous disposi-
tion and unsteady habits. Nor did Mr.
| Crump approve OF the snatches of comic
| songs which Carter was continually hum
ming He suspected that the young man fire.
quented music halls, and spent more money
Oh cheap cigars, novels and outings than was
| proper for one in his position Besi,s, Mr..
Robert Carter was usually the last of all the
clerks to make his appearance in the morn
ing, and this was, in Mr. Crump's ewes, a
very bad sign. IL was plain to the old man
| that Carter was now making an attempt to
earn his good opinion.
Time will show-time will show ~ said Mr.
Crump, in rather an asgravating way, as he
changed his coat opened his desk, unlocked
his safe, and set about his work
Soon the other clerks began to arrive and
then came Mr.. Mason, the acting partner, a
| tall, pale man, with long black whiskers. Mr..
Livesey. the senior partner, only came to the
| office twice a week, 10 examine the bank book
and see how things were going OIL. Mr. Ma
son opened the letters and soon appeared at
Mr.. Crump's desk with u small sheaf of them
| in his hand. These were letters IN RESPONSE
to which small sums Of money had to be sent,
and 1t belonged to Mr.. Crump to attend to
them, for he had authority to sign checks for
the firm for sums up to five pounds.
Mr.. Crump first made a list Of the pay
| ments he had To make and then went to his
safe for his check book. As he opened it to
write the first check he was surprised to find
that the counterfoil belonging to the last
check which had been taken from the book
was not filed up. He could hardly believe
his eyes. Never in all his life had be written
check without first filling up the counterfoil
with articulars of the amount, the date and
| the person TO whom the check was sent. But
his surprise turned To dismay when he took
out his cash book and found that he had only
| drawn nine checks the day before, the coun-
terfoils of which were all properly filled up,
whereas a tenth check had been torn out of
the book
For a moment he sat as if stunned. Could
my one have stolen the blank check. He
always kept the key Of his safe ON his own
bunch, but it was just possible that some one
might have got hold of the key, taken an i'm
preston of il in wax and hal a false KEY
made. He had heard of such things. He
leaned his head on his hands and tried to
think. When had be closed his safe last
hight. About in the afternoon, before any
''At i1siu iSAI thc oihtc tOl tlAN. Tor he
nembered he had been sent to the docks
!bout O'Clock with some documents for a
'hip that was about TO SAIL and that when he
sot back at $50 everybody had left and the
place was in darkness.
Ii the blank check had been stolen. the
heft must have been committed last night
II this morning. Could the safe have been
opened before his arrival, He remembered
/ rfa4t-Ss r,all
threw a suspicious glance at the young man.
Then IA simpler solution of the matter oc-
CURED TO him. 1t was very possible that in
tearing out the last check he had drawn the
day before he had torn out two by mistake.
folded them up and sent them off together.
This would, of course, account for the ap-
pearance of the check book He determined
to write at once to Marshall & Co, mer-
chants in Liverpool, to whom he had sent his
last check, and ask whether blank check
had not been sent 10 them by mistake.
Then the question arose-should he men
ton the Circumstance to Mr. MasOn9 On
consideration Mr.. Crump thought that it was
not necessary to do 50. Mr. Mason was
rather a hard man TO deal with, and a con-
fession would ruin the character for careful
ness which the cashier had so long enioyed.
And he fully expected that in two days at
most he would get letter from IivarpooI
inciosing the slip of paper which had cos,
him SO much anxiety.
The next day was a Tuesday, and according
to his invariable custom on that day of the
week, Mr.. Livesey made his aprsarance in
the office. Business had not long commenced
when everybody in the establishment wos
aware that Something upus,.I had b,n,.,,,,,1
Mr.. Mason was clo~ete,l with his mariner Tor
a few minutes, and then went hurrieily ont
of the office. returning shortly with Mr. Jef-
freys, the manager of the London and IAN
cashire bank, at which the firm KENT their !
account