Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-16

I0Wjys .
"who Is this Beckmsns" asked
Mr.. Livesey.
al don't know, SIR"
"You don't know? You see tnas
the check has come from your book9"
"Yes, sir"
ibid you gie 1t to any one9"
"No, SIR"
"Did you miss its"
"Yes, sir; missed 1t yesterday
and I wrote to Messrs. Marshall, to
whom I had sent the one before that.
thinking that ! had torn out two by
mistake"
"Tbat rather points to his limo.
cence.n whispered Mr.. Livesey to the
| tall man ct his elbow.
alt may be only clever plant, sir"
returned the other.
"You did not put the letter among
the others to be copied in letter-book, F"
put In Mr.. Mason.
Crump hung his head.
"Is the check" he began, after q
pause.
"of course 1t is forged" answered
Mr.. Livesay.
"And was it psid?"
eyes, it was paid yesterday"
Mr.. Crump shuddered, took a long
breath, and waited.
Snow, Crump, you bad better make
a clean breast Of it," said MIR. Livesey
after few moments silence. Tell US
who this man Beckman is; tell US
where the money has gone--it can't be
ali spent already-and it will be none
the worse for you."
Mr.. Crump felt q choking sensation
| in his throat; but he plucked up cour-
age enough to say, 81 have told you
already, sir, that I know nothing about
it. 1t was only yesterday morning that
I noticed that q check had been taken
from the book"
"why did you not mention it?"
asked Mr.. Mason.
81 thought had torn it out myself
along with the one | sent to Mr.. Mar
shall"
"But it may have been torn out by
any one in the Office during the day be.
fore ?"
"Yes, sir, replied Crump. 81 don't
see how any one could have got at the
book, for l am very careful; but it is
possible"
"Tbe thief has probably got pro-
fessional forger to copy the signature
from an old letter." said MIR. Mason,
taking up the slip Of paper. at is
beautifully initiated. would not have
detected it myself"
"It is plain that the thief must have
been some one in the Office, though pro.
badly he had an accomplish outside"
said Mr.. Jeffreys. "A stranger would
not have known that the firm had so
large a balance at the moment. Is
there any one OF your fellow-clerks
whom you think may have had hand
in it?" he added, turning to the
cashier.
"No, SIR"
"Is there any one who keeps loose
company, or any one who is in the habit
of spending too much money!"
Mr.. Crump thought OF Carter, and
hesitated for q moment.
"Speak, sir, if you are WISE" said
Mr.. Livesey sternly.
81 have sometimes thought that Mr..
Carter spent good deal on dress, and
so on; but not more than many young
men," replied Mr.. Crump. But as he
spoke he suddenly remembered Robert
Carter's unusually early appearance on
the preceding morning, and a suspicion
arose in his mind. Without intending
it be allowed his thoughts to appear in
his face, so that his protest" l know
nothing whatever against Mr.. Carter"-
had but littis effect.
Crump was sent back to his desk,
and Carter was sent for. He came
back to the clerks room in state of
great indignation, having strenuously
denied any knowledge whatever of the
forgery. The result of consultation
between the bank manager and the
partners was that as Crump could not
account for the loss of the check, he
had probably stolen it; and that, al
though there was not evidence enough
to prosecute him, he must be dismissed
at once. AS to Carter, they determined
to allow him to remain where he was
and keep q close watch on his proceed
ipgs.
Poor Walter Crump went home that
day like one in q dream. He was dis
missed as the accomplice of forger.
And be could not say that, in the cir
cumstances, he had been treated I'M
Justly. The check had been entrusted
to him, and he had lost it. 1t was, ap-
parently, at least, his fault that the
crime had been committed. He almost
wondered that he had not been sent to
prison.
When be reached his own house he
sat down in front of the fire without
speaking, and even his favorite daugh-
ter Annie could not make him say
what troubled him. How could he tell
his children that he, their father, had
been dismissed from his situation on
suspicion Of having robbed his employ
ers Of $4,000?
About 8 O'Clock in the evening o
knock came to the old mans door. 1t
was Robert Carter. Crump started to
his feet in indignation. Was this fell
low, whom he suspected to be the real
criminal, to come and glost over him in
his misery!
But before he could speak Carter had
come into the room and held out his
hand:
81 came to tell you, Mr.. Crump,"
said he, show sorry we all are in the
office about this. None Of us believe
you had anything to do with it, of
course. 1t will all come out, likely,
in day or two."
The old man stared at him for a
minute or two without speaking, and
without taking Carter's hand.
Begone, SIT I" he cried at last.
How dare you come here to insult
me with your sympathy? Youi
fancy you are the one who knows most
about it."
Annie turned from one to the other
with bewildered, terrified looks. For