News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-23

for few minutes, and then went hur
riedly out of the Office, returning shortly
afterward with Dir. JeTreys, the man
ager of the London and Lancashire Bank
at which the firm kept their accounts
Then Mr.. Jeffreys left, and came back
accompanied by one of his cashiers
Then bell was rung and Mr.. Crumr
was Sent for.
| With beating heart and cold sweat
on his brow the cashier obeyed the
| summons.
Bring your check book, Mr.. Crump,
said the senior partner.
This was done, and tall man, whom
Mr.. Crump had not noticed up to that
time. stepped up to the table and
glanced at the check-book along with
MI. Livesey.
81 thought so," exclaimed the ole
! gentleman. "Here's the place from
which the check was taken; here is the
counterfoil The numbers correspond
What made you do it, Crump? You are
the last man in the world from whom
would have expected such conduct
''Do what, sir2 family uttered Mr.
Crump.
''Do what2" echoed his employer with
contemptuous smile. ''Who did yor
! get to do this little bit of work fol
| your
As he spoke Mr. Livesey tossed 6
check across the table. Mr.. Crump took
it up and read: {" he London and
Lancashire Bank. Pay Jos Beckman,
Esq, or order, three thousand one
hundred and seventy-tws pounds fifteen
shillings-Livescy and Mason"
He looked up bewildered. The tall
man In the frock- coat watched him mar.
| rowly.
"Who is this Beckman," asked Mr..
| Livesey.
Il don't know, sir"
"You don't know2 You see that the
check has come from your book2"
eyes, sir"
"Did you give it to any one2"
'No, sir"
"DId you miss it?'
eyes, sir; 1 missed it yesterday; and
| wrote to Messrs. Marshall, to whom ]
had sent the one before that, thinking
that had torn out two by mistake"
You id not put that letter among
the Others to be copied in the letter
book" put in Mr.. Mason.
Crump hung his head
"Now, Crump, you had better make
a clean breast of it" said Mr.. Livesey
after q few moments silence "Tell
US who this man Beckman is; tell us
where the money has gone it can't be
all spent already--and it will be none
the worse for you"
Mr.. Crump felt a choking sensation
in his throat; but he plucked up courage
enough to say, II have told you already,
sir, that l know nothing about it. 1t
was only yesterday morning that l
noticed that a check had been taken
from the book"
1T is plain that the thief must have
been some one in the Office, though
probably he had an accompliceoutside," "
said Mr.. Jetfreys. "a stranger would
not have known that the firm had so
large balance at the moment. Is there
any of your fellow clerks whom you
think may have had hand in it2" he
added, turning to the cashier.
''No, sir"
SIS 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
hesltated tor a moment
''Speak, sir, if you are wise" said Mr..
Livesey sternly.
81 have sometimes thought that Mr..
Carter spent good deal on dress, aud
so on; but not more than many young
men," replied Mr.. Crump. But as he
spoke he suddenly remembered Robert
a~ter's unusually early appearance on
the preceding morning, and a suspicion
arose in his mind Without intending
it he allowed his thoughts to appear in
his face, so that his protest-'1 know
nothing " hatever against Mr.. Carter
had but little effect.
Crump was sent back to his desk, and
Carter was sent for. He came back to
the clerk S room in a state of great in
dignatiOn, 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, although there wasnot evidence
enough to prosecute him, he must be dis
missed at once. As to Carter, they
determined to allow him to remain
where he was, and kept close watch
on his proceedings.
Poor Walter CrumD went home that
day like one in dream. He was dis
missed as the accomplice of forger!
And he could not say that, in the cir
cumstances, he had been treated un-
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.
About o'clock in the evening a
knock came to the old mans door 1t
was Robert Carter. Crump started to
his feet In indignation. Was this fel-
low, whom he suspected to be the real
criminal, to come and gloat 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, chow 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
q day or two"
The old man stared at him for a min
ute or two without speaking and with
out taking Carter's hand.
"Be5one. STRIP ne cried at last.
How dare you come here to insult me
with your sympathy? You! l fancy
you are the one who knows most about
it"
Annie turned from one to the other
with bewiIdered, terrified looks. For
tunately, she was the only other one of
the family in the room.
"What is it, father9" she cried,
clasping her hands What is it you
say Robert knows more about than any
one else2 Oh2 tell we what has hap.
pened"
"Go to your room, girl" said her
father, sternly. There Is trouble
enough without your meddling in it.
Stop" he continued, as the girl slowly
left the room. You sec that young
man. 1 forbid you to see him, to write
to him, to receive any letters from him.
He-you will know soon enough"
"What, sirr' cried arter his eyes
blazing with indignation. Do you say
that THAT I took the check? Why,
1t was an impossibility, even if 1 had
wished to do such a thing"
Leave my house, sir" was the old
mans reply, as he reseated himself in
his chair. He had by this time per
suaded himself that in some unguarded
moment he had left his key in the safe,
that Carter had taken an impression of
it and had false key made, and that
he got some clever forger to initiate the
firm signature.
Carter protested once more against
the injustice of the cashiers suspicious,