Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-12
Cabs aud Sketehes.
THE MYSTERIOUS FORGERY.

1t was a bleak October morning, and
Mr.. Walter Crump, cashier to the firm of
Messrs. Livesey & Mason, quickened his
pace as he made his way along Throgmor-
ton street. to the scene of his daily toll 1t
was not that he feared to be late that Mr.
Crump was walking fast. During all the
forty wears that he had sat upon high
stool from 10 to Mr.. Crump had never
been known to be late for his work. A
more methodical, careful man never hung
over a ledger or balanced cash-book.
At length he reached the well-known
staircase, opened the office door. and
stood still for a moment in surprise.
Young Carter, the assistant bookkeeper,
was there before him, already at his work.
Mr.. Crump smiled grimly.
so you've made beginning. young
man," he said. well, we'll see."
Carter's ACE flushed little as he babe
the older man a 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 in love. 1t was
only on the proceeding evening that things
had come to a crisis, and, somewhat to
the Young mans surprise, Mr.. Crump had
rejected the proposed engagement. He did
not like young Carter. He did not ap-
prove of the young fellows fashionably
cut collars, nor of his scarf-pin, nor of his
cane. Such things Mr.. Crump considered
were the signs of frivolous disposition and
unsteady habits. Nor did Mr.. Crump
approve of the snatches of comic songs
which Carter was continually humming
He suspected that the young man fire.
quented music halls, and spent more
money on cheap cigars, novels and outings
than was proper tor one in his position.
Besides, Mr.. Robert Carter was usually
the last of all the clerks to make his
appearance in the morning, and this was,
in Mr.. Crump's eyes. very bad sign. 1t
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 aggravatng
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, tall, pale man, with long black
whiskers. Mr.. Livesey. the senior partner
only came to the office twice a week, to
examine the bank book and see how things
were going on. Mr.. Mason opened the
letters, and soon appeared at Mr.. Crump's
desk with small sheaf of them in his
hand. These were letters in response to
which small sums of money had to be
sent. and it belonged to Mr.. Crump to at
tend to them, for he had the authority to
sign checks tor the firm for sums I'D to
five pounds.
Mr. Crump first made 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 counterfeit 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 he written check without first
filling up the counterfeit with particulars
of the amount, the date, and the person to
whom the check was sent. But his sur
prise changed to dismay when he took
out his cash-book and found that he had
only drawn nine checks the day before,
the counterfols of which were all proper
ly filled up, whereas a tenth check had
been torn out of the book.
For a moment he sat as if stunned.
Could any 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 impression of it in wax, and had
false key made. He had heard of such
things. He leaned his head on his hands
and tried to think When had he closed
the safe last night? About in the after
noon, before any one had left the office
for the day Tor he remembered that he
had been sent to the docks about O'Clock
with some documents for ship that was
about to sail. and that when he got back
at half-past 6 everybody had left, and the
place was in darkness.
If the blank check had been stolen, the
theft must have been committed last night
Or this morning? Could the safe have
been opened before his arrival? He re.
membered Carter's unusually early ap-
pearance, and threw suspicious glance
at the young man.
Then simpler solution of the matter
occurred to him. 1t was very possible
that, in tearing ont the last check he had
drawn the day before, he had torn out two
by mistake, folded them up and sent them
out together This would of course. ac-
count for the appearance of the check
book. He determined to write at once tc
Marshall 4 Co., merchants in Liverpool.
to whom he had sent his last check, and
ask whether blank check had not been
sent to them by mistake.
Then the question arose-should he
mention the circumstance to Mr.. Mason |?
On consideration Mr.. Crump thought that
it was not necessary to do so. Mr.. Mason
was rather hard man to deal with. and
confession would ruin the character for
carefulness which the cashier had so LONG
enjoyed, And be fully expected that in
two days at most he would get a letter
from Liverpool enclosing the slip OF paper
which bad caused him so much anxiety.
The rext day was Tuesday, and ac-
cording to his invariable custom on that
day of the week, Mr.. Livesev made his
appearance in the office. Business had
not long commenced when everybody in
the establishment was aware that some
thing unusual had happened. Mr.. Mason
was closeted with his partner tor a few
minutes, and then went hurriedly out of
the office, returning shortly afterward
with Mr.. Jeffreys, the manager of the
London and Lancashire Bank, at which
the firm kept their account.
Then Mr.. Jeffreys left and came back
accompanied by one of his cashiers. Then
a bell was rung and Mr.. Crump was sent
for.
With a HEATING heart and q cold sweat