, 1886-09-16
THE FORGERY.

Walter C~rumu-S-n1er OF the nfm OF hlessrs-
s1Ar-sv x Mason, quickcned his pace as he
made his why ale M ~Throgmorton street to
the scene OF his daily toll. IL was not that he
feared to be late that Mr.. Crump was walk
ing fast. Dpring all Of the forty yenrs that
he had sat upon a high stool from 10 to . Mr..
Crump had never been known to be late for
his work. y more ~methodical, careful man
never hung over a ledger or balanced n cash
book.
At length he reached tho well-known stair-
case, opened the office door and stood still for
n moment IN surprise. Young Carter, the as
sistant bookkceIer, was there before him, al
ready at his work. Mr.. Crump smiled
grimly.
80 you've made a beginning, young man.
he said. "Well, wen see
Carriers fnce flushed n little as he babe the
older inan good morning. The fact was that
Cruinp, who had married rather late in life,
had n bright-eyed daughter named Annie,
with whom Robert Carter had fallen very
much IN love. 1t was only on the preceding
evening that things had come to n crisis, ard
somewhat TO the young mans surprise, Mr..
Crump had rejected the proposed engage
ment. He did not like young Carter. He
did not approve of the young follows fash
ionnhly cut collars, nor OF his scarf pin, nor
of his cane. Such things Mr.. Crump con-
niANi'i N'ifiuc sIs us Oh II frivolous ulSpOSl-
ton 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.
quentcd music halls, and spent moro money
on cheap cigars, novels aud outings than was
proper for one in his position. Besides, Mr..
Robert Carter was usually the last Of all tho
clerks TO make his appearance in the morn
ing, and this was, in Mr.. Crump's eyes, Il
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 aggravating why, as he
changed his cont 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 pcrtner. a
tall, pale man, with long black whiskers, Mr..
Livescy, the senior partner, only came to the
Office twice n week, to examine the bank book
and sec how things were going on Mr.. Ma
son opened the letters and soon appeared ut
Mr.. Crump's desk with IA small sheaf of them
in hE hand. These were letters in response
TO which small sums of money had to be sent,
and II belonged to Mr.. Crump to attend to
them for he had authority to sign checks for
the iirn for sums up to five pounds.
MIR. Crnmp first made a list of the pay
fA'fAA - Ahht " ulll lntn went 10 his
safe Tor 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
achcck without first filling up the counterfeit
with artisulars of the amount, the date and
the person to whom the check was sent. But
MS surprise turned TO dismny when he took
out his cash book and found that he had only
drawn nlie checks the day before, the coun-
tertoiis of which were all properly filled up.
whereas n tenth check bad been torn ont of
the book.
For II moment he sat rs if stunned. Could
any one have stolen the blank check7 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 inn
preston Of it in wax and had n false kew
made lie had heard of such things. He
leaned his head Oh his hands and tried to
think. hen had he closed his safe last
hhshti About 4 IN the afternoon, before any
one had l'ft the Office for the day. for he re-.
memtercd he had been sent To the docls
about I O'Clock with some documents for n
ship that was about to sail. and that when he
got back Mt G*ID everybody had left and the
plnce was in darkness.
!. NC pihhk chcck nad been stolen, the
theft must have been mmit last night
or this moruingf Could the safe have been
opened before his ARRIVAL He emb
Carriers unusually early appearance and
threw u suspicious glance at the Young man.
Then a simpler solution of the matter oc-
curr"d 10 Inn. IT. was very possible that in
tearing out the Inst check he had drawn the
dnN before lac had torn out two by mistake.
folded them up and sent them Off together.
rms would, Of course, account for the mp
pcufaIIce 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 a blank check
md not been sent TO them by mistake.
Then the question arose-should he men
ton the circumstance to Mr.. Masoni Oh
consideration MIR. Crump thought that it was
not necessary TO do 50. MIR. Mason was
rather n hard man TO deal with, and a con
fession would ruin the character for careful
ness which the cashier had so long enjoyed.
And he fully expected that in two days at
most he would get n letter from Liverpool
nclosing the slip of parcr which had cost
him so much anxiety,
The next day was II Tuesday, and according
To hs invariable custom on that day of the
week, Mr.. Livescy made his appearance in
the Office Business had not long commenced
when everybody in the establishment WINS
aware that something unusual had happened.
Mr. Mason was closeted with his partner for
"A lew minutes, and then went hurriedly out
of the Office, returning shortly with Mr.. JEFF
freys, the manager of the London and Lam
cashire hank, ut which the firm kept their
account.
Then Mr.. J~etrreys left, and came back
accompanied y one of the cashiers. Then a
bell was r1iug and Mr.. Crump was sent for.
With II beating heart and cold sweat on his
brow the cashier cb4'ved the m
Bring your chcc. book, Mr.. Cruinp,9 sud-
the senior partner.
This WAS done, and n tail man, whom Mr.
Crump had not noticed to this time, stepped
NJ to The table and glanced at the check book
nlons with MIR Li,,~ey.
- thou Int So exclaimed the old gentle
man. Here's the place from which the
cheek WIS taken, here is the counterfeit. Tho
numbers correspond. What made YOU do 10
Crumpi Nou are the last man in the world
from which l expected such conduct
DO what. SIR" family uttered Mr.. Crump.
d whatf' cchosl his employer with IA
comtenptuous smile. "Who did YOU get to
do this little bit Of work for your
As he spoke Mr.. LivcScy tossed a check
across tho table. MIR. Crump took it up and
read.
The London and Lancashire Bank. Pay
Jos. Beckman, Esq, or order, three thousand
one hundred and scventy-two pounds fifteen
shillings. "LIvLsEY & MASON
He looSed up bowildcrcd. Tho tall man In
the fioek coat watched him narrowly.
"Nho Is this B,ckmani' asked Mr. Live
SOY.
81 don't know, sir"
"You don't knowi You sec that the check
has come from you bookf'
YES, sir
"Did YOU give it to any onei' asked Livescy.
20, sir