The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-05-28

~ az, =" L we w tLS Ia IL
Office about this. None OF us believe
you had anything to do with it, o!
course. 1t will all come out, likely, in
a day or two"
The old nan stared at him for n
minute or two without speaking and
without taking Carriers hand.
"Begone, sir" he cried at last. Glow
dare you come here to insult me with
your sympathy2 You! l fancy you
arethe one who knows most about it,"
Annie turned from one to the other
with b~ewildered, terrified looks. For
tunately she vas the only other one
Of the family in the room.
"What isit, father" she cried, clasp
ing her hands. what is it you say
Robert knows more about than any
one else? Oh, tell me 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 thegirl slowly
left the room. "Iou see that young
man. | forbid you to see him, to write
to him, to receive any letters from
him. He-you will knowsoonenough."
What, sir" cried Carter, his eyes
blazing with indignation. Do you say
that THAT took the check? Why,
it was an impossibility. even if | had
wished TO do such a thing"
leave my house, sir" was the old
mans reply, as he rescated himself in
his chair. He had by this time per-
suaded himself that in some unguard-
ed moment he had left his key in the
safe, that Carter had taken an impress
sion OF it and had a false key made,
and that he had got some clever for
ger to initiate the firms signature.
But he knew thatno one would believe
him, that appearances were allagainst
him, and that it would be impossible
for him now ever to earn his bread.
He looked upon Carter as the man
who hadruinca him, and in his misery
and unreaSonableness he fancied that
one OF the young mans objects waste
throw suspicion upon him, to reduce
him topoverty and impossible
for him to refuse to accept him as
Annie's husband. But in this the old
man determined he would yield.
Carter protested ono more against
the injustice ofthe cashier S suspicious,
and then left the At the street
door he met Annie, who was waiting
for him.
ooh, Robert" she exclaimed in a
low voice, "tell me what has happen
| sd"
Somebody at the Office has forged
a check torthree thousand pounds and
more" he replied. at had been tax.
en- from your fathers book, and-and
he iancies Itook it, who had moth
ing to do with the safe whatever"
and do they imagine it WAS
Robert was silent.
"And you came here to say you did
not believe it? Oh, how good of YOU"
But he thinks am the thief. You
don't, Annie?"
No, Robert; l am very sure OF that.
Only, | can't see you so long as my
iather--'
Robert $ only answer to this was q
sigh, and with a hurried good-by the
lovers parted.
Weeks and months wentby, and the
mystery OF the forged check remained
unsolved. Mr.. Livesey insisted that
thetirm should the losso of the g.
600, which Mr.. Mason thought the
bank ought to repay, as they were le-
gally responsible Tor the money.
"No," said the old gentleman, "they
may be legally responsible, but 1
don't see that they ought to sui
fer. The check itself was in our
hands, and we allowed a thief to get
hold OF it The bank did all they
could. The forged signature is so
like yours that no one could tell the
difference; and the bank cashier tells
me that the man who cashed it show
ed him letters addressed to himself as
Joseph Beckman' 1.-THE name on the
check, and showed him his card. say
ing that he was a solicitor. OF
course he wasn't. The thing has
been most cleverly planned, and |
am quite at a loss to think who put
that poor fellow Crump up to it; but
it seems to me we can't let the bank
suffer. We could not afford to let it
be known we had done so. No other
bank would keep our account"
OF course poor Walter Crump could
not find another situation, though he
would have been glad to take the
lowest place in an office. The wolf
came to his door in earnest. Annie,
who had a situation in a Board
School, was the chief support OF the
family; and the poor girl was pale
and thin from long hours and scanty
meals.
1t was about five months after the
day when the cashier was dismissed
in disgrace that one day Mr.. Mason
left his office at half-past l, his usual
hour for going out to lunch. Half
past l was also the time when it was
Robert Carriers turn to go out for
half an hour; and Mr.. Mason had
hardly had time to reach the street
went into Mr.. Mason's room, entered
Il small closet in which a wash-hand
basin was fitted up, and proceeded to
wash his hands. This was high mis-
demeanor, especially as accommoda-
ton Was provided for clerks in an
other part OF the building, but Mr..
Robert Carter preferred Mr.. Mason's
closet, and always used it when he had
a chance Of doing so.
On this occasion, however, he had
barely begun his additions when he
heard the outerdoor ofthe Office slam,
and then he heard some one, whomhc
judged to be his employer, come into
the room.
He has only come back for his UNI
brella," said Robert tohimself; "there
is no need for my moving. If l keep
i quiet he will be gone in a minute. No,
Some one else has come in with him.
What shall | do?
Mr.. Mason had already closed the
double doors which led from his room
to the outer office, and Carter was
s%crewing up his courage to the point
OF confessing his presence, when the