Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-16
GOOD STORY.
fwbi,ehall Rayiew.l

NJ ceos - be made his way along
Thrormorton street to the scene Of his
dellv toll. Il vas not that he feared 10
s. jsts that Mr.. Crump was walking
hst During al the forty years that
- he'd at upon high stool from 10 10
s NJ. Crump had never been known to
b late for his work. A moro methods
cal, careful man never hung over .
ledger or balanced q cash-book.
At length be reached the well-known
staircase, opened the Office door. and
stood still for . moment il surprise.
Young Carter, the assistant bookkeep-
Or, was there before him, already ct his
work. Mr.. Crump smiled grimly.
$50 you've made beginning, young
man," be said. " Well, we'll see."
Cartsr's face flushed . little IS he
bsds the older man 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 10
love. II was only on the preceding
evening that things had come to cri-
els, and. somewhat to the young mans
surprise, Mr.. Crump had rejected the
proposed engagement. lie did not like
Young Carter. He did not approve
Of the young fellows fashionably-cut
collars, nor Of bis scarf-pin, nor OF
his cane. Such things, Mr.. Cramp
considered. were the signs Of . fri
volous disposition and unsteady hab.
its. Nor did Mr. Crump spprove OF
the snstches Of comic songs which Car
ter wss continually humming. He sus.
pscted that the young man frequenfed
music halls, and spent more money on
cheap cigars, novels, and outings than
was proper for one in his position. Be-
sides, Mr.. Robert Carter was usually
the last Of all the clerks to make his APP
pearsnce in the morning, and this was,
In Mr.. Crump's eyes, a very bad sign.
Il was plain to the old man that Garter
was now making an attempt to earn his
good opinion. =.
"Time will show-time will show"
said Mr., Crump In rather an aggra-
yating way, as he changed his coat,
opened his desk. unlocked his safe aud
set about his work.
Soon the other clerks began to arrive.
and then came Mr.. Mason, the acting
partner, q tall, pale man, with long
black whiskers. Mr. Liyesey, the SO.
nior partner, only came to the Office
twice q week to examine the handbook
and see how things were going on. Mr..
Mason opened the letters, and soon APP
peared at Mr.. Crump's desk with a
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 attend to
them, for be had authority to sign
checks for the firm for sums up to five
pounds.
Mr.. Crump first made . list Of the
payments he had to make, and then
went to his safe for his check-book. As
be opened it to write the first check he
was surprised to find that the counter
foil belonging to the last check which
had been taken from the book was not
filled 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
surprise changed to dismay when he
took out his cash-book and found that
be had only drawn nine checks the day
before, the countsrfoils of which were
al properly filled up, whereas q tenth
check had been torn out of the book.
For . 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
II in wax, and had q false key made.
lie 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 A in the afternoon,
before any one had left the office for the
day; for he remembered that he had
been sent to the docks about 4 o'clock
with some documents for ship that
was about to sail, and that when he got
back at hslf.psst 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 remembered Carter's uu-
usually early appearance, and threw q
suspicious glance at the young man.
Then simpler solution Of the mat
ter occurred to him. 1t was very pos
sible that, in tearing out the last check
he bad drawn the day before, he had
torn out two by mistake, folded them
up. and sent them off together. This
would, of course, account for the APP
pearance Of the check-book. He de-
termined to write at once to Marshall
4 Co., merchants in Liverpool, to whom
be had sent his last check, aud ask
whether Q blank check had not been
sent to them by mistake.
Tben the question arose-should he
mention the circumstance to Mr.. Ma
SOM On consideration Mr.. Crump
thought that It was not necessary to do
so. Mr.. Mason was rather . hard
man todeal with, and a confession would
ruin the character for careiulness which
the cashier had SO long enjoyed. And
no fully expected that In two days at
most be would get g letter from Liv-
erpocl enclosing the slip ofpaper which
had cost him so much anxiety.
The nextday was q Tuesday, and, &C.
cordipg 70 his iuvariable custom on that
day Of the week. Mr.. Liyesey made his
appearance in the office. Business had
not long commenced whom everybody
Ia ~ eotablishment was aware that
eouhslhing unusual had happened. Mr..
Mason was closeted with his partner
for few minutes, and then went hur,
siedly out of the Office, returning shortly
aflsrward with Mr.. Jefifeys, the man
hgef Of the London and Lancashire
u Bank, At which the firm kept their ac-
count.
Then Mr.. Jefffsys left and came
back, accompanied by one Of his
cashiers. Then q bell WAS rupe. and