Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-06-30
THE MYSTERIOUS FORGERY.

1t was bleak October morning, and
Mr.. Walter Crump, cashier to the firm
OF Messrs. Livesey s. Mason, Quickened
his pace as he made his way along
Throgmorton street to the scene of his
daily toll. 1t was not that he feared
to be late that Mr.. Crump was walk
ing fast. During all the forty years
that he had sat upon high stool from
10 to 5, 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-knewn
staircase, opened the office door, and
stood still for a moment in surprise.
Young Carter, the assistant book
keeper, was there before him, already
at his work. Mr.. Crump smiled grimly.
$50 you've made beginning, young
man." he said. "Well, We'll see"
Carter's face flushed little as he
hade the old man good morning. The
fact was that Crump, who had married
late IN life, had bright-eyed daughter
named Annie, with whom Robert Car
Ter had fallen very much in love. 1t
was only on the preceding evening that
things had come to crisis, and, some
what to the young mans surprise, Mr..
Crump had rejected the proposed en-
gagement. He did not like young
Carter. lie did not approve 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 frequented music halls, and
spent more 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 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.
slime will show-time will show"
said Mr.. Crump, in rather an aggravat-
ing way, as he changed his coat, opened
his desk, unlocked his safe, and set
about his work.
Some of the other clerks began to
arrive. and then came Mr.. Mason, the
acting partner, a 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 let
ters, and soon came to 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 1t belonged to Mr.. Crump
to attend to them, for he had authority
to sign checks for the firm for sums up
to five pounds.
Mr.. Crump made a list of the pay
ments he had made and then went to
his safe for his check book. AS he
opeued it to write the first check be
was surprised to find that the counter
foil belonging to the last check which
had been taken from the book was not
filled ND. He could hardly believe his
ewes. Never in all his life had he
written a check without first filling up
the counterfoil with particulars OF the
amount, the date, and the person to
whom the check was sent. But DIS
surprise changed to dismay when ne
took ont his cash-book and 10 and that
he had only drawn nine checks the day
hefore. tie counterfoils of which were
all properly filed up, whereas tenth
check had been torn out Of the book.
For a moment he felt stunned.
Could any one have stolen the blank
checkP He always kept the key OF his
safe on his own bunch; but It was Just
possible that some one might nave got
hold of the key, taken an impression Oh
IL in wax, and had a false key MADE.
He had heard of such things. he
leaned his head on his hands and tried
70 think. When had he closed the sale
last nipbtP About in the afternoon,
before any one had left the othce for
the day: for he remembered that ne had
hoen sent TO the docks about 4 O'CLOCK
With some documents for snip that
was ahout TO sail, and that when ne
had got back at half-past SIX EVERYBODY
had left. and the place was In darkness-
IF the bank check had been stoien,
tho theft must have been commllted
Last nieht-or this morning. Couid
the safe have been opened before us
arriyaIP He remembered Carter 5 uh.
,,eualIy early appearance, and tnre"
snsnicious glance at the young man.
Then a simple solution of the mat.er
occnrred to him. 1t was very possible
that in tearing out the last check ne
had drawn the day before. he had torn
nnt I two by mistake. folded them up,
o ouS sent them off together. IniS
a Morld of course, account for the a.
nearance m of the check-book. He oetef- E
mined to write at once TO Marsnaii q
Tomnany merchants at Liverpool, 70
OSom he had sent his last cheek, anu
asI whetber a blank check had ho'
haer hoe sent to them by mistake
Then the question arose-Sn9u'1 Ma ne
mention the circumstance to MI. r ma
msa'V aa On consideration Mr.. Crump
tTonobt sT that 1t was not necessary 70 S W
snoO ~ Mr Mason was rather a @ nara
~: o:n 70 deal with, and a confession confession
wonld ION ruin the character for cae,M s an
Moa'u ,a wbich the cashier had SO long en-,
@ ;nved And he fully exPectea 'IaS isstar a.
t go days at most he would get q .,;n iG.'ot Of
sr"m s~T Liverpool enclosing tne Sl'p "