Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-06-02
A GOOD STORY.
The Mysterious Forgery.
Whitehall Reviewl

l. lH6 MySttflOuS TOfStFy.
| Whitehall Reviewl sN
1t was 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..
Crnmp was walking fast. During all the
forty years that he had sat upon a 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 a cash. book.
| At length he reached the well-known
staircase, opened the Office door, and stood
still for moment in surprise. Young
Carter, the assistant 'book-keeper, was be-
fore him, already at his work. Mr.. Crump
smiled grimly.
$50 you've made a beginning, yonng
man. he said "Well, we'll see.'
Carter's face flushed little as he bade
the older man good-morning The fact
was that Crump, who had married
rather late in life, had a 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 a crisis, and, some
what to the young mans surprise, MIR.
Crump had rejected the proposed engage
ment. He did not like young Carter. He
did not approve of the young fellows fash
ionably cut collars, nor Of his scarfpin, nor
of bis cane. Such things, Mr.. Crump con-
sidered, were the signs of a frivolous dis
position 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, and
outings than was proper for one in his posi-
tion. 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 aggravating 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 part
ner, tall, pale man, with long black
whiskers. Mr.. Livesey, the senior partner,
only came to the office twice week to ex-
anime the handbook and see how things
were going on. Mr.. Mason opened the let
ters, and soon appeared 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 he had authority to sign checks
| for the firm for sums up 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 counterfoil 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 whom the
check was sent But his surprise changed
to dismay when he took out his cash book
and found that he had only drawn MAE
checks the day before, the counterfoils of
which were all properly filled up, whereas
tenth check had been torn out of the
book.
For moment he sat as if stunned
Gould 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 a
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; for 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 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 unusually early ap-
pearance, and threw suspicious glance at
the young man.
Then simpler solution of the matter oc-
Cured to him. 1t was very possible that,
in tearing out the last check he had 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 appearance of the check-book He
determined to write at once to Marshall &
Co., merchants in Liverpool, to whom he
had sent his last check, and ask whether a
blank check had not been sent to them by
mistake.
mention the circumstance to Mr.. Mason p
On consideration Mr.. Crump thought that
it was not necessary to do SO. Mr. Mason
was rather hard man to deal with, and a
confession would ruin the character for
carefulness which the cashier had so long
enjoyed. And he fully expected that in
two days at most he would get letter
from Liverpool enclosing the slip of paper
which had cost him so much anxiety.
The next day was Tuesday, and, ac-
cording to his invariable custom on that
day Of the week, Mr.. Livesey made his ap-
pearance in the Office. Business had not long
commenced when everybody in the estab-
lishment was aware that something unusu-
al had happened. MIR. Mason was closeted
with his partner for few minutes, and
then went hurriedly out of the Office, re-
turning shortly afterwaad with Mr.. Jeffreys, |
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 beating heart and a cold sweat on
his brow the cashier Obeyed the summons |
"Brlng your check-book, Mr.. Crump,"
said the senior partner.
Mr.. Crump had not noticed up to that
time, stepped up to the table and glanced
at the check-book along with Mr.. Livesey.
81 thought so" exclaimed the old gentle
man. Here's the place from which the
the check was taken; here is the counter
foil. The numbers correspond. What
made you do it, Crump? You are the last
man in the world from whom I would have
expected such conduct
"Do what, sir?" family uttered Mr..
Crump.
edo what ?" echoed his employer with
contemptuous smile. ''Who did you get
to do this little bit of work for you ?'
AS he spoke Mr.. Livesey tossed check
across the table. Mr.. Crump took it up
and read HThe London and Lancashire
Bank: Pay Jos. Beckman, Esq, or order.
three thousand one hundred and seventy
two pounds fifteen ShillnUs II ,ivasav and