The Penn's Grove record., 1886-06-26

you are The ldsU mdu III Ino WIN
from whom | would have expected
such conduct"
''Do what, sir?" family uttered Mr.
Crump.
do what" echoed his employe'
with a contemptuous smile. "Wht
did you get to do this little bit of worl
for your"
AS he spoke Mr.. Llvesey tossed
check across the table. Mr.. CrumI
took it up and read: ''The London an(
Lancashire Bank, Pay Jos. Beckman
Esq, or order, three thousand one
hundred and seventy-two pounds tif'
teen shillings. Llvesey and Mason"
He looked up bewildered. The tai
man in the frock coat watched hin
narrowly.
''Who is this Beckman?" asked Mr.,
Livesey.
81 don't know, SIR"
"You don't know? You see that the
check has come from your boOkp"
Eyes, SIR"
"Did you give it to anyonep"
mo, SIR"
ibid you miss ltP"
Eyes, sir; l missed it yesterday, and
| wrote to Messrs. Marshall, to whom
| had sent the one before that, think
ing that | had torn two out by mis-
t4ke.'
That rather points to his innocence,
whispered Mr.. Mason to the tall man
at his elbow.
at may be only a clever plant, sir, ,
returned the other.
"You did not put that letter among
the others to be copied in the letter
book" put in Mason.
Crump hung his head.
Is the check" he began, after q
pause.
"Of course it is forged" answered
Mr.. Livesey.
And was it paid?"
Yes; it was paid yesterday
Mr.. Crump shuddered, took a long
breath and waited.
Now, Crump, you had better make
a clean breast of it." said Mr.. Livesey.
after "a few moments silence. Tel
us who this nan Beckman is; tells u:
where the money has gone-it can't be
all spent already-and it will be none
the worse for you."
Mr.. Crump felt a choking sensation
in his throat, but he plucked up cour'
age enough to say, 81 have told yor
already, sir, that 1 know nothing about
it. IL was only yesterday morning thai
| noticed that a check had been taken
from the book"
"Why did you not mention it?'
asked Mr.. Mason.
81 thought had torn it out myself
along with the one | sent to Mr.. Mar
shall"
"But 1t may have been torn out by
any one L the office during the day
before?"
Eyes, sir, replied Crump. 81 dom
see how any one could have got at the
book, for l am very careful; but it i
possible"
The thief has probably got a pro
fesslonal forger to copy the signature
from an old letter." said Mr.. Mason,
taxing up the slip Of paper. sit i
beautifully initiated. [ would no
have detected it myself"
SIT is plain that the thief must have
been some one in the office, though
probably he had an accOmplice outside, ,
said Mr.. Jeffreys. "a Stranger would
not have known that the firm had 81
large a balance at the moment. Is
there any of your fellow-clerks whom
you think may have had a hand in itp'
he added, turning to the cashier.
mo, sir"
SIS there any one who keeps loost
company, or any one who is in the
habit of spending too much money!"
Mr.. Crump thought of Carter, anC
hesitated for a moment.
''Speak, sir, If you are wlse." sai(
Mr.. Llvesey, sternly.
81 have sometimes thought that Mr.
Carter spent a good deal on dress, an(
so on; but no more than many younl
men," replied Mr.. Crump. But as he
spoke he suddenly remembered Robert
Carter's unusually early appearance or
the preceding morning, and a suspicion
arose In his mind. Without intending
it he allowed his thoughts to appear il
his face, SO that his protest-"I know
nothing whatever against Mr.. Carter
had but little effect.
Crump was sent back to his desk, anC
Carter was sent for. He came back tt
the clerks room in a state of grear
Indignation, having strenuously denied
any know edge whatever of the for
gerry. The result of a consultation
between the bank manager and thG
partners was that, as MI. Crump could
not account for the loss of the check
he had probably stolen it; and that
although there was not evidence enough
to prosecute him, he must be dismissed
at once. AS to Carter, they determined
to allow him 70 remain where he was
and keep a close watch upon his pro
ceedings.
Poor Walter Crump went home tina
day like one IN a dream. lie was dis
missed as the accompllce of a forger
Aud he could not say that, in the cir
cumstances, he had been treated un
Justly. the check had been entrusted
10 him, and he had lost it. 1t was
apparently At least, his fault that tn
crime had been COMMITTED. He almos
wondered that he had not been sent Il
prison.
When he reached his own house h'
sat down IN front of the fire withou
speaking, and even his favorite daugh
ter, Annie. could not make HIM sal
what troa bled him. How could he tel
his chlldsen hat he, their father, haS