Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-14
1ales aud Sketthes.
The MYSTERIOUS FORGERY.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

may be legally responsible, but dom,
see that they ought to suffer. 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 differ
ence; and the bank cashier tells me that
the man who cashed it showed him letters
addressed to himself as Joseph Beckman
(the name on the cheeky and showed him
his card, saying he was solicitor. OF
course he wasn't. The thing has been
most cleverly planned, and am quite at
loss to think who put that poor fellow
| Crump up to it !; but it seem to me we can I
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 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 dis
grace that one day Mr.. Mason left his
office at half-past one, his usual hour for
going out to lunch. Halt-past one was
also the time when it was Robert Carter s
turn TO go out tor halt an hour; and Mr..
Mason had hardly time to reach the street
when the young man left his desk, went
| into Mr.. Mason's room, entered small
closet in which a wash hand basin was
| fitted up, and proceeded to wash his hands.
This was high misdemeanor. especially
as accommodation was provided tor clerks
in another 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 outer door of the office slam, and then
he heard some one, whom he Judged to
be mis- employer, come into the room.
Fortunately the door of the closet was
nearly closed, so that the young man was
invisible to any one in the centre of the
room.
"He has only come back from his UNI
brella," said Robert to himself; there IS
no need for my moving. If keep quiet
he will be gone in minute. No! Some
one else has come with him. What shall
do? pr
Mr.. Mason had already closed the
double doors which led from his room to
the outer office, and Carter was screwing
up his courage to the point of confessing
his presence, when the first words spoken
by the stranger fell upon his ear, and
made him stand as still as a stone.
You can take your choice, as | said in
my letter Hand me over another hum
dred, or ri split. What's one seventy
two out of three thousand? had all the
risk, and you"
"Silence-will you?" Kissed out Mr..
Mason, In an angry whisper. II can't
give you hundred pounds. for haven't
got it. But will give you fifty now, and
fifty next month. After that you can split
if you like, for you shall get no more out
OF me. Anything would be better than
living as slave to a man like you,"
"Hand over the fifty, them said the
other after pause and then there was a
slight rustic of bank notes.
"You had better leave the country"
said Mr.. Mason in low tone. 1.-The
bank cashier who cashed the check might
meet you in the street"
"I'll take care of that" replied the
stranger; and after a few more words
had passed the two men left the office.
All this time Carter had been standing
half paraIyzed. first by fear of discovery
and then, by establishment. But he under
stood this much, that this stranger was
the man who had cashed the forged check
under the name of Beckman; that Mr..
Mason knew it, and so far from denounc-
ing him to the police, was giving him
money to hold his tongue. Yes; and
more than this, the stranger was threat
ening to "splt" upon Mr.. Mason!
What it all could mean Carter could
not comprehend; but he saw one thing
plainly enough. The important point was
to find out who this man was. and where
he lived. In moment Carter ran out OF
the room, seized his hat, andrushed down
stairs.
He was Just in time. Mr.. Mason was
leaving the foot of the stairs, going up
the street, while well-dressed man, who
had evidently just parted from him. was
walking rapidly in the opposite direction.
Carter followed the stranger to the Man
sion House, and saw him take Bays
water omnibus This suited Carter ex-
acily. He went round to the front of the
vehicle and got up beside the driver.
Then he clambered along the roof and
seated himself above the door.
At the Holburn restaurant the man
whom he was following got out and
stopped to refresh himself, while Carter
waited patiently outside. At last he re.
appeared, and Carter quietly followed
him down Holburn. up Gray's Inn road
and into dingy street in the neighbor.
hood of Kings Cross. Here the pretend.
ed solicitor stopped at door, which he
opened with latch-key.
"Ah ~ said Carter to himself, II have
| you now !"
He waited few moments and then
knocked at the door.
1t was answered by a dirty, slip shoe
girl.
Does Mr.. Williamson live here P" in.
quired the young man.
mo, he doesn't"
Wasn't that Mr.. Williamson who came
in Just now Mr.. Williamson OF Peterbo-
rough"
No, it wasn't. That was our first
floor, Mr.. Cromer. You've made mis-
take"
$50 have. Beg pardon, I'm sure
and Carter turned away.
| From Kings Cross he went straight to
| Scotland Yard and narrated his experien.
ces. That night Mr.. Livesey received a
visit which caused him some surprise