Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-08-04

get ont. He did so and started up to
ring the bell, when the driver called af-
ter him. He had forgotten the mans
fec. He paid him and then pulled the
| bell.
The uoor opened and he passed in,
moi speaking to the servants who adj
mitted him. He seated himself and
/ didn't move for three or four minutes.
/ This time il was the servant " no aroused
him.
"Who do you wish to see, sir ?"
John then noticed for the first time
that he had never seen the man before
He turned on him, and the man started
back and asked him if he were i'll. John
paid no attention to his question, but
told him to tell Miss Hughes that Mr..
Jones was in the parlor. Then he settled
into his former position and did not
move again until Mr.. Hughes entered
and said:
"Nell, sir?
John looked up and asked for Beth.
"My daughter is engaged at present"
said Mr.. Hughes.
Beth engaged when he, her betrothed
husband, was waiting to see her? That
was strange; he couldn't understand it.
But he said: "Very well, l will wait. -
"Aliss Hughes will be unable to see
you this evening and requested me to
give you this package. am sorry, Mr..
Jones, but l must beg you to discon-
tinue your calls"
Great God. What did it mean !?
John was thoroughly. painfully wide
awake now, and sprang to his feet.
Bertha cant see me, and you ask me
to discontinue my visits Please tell me
why"
He was now standing perfectly straight
and gazing composedly but intently at
Mr. Hughes.
81 trust that you understand the rea-
SONS, Mr.. Jones. rs we'll as ] do" said
Mr.. Hughes with peculiar look.
Almost the identical words Knicker
had used in his note. John turned with
! out word and left the house. He did
not put on his overcoat, although the
night was cold. He tipped his hat over
his eyes and walked. He now realized
how sick he was. His head tlrobbed
until he thought it would burst. What
/ tft iiS tnlts H cNCn NiiilIt ~
4 little to think of it. He pulled his hat
down hard, SO hard that its tightness
hurt him. He wondered if that would
make his head ache any harder. He
wondered if his head could ache any
harder. If it could he should like tc
have il. He didn't notice where he was
going, but suddenly surprised himself
by unlocking the door of his own house,
going upstairs and sitting down. All /!
there was the afternoon paper. He
would read the accounts of the misery of
others and smile to think how much
moro miserable he was than any of them.
He picked it up, glanced it over, and was
about to lay it down again when his at
tention was arrested by this headline:
"a BANK IN A HOLE"
pRovERs' DEFRAUDED BY AN OLD EN-
PLoYEE.
What was that9 The Drovers' Bank
defrauded. Why, he used to be cashier
mt the Drovers' Bank. What long time
it seemed since he had stood at the
cashiers desk, and yet it was only yes
/ terday. He would read the article any
way. He didn't care now about Mr..
Knicker's note. Beth's message had in.
ficted so much deeper a sting that he
had almost forgotten the note, but he
would read the article, and he thought
he should feel pleased to learn that
Knicker had been cheated.
"This morning when p. V. Knicker,
/ the President of the Drovers' Bank,
reached the Office, he found note tell
ing him that his cashier, John Jones,
was ill, and would be unable to be at his
desk to-day. Mr.. Knicker is very care
full man in business matters, and he de-
cided to take the duties of cashier upon
himself until Mr.. Jones was in a condi-
ton to relieve him. He, accordingly,
unlocked the vaults and prepared for
work. Soon Adam, Mealie & johnson
presented check for a large amount,
and upon referring to the record of yes
terday's business, Mr.. Knicker found
that package of ten $1,000 bills had
been deposited. He Immediately de-
cided to use one Of those bills in cashing
the check. and, going to the vault, re-
moved the package supposed to contain
them. In counting the money, he found
nine 81 900 bills and 800 bill. On
investigation it transpired that the last
person who had handled the bills was
John Jones, the cashier. Before passing
into the hands of the cashier, the bills
had. however, been handled by four subor-
dinates, who reported that there were ten
of the 81, ZOO notes in the packet when
they saw it. 1t then went to Mr.. Jones, and
one of the clerks happened to he stand
ing by when Jones took it. The clerk
noticed particularly that Mr.. Jones
seemed to find it all right, but that in
stead of pinning the little slip of paper
with the amount marked on it which it
| is customary toplace around packages OF
money, he withdrew one of the bills and
! laid the others on the desk. The clerk
was then called t. some other part of the
room and can give no further informa-
tion. Other evidence conclusively shows
that Notwithstanding MIR. Jones previ-
GUS integrity, he has yielded to tempta-
ton and gone the way of many others.
| II is mentioned incidentally that that