Wichita eagle., 1888-06-20
A TERRIBLE MISTAKE"

Nr. John Jones:
You are requested 60 draw two weeks' salary.
and for reasons with which l trust you are 40
auainJed seek another position
p y KSuCxER, President Drovers' banA-
Philadelphia. Dec Il lSS3
How MANY times John Jones had read this
note be could hardly have told. Reasons
with which 1 trust you are acquainted" tie
%be cashier of the D-oveTs' bank, dismissed
for REASONS with which he was acquainted
What did he neanY What were the reasons,
md why was no supposed to be acquainted
with thernF These were some Of the cues
lions he was putting to himself as he sat La
his room almost s1upefied.
He did NOS fear inability to procure another
citoation. John Jones was too well known
md had been too faithful in bis services at
his hsuk to fear that. But why was be dis
missedi =,
We'll be couldn't find out until the next
dev unIess. to be sure, he called upon 4lr.
Knjcker at his home, and that John couldn't
10 In the state of mind he was IN Just then
The feeling Of injured innocence Is not
altopetber unpleasant after all, ana Johh
finally dispersed the constantly recurring
ouestions and prepared to go out he would
90 and see Beth, his Beth, and together they
xyou.d talk over the matter, and he would
decide what to do.
.Iohn Jones had been sick all day. A blind
headache had begun to bother him BEFORE ne
had left the bank the day before, and mad
crown constantly worse all that night, until
when morning came he was unable 70 go 10
his business The headache was forgotten
now; occasionally throb OF pain wotIo
make him vince physically, but his thoughts
were too thoroughly occupied with that un-
accountable note to realize the PAIN
He soon left the house and decided TO Walk
rn Chestnut street and thence TO see beUh-
He saw no one, did not even feel the exertlon
of walking until he brought up with a bang
ors,pet a gentleman who WIS going in the
oonosite direction He mechanically apollo
e,ized and started on, but soon did the same
lining apain. and saw he was unable to think
~hort the present even enough TO dodge his
fojIoyY pedestrians. He called cab and gave
tho driver orders to take him 10 Beth's home.
Rafora ma realized that they had started he
yyas arorsed by the sudden pulling up Of the
vahicle and the man, claElbering down from
his scat onened the door and stood waiting
for him to get out. He did so. and started
mn TO ring the bell when the driver called
otter hin. He he'd forgotten the mans fee
He paid him, and then pulled TIE bell
The door opened and he passed In, not
sneakinr to the servant who admitted him.
He seated himself and didn't ncove for three
or four minutes. This time 1t was The ser
want who aroused him
"Who do you wish TO see, sirf"
: John then noticed for the first time that he
had never seen the man before. He turned
nm him. and the man started back and asked
him if he were i'll John paid 10 attention
TO his question, but told him to tell Miss
Hughes that MIR. Jones was in the parlor.
Then he settled into his former position and
did not move again until 1lr. Hughes entered
and said:
well, sirF
John looked up and asked for Beth.
.My daughter is engaged at present" said
mir Hughes
Beth engaged when be, her betrothed hus-
band. was waiting to see herr That was
strange; be couldn't understand it But hs
said: Very well, L will wait"
Miss Hughes viii be unable TO see you
this evening and requested me to give you
this package. l am sorry, Mr.. Jones, but L
must beg you to discontinue your calls"
Great Godl What did it meant Johnwas
thoroughly, painfully wide awake now, and
sprang to his feet.
Bertha can't see me, and you ask me to
discontinue my visitsl Please tell me why"
He was now standing perfectly stralghs
and gazing composediy but lntently at Mr.
Hughes.
~ trust that You understand the reasons,
Mr.. Jones, as well as do, said Mr. Hughes,
with a peculiar look.
Almost the identical words knicker had
used in his note. John turned without a
a. H. :, a 1N
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
throbbed until he thought 1t would burst
What did he caref 1t even made him smile
O 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. Re wondered if his
head could ache any harder. Il it could he
should like to have IT. He didn't notice
where be was going, but suddenly surprised
himself by unlocking the door Of his house,
going upstairs and sitting down, Ali there
was the afternoon paper. He would read the
accounts of the misery of others and smile te
think how much more miserable he was than
any of them. He picked it up, glanced it
over. and was about TO lay it down again
when his attention was arrested by this head
line;
"a BANK IN A HOLE"
pRovERs' pRERAUDED BIZ AN OLD EMPLoYE
What was thatf The Drovers' bank de-
frandeds Why, he used to be cashier at the
Drovers bank What a long time it seemed
since he had stood at the cashiers desk, and
vet it was only yesterday BE would read
the article anyway. He didn't care now
about Mr. Knickers note Beth's message
had inflicted so much deeper s. sting that he
had almost forgotten the note, but he would
read the article. and be thought re should
feel pleased to learn tha5 ADlcker had been
cheated
This morning, when P. Y. Knicker, the
president OF the Drovers' bank, reached the
office, he found note telling him that his
cashier, John Jones' was Ill, and would be
unable 10 be at his desk today. Mr.
Knicker is very careful man in bust
ness matters, and be decided 60 take
the duties of cashier upon himself unit.
Mr. Jones was in a condition 10 relieve him
He accordingly unlocked the vaults and pre-
pared for work. Soon Adam, Mealie s.
johnson presented check for . largo
amount, and upon; referring to the record OF
Yesterdays business, Mr. hnicker found that
a package OF ten 1000 bills had been depos
tied de Immediately decided to use one of
those bills in caShing the check, and going
10 the vault, removed tho package supposed
70 contain them In counting the money be
found niue s. 900 bills and a 500 bill On
Investigation il tTanspired that the last per
son who handled the bills was John Jones.
the cashier Before passing into the hands
of the cashier the bills had, however, been
Ao,Ilad hv fo11r Srlhor,iiusreS who raroortes3