The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-03

his salary, | suppose l can answer 1t
without calling another board meeting"
he concluded f~acetiously.
"Tell him he oughtn't to have such q
big family" suggested ons.I
quote the law against embezzlement
to him" said another, and so on, as they
buttoned their overcoats and went out
about their business.
By'and.by John Smith got a note like
this signed by the president, and writ.
ten on the note paper Of the bank, bear
Ing the imposing array Of directors
names In neat engraving at the head Of
it,
Mr.. John Smith-Dear Sir: In answer
to yours Of even date, l am instructed
by the board OF directors to say that they
cannot agree with your view OF the case.
1t Is true that your work has largely In
creased, with the growth Of the bank
under Its successful management. But
1t Is no more than you arc able to do and
no more than we can find others to do
for tho salary we now pay you. The
other phase Of the matter you present..
that we should pay you Tor the moral
wear and tear incident to resisting temp.
tation to steal, as well as for the physical
and mental work you do-has no weight.
Our relations, however pleasant person.
ally, are purelya business affair on both
sides. We pay you so much money for
so much work. Your honesty is pre-.
sumed. II you should prove dishonest
We would discharge you and the law
would send you to prison.
With your family affairs We have
nothing to do, but may suggest to you
that careful economy in small household
expenditures will result In an annual
saving which will perhaps surprise you.
Without referring especially to you-for
| never %endeavored to pry into your pri.
vate affairs, nor inquired how you lived
Il may say that, In my opinion, the
prevailing tendency OF young people
nowadays is to live too high, instead Of
being careful to lay up something for a
rainy day. Yours truly, etc.
The directors hadn't been ia session
long the next day when John Smith
opened the door, handed In a slip OF ma.
per, and walked back to his desk. There
was silence for a minute, then a muir.
muir, then the clerks outside heard a
clatter Of moving chairs in the board.
room, and then the door opened andtw
or three voices called "Smithln
SIN a momentl" answered Smith,
cheerfully, laying a blotter bGtween the
leaves Of the book he had been writing
In, and carefully tucklngthe pen behind
his car, as though he were making his
toilet.
"What do you mean by this2' they
demanded, when he appeared in the
directors room. "Telling US there Is
only $9,847.S0 OF available cash, and sug.
costing that we get some forthe counter"
ats 3d." responded Smith, "and l
thought you ought to know 1t before
the money Is all checked out. The
bank oughtn't to have to close its deorsin
the middle otthe day"
"But according to your statement Of
yesterday and your showing Of to.day's
business there ought to be $259,64S.
Where is the quarter OF q million2 We
were just discussing an investment for
IT,"
give invested 1t myself" responded
Smith, cody, lin a safe place-$950,Ot0 Q
OF 1t. The other 20 cents / took for
street car money. TOOK q quarter Of Q
million away with me last evening"
"You whNt2"
~ stole It, in plain English. When l
got this response to,my note TO the
president t=-bpt really ! must renew my
suggestion about the ACCESSIBILITY Of get.
ting some cash on the counter. You are
very short, and you ought to attended, 1t
at once"
Two Of the directors drew their checks
on other banks and sent them out, al.
though the signatures were very shaky;
and then, quite at his ease, Mr.. Smith
leaned up against the carved mantel.
piece, read the presidents note refusing
his request for an increase, and went
oni-
dwhen got this note, II SET me Ia
thinking whether, as our relations were
u purely business affair, | couldn't dc
better than 20 on as l had been doing,
There vas 100000 In convenient shape
that l could get my hands on, might
have skipped to Canada with II, but ]
don't like the climate. l took the
money away with inc and concealed IT,
pauslng q moment and smiling down
Into their eager faces, Tin place known
only TO myself. / shall give myself up,
and as our relations, In the language o.
the President, have been personally
pleasant, l will save you the expense o
d trial by pleading guilty. The maxi
mum sentence for my ollense, under The
laws OF this State, Is ten yearl
Ia the pe~nitentiary. With the com
mutation Off for good behavior
that will DO about eight and {
half years. II will be dull, but I shal
not he idle, have never had leisure Il
cultivate tho Eraces oithe mind. Ihayl
d taste for music. / will cultivate II
I will learn q modern language or two
| ain 81 yeats old now. When ! hAvI
served my term and am clear Of thelaw
will come out OF prison 30 years old
With d cultivated mind, and a Colnlofta
BILE fortune OIL S250,0O0 awaiting me. ,
can afford 10 20 away, 10 travel In for
elpn Couhtties, and enjoy life. OF coursC
| will lose the interest Oh my s2b0,0Ot
while I am In prison, but II were Y
live on Rlr, aud 70 naked, and save al
my salary, I wouldn't have one 9th d
much a. the age Of 80. On the whole,
think ! have made q good speculation
Don't you ~
Tho opinions Of the directors wereno
very coherent Just a. this moment The,
made vafiousappeals 70 him on tile cor
ndOnce they had had In him, on th
rood name 10 bore, on the dlshonor h
would incur, etc, but he responded thu
ali these had not helped him 10 an 1t
crease In salary, and relenlleaely quote
the language Of The presidents note |
him, that their relations were purely.
business affair on both Sides" FINAL
he said
NuaE.N