The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-12-29
"What are you doing thereF"

The answer came from q pale and
feeble-looking youth standing before
the open safe in the sanctum of the
manager of the Continental Banking
Corporation, Limited, Old Broad
street, E. G.
The question had been put by the
manager himself on rs-entering his
room latter a momentary absence in
the outer Office. The clerk, for such
was the young mans position in the
bank, flushed to the roots of his hair
as the manager thrust him aside and
ostentatiously secured the door to
the safe.
Nothing more passed between the
two. The CLERK laid a slip of paper
with figures written upon it on the
managers table, and, having thus
fulfilled the duty which brought him
thither, he went out, closing the door
gently behind him.
The manager watched him as he re-
tired, watched him through trans
parent pane in the glass door after he
had retired, watched him as he took
his hat from a peg, and watched him
with especial eagerness as he passed
through the swing doors on the way
out, no doubt, to dinner; and the ex-
preston in the face of the great man
might have suggested to witness, if
there had been one, the existence of
some grave suspicion regarding the Sc
curity of the contents OF the safe.
After making an examination of the
papers shut in behind the iron door,
in order to satisfy himself that they
had or had not been tampered with,
and after transferring some papers
from the safe to q drawer of his
writing-table, which he locked up
again quickly, an occupation that
seemed to suggest grave and moody
reflections, and during which he looked
around him frequently to see that he
was alone-the manager turned his
attention to the slip which had been
placed on his table by the young man
who had just left the room.
Upon the slip were written these
figures:
100000 tomorrow, Saturday.
Messrs. Bulling & Co., will call for the
second lot of bonds early on Mon
day"
''Ten thousand pounds!" he mutter-
ed. Saturday. What an opportunity!
this is Friday-if can wait till to-
morrow"
The manager pressed his hand to his
forehead, and gave up his thoughts to
some problem that weighed upon him.
Presently he shook off this mood
ness, and reaching out his arm, gave
two sharp strokes to a hand-bell
standing beside his inkstand. The
double signal was summons for the
chief cashier, who answered it without
delay.
"Come in, Mr.. Price. Shut the door,
if you please"
The cashier did as he was hidden
and came to the managers table to
hear what that gentleman had to say.
But the latter did not speak; he stood
facing his colleague and looking into his
eyes with scared expression of coun-
tenance. Mr.. Price was startled.
"Anything the matter, sir?" he in
quired.
eyes"
Nothing serious, hope?"
The manager did not reply. He APP
peared to be steadying himself, to be
suppressing an excitement which was
entirely unusual with him. When he
81 10 a. ho RI
prove to himself that his memory had
not failed him.
"What time was it, Mr.. Price, when
you and l went down the strong-room
this morning.
at was precisely - o'clock, SIR"
"You remember what bonds and Sc
curities I handed to you there?"
Perfectly"
"Please to confirm my memory by
enumerating them"
Certainly, SIR" and the cashier
told them off on his fingers. When he
had finished the manager reminded
him that there was still one lot of Sc
curities which he had ommitted to
mention. Did Mr.. Price recall what
they were?".
ITO be sure, sir, how stupid of me!
There were also Messrs. Bulling &
Co.'s first lot of Fl, 900 bonds"
"F'or what amount?"
"Why, sir, you know as we'll as l
do. They amount to $4,000"
"You placed them all in the usual
letter basket; did you not?"
eyes, sir. But you were present
yourself"
"Quite so; quite so. My observa-
ton, however, has failed me, and I
am anxious to take up the clew
through you"
81 don't quite understand" began
Mr.. Price, but his chief interrupted
him.
"You placed Messrs. Billings docu-
ments in the basket with all the others
under my eyes. You brought the
basket to my rooms hereunder my
eyes. Finally, you deposited the
basket andkits contents in my safe
hereunder my very eyes. Your mem
DRY confirms mine does it not?"
"Assuredly."
"What time is it now"
Striking l, sir"
"When do Messrs. BuIling come for
this first batch of bonds?"
''They will take them away at 2
o'clock"
'"They cannot take them away"
"Why not?" asked the cashier with
surprise.
"They are gone already"
"Gone! What do you mean?"
'"They have been stolenl You had
better see for yourself. Here is the
key"
Mr.. Price opened the safe and made
b careful search. In two minutes he
convinced himself that the bonds
were missing from the safe, and in
five minutes more he convinced him.
self that they were not in the room;
unless, indeed they were locked in the
managers desk-an alternative which
was instantly dismissed from his
mind.
81 am entirely at loss" he began.
$50 am I, Mr.. Price, broke. in the
manager. "I have not left the room
since you deposited the bonds in that
safe. 1t is true. the door of the safe has