The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-12
WOMAN'S WIT DID IT.
from the Chicago Times.

/ given such responsible position, and may
! explain that had been with the house for
six years. Walker Burke, the manager,
was pleased to say that they had found me
/ honest, diligent and ambitious, and that
there was no doubt of my giving continued
satisfaction. l gave no bond. IL wasn't the
rule in those days. and l could not have
[ given one had it been exacted. The position
/ OF cashier is not a hard one for an honest
man. l handled great deal of money. but
l can truthfully say l was never tempted in
the slightest. I don't claim to be peculiar
| IN my ideas, but do say that have always
been bit Of a philosopher on the subject OF
honesty. To carry burden of guilt; TO be
! suspected; to leave home, friends and coun-
/ try TO be obliged to admit to yourself that
| you are thief; to he tracked and published.
even if not arrested and imprisoned-why,
could never figure out value received. no
matter how large the sum.
MIR. Burke could enter the office any hour
of the day and count my cash or run over
my accounts without causing me to change
color. Every three months an expert looked
over the books and l could leave him in
the office and 60 home whistling. On one
occasion he kicked up quite an excitement
by finding a shortage of 81, 100. didn't
tremble and turn pale. l neither bolted nor
broke down aud confessed that had en-
bezzled the money to speculate in stocks or
| play the races. | just pulled off my coat
and Went over the figures with him, and
within an hour we found the error. Expert
that he was, he had made a mistake in his
| fOotIngs.
had held the place for two years, when
young man named Henry Devon, who
was a cousin of the Burkes came to take a
! place in the store as manager OF adepart-
ment. be did not create q favorable inn
| preston on me, though he seemed to make
an effort in that direction. He was what
they call "goody goody" man. He were a
| sanctlmonious look, pretended to be pos
sessed OF all the virtues, and a great many
| people were deceived in him. In a couple
OF months after his arrival he was a steady
churchgoeT, had a caller or two every day
from the congregation and was always
| taking up a collection In his department
| for something or other. He discharged two
salesgirls who refused to contribute to buy
Sunday school books, and he promptly
bounced all elevator boy who burned the
| heather" when asked to chip in 25 cents.
Being a relative, Devon was not looked
upon as he other wise would have been, al
though the only advantage he seemed to
take of the circumstances was TO hang about
the cashiers office rather more than
thought was proper and to force bis friend
ship on me. l treated him civiIly Of course,
but l never liked him. One day-when
Devon had been in the store year or more
my assistant was taken Ill at noon and
had to go home.
1t was not only busy afternoon, but Mr.
Burke gave me two or three extra things to
do, and when it came time to make our
bank deposit 1 had half a dozen irons in the
fire. My assistant had always gone
to the bank, but on this coca
sion 1 must make the deposit myself
Trade had been rushing and sales heavy,
and 1t so happened that everything
was cash. | think the sum was s., 800, and
had just counted it when Devon came into
the office TO ask about check which had
been mailed to us by a country customer
and had never turned up. 1 was in a hurry
to get out the items for statement Of ac-
count wanted by Mr.. Burke, and as Devon
had his hat and coat on and was evidently
going out asked him to take the money
and our book and make the deposit for me-
did not see him when he returned. found
the book in my desk and placed it in the safe
without opening it. 1t was not until 10
| O'clock next forenoon that l made the dis
covery that no deposit had been credited to
US the day before at once went upstairs
| to see Devon and ask for An explanation.
why, what do you meanp he asked in
reply, seemingly much surprised.
II sent 50, 800 by you yesterday to deposit.
| The bank has given US no credit"
| ''Sent S.. 800 by me! Why, my dear boy.
| gave me a dollar to deposit. Had you as ed
me to do such a thing l should have
promptly refused, as you are employed to
| see to those matters"
Well, to be brief, he stood right up and
denied everything. He even proved that
he did not go out on the street. It 30
happened that no one had seen him in the
of veracity. My accounts showed
the receipts of the money. but as to
its disposal-well, that was different. had
seven or sight years of faithful, honest
service to my credit. Devon was a relative,
a church member, and considered above re-
proach. He was too sharp to even hint that
| had embezzled the sum. He merely con-
tended that had made a mistake In some
way. He denied asking me about the check
or being in the Office, and be lied so easily
and gracefully that everybody was deceived
The idea he carried was that had
given the money to some other en-
ploye, or perhaps to a stranger, and
he had only soft words and sorrow>
fnl chances when continued to affirm that
he was the guilty man. 1t was a great mys-
terry. I had every reason to believe that
Walter Burke believed my statement, but
his two brothers and the So" were doubt
full, even II not suspicious. The upshot of
the matter was that was asked to resign.
The story got out, and although there was
DOb Iu6 Sly DLbob pEOOl Jilhb L LOOK b06
money, and | asked that they investigate in
any manner they elected. the public
promptly observed that another trusted
employe had gone wrong, and 1 was dis
graced.
My first thought was Of leaving the coun-
try. / was an orphan, without home or
relatives. was. however, engaged to be
married, and that made my disgrace all the
harder to bear.
bod Y
received a curt note from the girls father
forbidding me the house / couldn't blame
him, as no man is anxious to have thief
for a son-in-law, and l should not have
blamed Katie either had she added a post
scr lpt TO his note. Instead of that, and
knowing that l couldn't call at her fathers
house, she came to see me at my boarding
place. She didn't fling herself upon
my breast and declare she would he
lieve me innocent against the whole
world and she didn't offer to go to the
nearest cergyman's and be married She
was, as / am proud to tell you, sensible.
level-headed girl, with little or no romance
in her composition. She didn't waste any
time about coming to the point after reach
ing the house, but sat down and said:
THE story is that you embezzled large
sum of moneysfrom Burke Bros. e. Co. l
have heard three or four versions OF it. /
now want to hear yours"
gave her the full particulars, as have
given them to you, and she did not inter-
rupt me once while speaking. When had
concluded she said: