Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-18

ed to us the day before. I at once went
upstairs to see Devon and ask for an
explanation.
why, what do you mean?'' he asked
in reply. seemingly much surprised.
81 sent five thousand eight hundred
dollars by you yesterday to deposit
The bank has given us no credit"
''Sent five thousand eight hundred
dollars by me! Why, my dear boy, you
must have dreamed that! You never
gave me dollar to deposit. Had you
asked me to do such thing should
have promptly refused, as you are en-
ployed 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
so happened that no one had seen him
in the Office and SO it was question of
veracity. My accounts showed the re-
ceipts Of the money, but as to its dis
posal-well, that was different. had
seven or eight years of faithful. honest
service to my credit. Devon was a rel
alive, a church member and consid-
cred above reproach. Hewas too sharp
to even hint that I had embezzled the
sum- He merely contended that had
made a mistake in some way. He de-
MED asking me about the check or of
being in the office, and he lied so easily
and gracefully that everybody was de-
ceived. The idea he carried was that 1
had given the money to some other en-
ploye, or perhaps to stranger, and he
had only soft words and sorrowfu1
chances when continued to affirm that
he was the guilty man. It was a great
mystery. I had every reason to believe
that Walter Burke believed my state
ment, but his two brothers and the
Co" were doubtful, even if not suspi-
cious. The upshot of the matter was
that I was asked to resign. The
story got out, and although there was
not the slightest proof that I took the
money, and I asked that they investi-
gate IN any manner they elected, the
public promptly observed that another
trusted employee had gone wrong, and
[ was disgraced.
My first thought was of leaving the
country. / was an orphan, without
home or relatives L was, however, en-
gagged to be married, and that made my
disgrace all the harder to bear.
The story had no sooner got about
than 1 received curt note from the
girls father forbidding me the house.
l couldn't blame him, as no man is anx-
ious to have thief for son-in-law,
and 1 should not have blamed Katie
either had she added a postscript to his
note. Instead of that, and knowing
that 1 couldn't call at her fathers
house, she came to see me at my board
ing place. She didn't fling herself upon
MY breast and declare she would be-
ieve me innocent against the whole
world, and she didn't offer to go to the
nearest clergyman's and be married.
She was, as I am proud to tell you, a
sensible, level-headed girl, with little
or no romance in her composition. She
didn't waste any time about coming to
the point after reaching the house, but
sat down and said:
''The story is that you embezzled a
large sum of money from Burke Bros.
&c Co. / have heard three or four YER
sions of it. 1 now want to hear yours. -
l gave her the full particulars, as
have given them to you, and she did not
interrupt me once while speaking.
When had concluded, she said:
Your story is both plausible and
probable. After I have seen Devon
will tell you whether believe or disbe-
lieve"
The next day she went to the store
and sized the man up. She came direct
ly to my boarding house and said:
81 believe your story. Devon is a
irst-class hypocrite. Now, the trouble
is to make other folks believe it. What
time in the afternoon did you give him
the money!"
1T was about ten minutes to three,
think
''And only you two were in the Of
fce?"
''Only us two. If there had been a
third person Devon would not have
dared to play the game"
He must have come in again to leave
the book. Some one must have seen
him either first or last, as your Office is