The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-26
My Financial Career.
BY L. A.NASH.

When go into bank l get ratified. The
clerks rattle me: the wickets ri tile ME; the
| sight OF the money ratlles me. The moment
| | cross the threshold OF bank am a h esita-
ting jay. II / attempt TO transact business
/ there become an irresponsibleidiot. knew
| this beforehand, but my salary had been
| raised 500 a month. and felt that the bank
1 was the only pla &C for it. So shanIbled in
and looked timidIy around at the clerks
| had an idea that person about to open an
account must need consult the manager.
| wentto wicket marked "a ccountant' THE
accountant was tail, cool devil The very
sight OF him ratified NE. My voice was sep
! ulchral.
Can see the manager" Isaid, and added
| solennly, '.alone." don't know why said
alone"
Certainly" said the accountant, and
fetched him. The manager was a grave.
| calm man. l held my $50 clutched In a
| crumpled ball In my pocket.
Are you the manager" I said. God
| knows, l didn't doubt 1t. yes" he said
Can l see you" asked, "alone?''
didn't want to say 'alone'' again, but with
out 1t the thing seemed selr-evident. The
manager looked at the in some alarm. He
| felt that had an wful secret to reveal.
Come in here" he said, and led the way
| to private room. He turned the key in
| the lock.
I'VE are safe from interruption here"
| he said. ''Sit down" We both sat down
and looked at one another found no voice
| TO speak.
You are one of Pinkerton's men. I pre-
sumo" he said. He had gathered from my
mysterious manner that / was a detective.
| knew what he was thinking and it made
me- worse.
mo, not from Pinkerton's ~ said seem
ingly to imply that | came from a rival
agency ITO tell the truth, went on, sif
l had been prompted to lie about it, I'm
not detective at all. I've come to open an
account ! intend 10 keep all my money in
| this bank" The manager looked reliey ed.
but still serious: lie concluded now that l
was a son OF Baron Rothschild or a young
Gould.
"A large account, suppose" he said.
Fairly large" whispered. "Ipropose to
deposit $50 now and $50 month regular
ly."
The manager got up and opened the door.
He called to the accountant.
MT. Montgomery" he said. unkindly,
TINS gentleman is opening an account: he
will deposit S56. Good morning." / rose.
big iron door stood open a the side of the
room.
Good morning." said, ana stepped into
the SAFE.
Come out" said the manager coldly.
and showed me the other way. | went up
To the accountants wicket and poked the
ban of money at him with quick, concur
sive movement, as if l were doing a con-
iuring trick. My face was CHASTITY pale.
Here" I said, deposit it," The tone
of the words seemed to mean, Let us do
this painful thing while the fit is on u.s."
He took the money and gave it to another
clerk. He made the write the sum on a slip
of paper and sign my name in the book. /
no longer knew what I was doing. The
bank swan before my eyes.
rs it deposited?" / asked In hollow.
vibrating voice;
1T is" said the accountant
Then l want to draw a check"
My idea was to draw out Sc of it for
present use. Some one gave me q check
book through a wicket and soEie one else
began telling me how tn write it out The
people in the bank had the impression
that was an invalid millionaire. 1 wrote
something on the check and thrust it in
at the clerk. He lopked at it.
What? Are you drawing it all out
AGAIN. he asked in surprise. Then real
lied that had written fifty six instead of
six. l was too far gone to rea Son now.
had a feeling that it was impossible to ex-
plain the thing. All the clerks had stopped
writing to look, at me. Reckless with mis-
cry, l made a plunge. 81
YES, the whole thing
You withdraw your money from the
bank?'' -
Every cent OF it,
Are you aotgoing TO deposit any more?s
asked the clerk, HstOnished. -s
''Never.c An idiotic hope struck me that
they might think something had ifsulted me
while was writing the check and that had
changed my mind. I made a wretched at
tempt to look like a man with fearfully
quick temper. The clerk prepared to pay
the money. -
How W ill y,,u have. itc''
'What?'
How will you have it?'
"Oh!'' / caught his meaning and an
swered. without even trying tn think, :" In
fifties." He gave ME a $50 bill.
And the siX?'' he asked, dryly.
''In SKIES" said. He gave it to me. and
rushed out. As the big d,ors swung be-
hind ME l caught the echo of roar Of
laughter that went up to the ceiling NJ the
bank. Since then bank no mre. keep
my money in cash in my tr,users pocket
and my savings in silver dollars in a Suck
The Bonkkeeper.