Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-03-09

'- -: drawn by the
- highly respected
= :" firm of Ployd,
...,....,-0 =, Cow ~ Co., OF
~ Fenchurch street,
merchants. 1t was presented by the
manager of the firm.
At 3. 80 the manager of Ployd, Cow
& Co. handed in his books and checks
amounting to $4,000 The paying
cashier looked up rs he heard his
voice.
He called some one to take his
place and disappeared into the sec.
retary's room, and within twelve min
utes the police were at work on the
case.
The check presented at 3.45 was Il
forgery and the man who presented
it some Dummy" who had made
himself up like Mr. Smith of Ployd,
Cow ~ Co. 5.
This was not difficult task. The
counterfeit man was the same height
as the original and about the same
make. Saith had not spoken 100
words to the cashier during the five
years his firm had dealt with the
bank.
/ He always wore a blue serge Office
coat whatever the weather. He al
ways wore silk top hat, and it invar-
iably worked its way to the back of
his head before he had worn it three
minutes.
No one ever saw him at the bank
without his gold-rimmed eyeglasses
and his tightly rolled umbrella.
Smith had friendly nod fer tine
patrons he knew in business way,
but he seldom spoke single word to
any one.
Officers We're sent to every railway
terminus; they searched the hotels
and very likely place for man to try
to change his clothes. If the fellow
had not some safe hiding place Sc
lected in advance the chances were
more than ten to one against his max
ing an escape.
In room . of Cremanes private and
commercial hotel, which will admit
was not tirst-class establishment, but
still good enough for IA traveller ealn-
ing $40 week, | read most of the
particulars given above in the even,
ing paper. The officials had done
their best to keep the whole affair
dark until some clue was gained, but
the reporters had been too many for
them.
| had come in from my round OF
calls utterly tired out. Reaching my
room, pulled off my boots, lighted II
pipe, sat down with my feet on the
bed, and this bank business was the
first thing which which caught my eye
as ! glanced over the paper. had |
just finished the article when the night |
porter came up.
Heard about the bank swindle?"
he asked, as he entered my room,
without the preliminary trouble of
tapping.
y llst read II,
"Cool chap, wasn't he? And, | !
say, there are II couple of detectives
downstairs now. They say they've
Swallowed him here, and they're go
ing to search the whole place They |
are on the floor below now, and will |
want to come il here in minute"
He had scarcely finished speaking
when the men appeared. | was "A head
shorter than Ployd's manager. was
thin, while he was stout, and I was
young, while he was middle aged
But those old sleuthhounds came in .
on tiptoe, looked at me out of the cor.
ners of their eyes, and sat down on
the edge OF my two chairs to question
me, the bigger of the two taking the
precaution to place his seat between
me and the door. 1t was fully quar-.
ter of an hour before they had fin.
ished, and then they seemed to take it |
as apersonal injury that | hadn' COM
mitted the crime.
Before my visitors left one of them .
suggested with wink to his comrade .
that | might as well be taken along on
general principles, as there was no
telling what would not own up to al
ter week in prison. But the other |
was not SO evil minded.
In fact, he took fatherlv interest
in my welware and put his hand upon
my shoulder pleasantly and compass
sionatel y as he advised me it would be
better to restore the money while |
there was yet time, refused to DIS.
gorge, and he went out sorrowing,
saying that / had missed golden OPP
portunity and that | should like to re-
pent and wear a convict's suit.
The hotel was thoroughly searched.
Those men did their duty; and think
would have carried off every soul
within the place as a suspicious char
acter had not the manager interfercd, |
and the detectives finally Withdrew,
with at least two pocketbooks crammed |
with notes.
At 10 o'clock | was finishing my
thnd pipe and had long before ex.
changed my paper for novel. | wes
just getting sleepy when queer thing
happened.
My bed was in one corner of the
room. | sat on chair on the left
hand side, with my feet across the
middle. | had my book on line
with my eyes, and all had been quiet |
for the last half hour, when suddenly
voice exclaimed:
"Well, old man, that must be an m
teresting yarn"
| bounded to my feet and-saw no
one. | looked around the room care.
fully, peering into every corner-no
one 1 slipped toward the door on
tiptoe and opened it with jerk and
saw-no one.
Then | turned, and there was man
standing on the other side of my bed.