The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-31
BANKER BENSON
AND HIS DOUBLE.

The greatest stroke 0f luck which ever
befeil ne in the course OF my eventful and
IN some respects not unoriliaut career
was my extraordinary resemblance in face
and figure 10 AIr. Benson. manager OF The
Tnford branch OF the London and Tinford
Bank
Tinford, as everybody knows. is one OF
the largest manufacturing towns in the
Midlands. ana the branch OF the London
and Tinford Bank in that place is one of
the largest branch banks in the kingdom.
I therefore went down TO nave a look at
it and see what could be done in my way
Of business.
Travelling down in the Midland train.
looked about me at my fellow passengers.
All Of them, except myself were reading,
ana so / had ample opportunity for the
study Of human physiognOmy, a study IN
which ] particularly delight Most OF the
faces In that carriage were uninterestiug
and commonplace. but there was one
which riveted my gaze and made me Well
nigh leap from my seat in amaZement. The
lace was the image or my own
In this world We are told that each man
has somewhere his double. Mine sat op-
pOSite TO me now IN the Midland railway
carriage. Taking "A paper from my pOck-
et. ] al once began to read and shade
my face from my opposite neighbours
view, for it is a rule IN our profession
to keep other people from knowing what
We happen to know ourselves, and, though
l did not al the moment guess that the
resemblance OF this man 10 myself was
going to turn out of tremendous service
10 me, yet my habits Of care and pru-
dence made me take the course l have
indicated and protect my Nisage from
his gaze.
After some little time he made a re
mark TO the man seated beside him.
/ then discovered that his voice was also
like nine, but this did not surprise me
much. for persons with similar COunte-
nances in nine cases out Of ten have
/ sim lar voices.
/ The man TO whom he spoke appeared
/ to be In his confidence, for they talked
/ in low, anxious tones together. Present
| ly l heard the work ''bank' mentioned,
I and l pr.cked up my ears. They were
/ talking about the very bank to which
! l myself was hound-the branch of the
London and Tinford, at Tiniord. Strange
coincidence, / thought
| At length the train drew up at our des-
| tination, and the two passengers in whom
| I was interested alighted. did the same.
| Calling a porter, ! asked HIM If he knew
! who my double was.
Yes, sir" he replied: that gents the
manager Of the branch OF the LunnOn
| bank in this ere town. Why, you're won
derful Ike i'm yourself, sir
| / waited for no further comments, but,
| slipping, s-Npence INTO the mans willing
hand, ! hurried off. tOr a plan of cam
| paign was beginning to dawn In my brain,
/ and ] wanted TO discuss 10 with Ted Mars
/ den, my oldest pal and one of the cutest
/ mon in our ranks.
/ Ted was waiting for me a the lodgings
| he had taken in a small street near the
''Hanoa. mate" he cried when enter
| ed; what's up? You look happy"
| Happy ] echoed. Look here Ted,
! I've just hit upon what may turn out the
| most splendid hit of luck We're ever chanc-
/ ed upon, old pal" And then / told him
| briefly as possible Of my meeting i'm the
/ train with the manager Of the bank, VINO
/ was as like TO me as one penny to an
other.
For a moment he seemed astonished and
| then said slowly: 'Well, supposing there
/ Is this wonderful likeness between you
ana him; how it is going to help us?'
| Ted / said, you are a fool"
| He moved uneasily.
Chuck that" ne cried land come to
| business. It's one thing to tell me I'm a
TOOL and another to show me how this re-
| semblance Is going TO bring US business"
| cure not as cute as ] Thoughts you,
! lad. l remarked. Dent you see my
! dritt? What should you say IL ! told you
! mat one of these fine mornings / meant
10 take the managers place in the bank
| parlor and to play the very deuce with
! the bank transactions2"
He still looked at me obviously.
al can see,' he said, pursuing his lips,
| what good you can do al that game?"
GU re as ignorant of the banks business
Just So" replied, but I don't intend
! to be always in that condition. NOW lis
| ten to my plan. l want you to make
| friends in your quiet way with one or two
Of the subordinate bank odcials. Find
| OUT When they are sending a large con-
| sgnment Of bullion somewhere Then I
| shall make my move. / shall take the
| managers place, ask for the delivery of
/ the stuff. tell the clerk that l have been
! instructed from headquarters to have 1t
! forwarded TO another destination and fin
! ally give him place we Will arrange be-
! tween ourselves as the address to which
! the bullion is to go"
| lie began to look more cheerful.
| Not bad idea he said sukiiy; but
| it VIII take a lot Of doing
| Father" / replied, and you and I are
the men to do it. Now, there's another
! q no of I'm o~f1a4r I
! may take the managers place, that gem
| tlenan himself viii have to be gotten out
| Of the way temporarily, for it would never
| do 10 nave MN cropping up and spelling
| the game. SO l propose we wire to town
| for Old Jim Levett, and get him to bring
! down a couple of his lads with him e.
| vett and the boys will waylay The mana
ger on his way home one night drug HIM
/ and bring him IL me house, which, / be
| lieVe, viii be perfectly safe, as old Ben
| nett che landiord) IS a pal Of ours. Be
! sides, we can give him share of tne
| swag, and 50 count on his cooperation.
! How does al this strike your
IT'S all right" he admitted, gloomily
| He was never known to be enthusiastic in
/ the. whole course of his brilliant career.
Il think it is all right" / replied And
| now the FIRST thing for me to do is to call
/ on the manager and get an insight into his
little peculiarities and ways of conducting
! business. so that l can deputize for the
! old boy when the time comes"
you'll have TO make up "a bit" he
| growled, III you're on that game. 1t won't
/ W
! Leave that to me, my SON." ] returned
| gayly. L have in my bag half a dozen
/ DISCUSSES, any one of which viii do the
| trick"
All right" he replied, land now I reck-
| on III be off and see what L can pick uD
| about the bank. It's close on 4 O'Clock
! The fellOW'H be leaving now, and PERHAPS
] can make start with one of them"
Left alone, ] went TO my bag and pro
| ceedod to make up. l may say without
| vanity that l have some ability i'm this
| branch of the actors profession, and very
soon | had transformed myself from a
! dark complexioned young citizen of IS to
| q notwithstanding citizen Of sayi 20
| years or more. So complete was the dis
! guise that Ted coming in two hours later,
| started.
Beg pardon, sir he cried; what can
l do for you?'
In the queens name arrest you. Ed
| ward Marsden." I cried, assuming the
| manner of a detective.
He turned very white Evidently he
| thought his time had come at last.
! Seeing his distress, ] threw off the wig
! apd other DISCUSSES and cried:
Stuck up, old man; the queen doesn't
! want you just yet
lie tried to laugh, but I could see that
he was trembling Ike a leaf But it