Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-06-20
THE RELIEF CASHIER.

| A hanson pulled up Mt the deer ~ tta
Westminster branch of the London n.t1
Suburbs Banking company. The fare
was an elegatly addressed naii 81 n little
over 80, wearing his silk hat just de-
rree or two out of the pefpendieuiat.
and shifting the earnatioa In the lapel
| of his frocls coat.
He entered the bank. passed through
the private door leading behind the
counters and had taken of his bat and
coat, while the manager of the branch
glanced at the letter he had brought.
1t was an ordinary letter of introduc.
ton from the general manager of the
company, stating that the bearer WINS
Arthur Gordon Durrant. whose signa-
ture would be found attached. and who
had, in accordance with advices pre-
viously forwarded. been instructed 20
join the Westminster branch on tenn
porary service as relief cashier.
The manager having watched this
new member of his staff sign the book.
mechanically compared the autograph
with the firm, bold Arthur G. Durrant"
at the foot of the letter of introduction.
handed the newcomer his supply of cash
and retired into his own sanctum.
Arthur Gordon Durrant, who had
now been with the London and Suburbs
y
long been eagerly anticipating the time
when he should become attached to ore
of the London branches, for it had been
Durrant's fate to spend n month or
two at most of those branches which
were at the greatest distance from the
metropolis.
The specific hardship of this destiny
will not be apparent until it is mon
toned that it was in Kensington that
Miss Florence Kendall abode. and that,
therefore, Kensington was the center of
the universe, according to Durrant's
geography
And. to be perhaps unwarrantably
frank about the heart affairs of a lady,
Miss Kendall had not heard the news
OF her admirers transference to Lon
dog without revealing n glow of pleas
uTe.
Her father had arranged to call for
Arthur at the bank and bring him home
to tea, and as the hour of their antici-
pated arrival approached, the sprightly
t1orence's trills became merrier, and
more critical became her inspections
Of the pretty dilnpled face, framed with
clusters of loose and hayward brown
curls, which smiled saucily at her when
ever she passed mirror.
But Mr.. Kendall came home alone,
tnd a little cloud rapidly Travelled over
her face and obscured the sunshine
which had hitherto played there.
where's Arthur?' she demanded,
coming frankly to the point with n di-
-ectness which made her parent avoid
her gaze.
WELL" he replied, with marked hest
tation, II don't exactly know. He
wasn't at the bank when 1 called, and
didn't watt
Perplexity took undisputcd posses
sion of Miss kendal's face, causing her
eyes to dilate and her little mouth to
behind her coral lips.
''Wby, father" she exclaimed, you
are strangeI"
Can you stand piece of most un-
pleasant news, dear?" asked Mr.. Ken
dial, very gravely.
Tell me, father"
"When 1 called at the bank Mr.. Scot
land, the manager, informed me that
Arthur Durant had duly arrived at the
bank in the morning, had gone out at
lunch time and had not returned. His
cash was then overhauled, and-sha1 1
go on, Flop
The girl would not trust her voice.
She nodded a panied assent.
There was found to be missing 1000
in gold and a smaller amount in notes
Of course, there was only one inference
to be drawn
Not that Arthur" Poor Florence
could not frame the sentence. Her
father interrupted the attempt.
well, my child, there can be no other
possible explana ton. The young man is
now being hunted for all over the
country, and the manager told me he
had wired to the head Office for instruc-
tions about Issuing reward"
Had the door opened second later
Florence would have been in Mysteries.
But her father had involuntarily called:
"Come in" in response to the knock,
and the parlor maid tripped over to Mr..
kendall with card upon the salver.
Had it been a message from a mahat-
ma, precipitated through the substan-
tial ceiling under which he sat, he could
rot have been more astounded. Sudden
~ he jumped up, and, without word,
darted through the door.
There in the hall, looking ill and pale,
but obviously in the highest spirits his
feebleness permitted, stood Arthur Dur
rant.
1t was with a mingling of blank
establishment and distant constraint
that Mr.. Kendall met the young mans
cordial greeting.
But Florence, with a little scream,
ran at him, and was caught in an en-
brace which she returned with an inter
est which Arthur willingly set off
AGAINST the fathers chillineSs.