The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-07-03
haps | can identify it, said the man,
loOkino Sh1rD at mo

looking sharp at me.
| Il have not brought it with me"
"Oh, yes, you haven' lie said walk
ing toward me-"
Indeed, | haven't, - | replied, NOV
ing intentionally in my chair Il
was sent direct from the store on an
| errand to Il house below here, and
had not time TO 80 home and get the
| pocketbook.
| Without another word, he caught
hold of me. with his strong hands, and
felt in every pocket of my clothes
| Having satisfied himself that | had
told the truth, he burst into hystcri-
cal laugh, turned on his heel, and left
the room, us he did so he closed the
| door after him, and | heard the KEY
turn in the lock.
| sat like piece of marble. | was
afraid almost to breathe. What could
| this strange action mean? Why had
| he locked me in? ! sat mOtionlesS for
! u long time--Gt least it seemed long,
! md finally heard footsteps hastily
approaching. The key turned, the
door opened quickly, Il and gentleman
entered with an agitated look on his
face.
I'm afraid my brother has fright
ened you,n he said kindly. "It was
most unfortunate that | happened to
be out in the barn when you came
The poor man is insane, and this is
one of his bad days. Was there any
thing said about money!
Yes, told him | had found
pocketbook, and had been told that
the owner resided here
"Ah, yes; that would start him.
Money is his mania. hope you will
not mention anything that has oc-
Cured here. We are very sensitive
about poor Bob's condition. We
came out here to be quiet"
| | was much relieved to hear his eX-
PLANTATION, and | explained why / had
called He told ne he was sorry he
could not hell me, but he knew of nc
such lady as | described.
| returned to the station on foot, af-
ter writing out Il notice to the effect
that had found pocketbook on
certain train for Neg York.
| expected to hear from the notice
every day, and no word came. | felt
more guilty than ever, and promised
more than once never to do n disnon- |
est act again. What unhappy days l
| had spent, and what sleepless nights
| Suppose my mother should find the |
money in my drawer? Or, worse still, !
suppose it should be stolen. At last |
| decided to make a clean breast of the |
whole matter to my mother, and that |
night l told her everything. She |
heard me through in silence.
well, my boy, | am glad you re
sisted the temptation to spend the |
money. only see one thing to do. |
1t is not safe to keep so much cash in |
the house; tomorrow | will take it |
down to the savings bank and open an |
account i'll your name. If the owner |
can be found it will be an easy thing |
to draw the money out and refund it. |
If no owner appears, why, the money |
is in II safe place.
The following day my mother went |
to the savings bank. She gave the |
address to the receiving teller and |
handed him the $50. The teller
counted over the money and left the
desk. In few minutes he returned.
Il understood you to say you were
depositing this for your son - said
the teller.
Yes, sir" replied my mother.
He must come here and be identi-
fed. Where can he be found | will
send a runner for him.
81 don't want to put you to all that
trouble, sir
please take a seat, madam
My mother did as she was directed
and gave the runner her address. |
was at the bank in Is minutes, and,
with my mother, was ushered into the
luxurious private Office of the Presi
dent of the institution.
Where did you get this money.
your mother has offered for deposit,
my boy?" asked the President, kindly.
Il found it, SIR was my reply, a
little confused.
How long ago?'
about six weeks, SIR
And you have been unable to find
the person who lost it,
Yes, sir have tried every way
could think of. Isuppose did wrong
in not running after the lady the mo-
ment | found it." | said, hanging my
head.
NO, | don't believe you did do
wrong" said the President, fitting
back in his chair and lightly tapping
his teeth with his gold trimmed eye
glasses.
Iopened my eyes in establishment
and saw my mothers open too. |
had been condemning myself for what
| considered dishonest act. and here
was the President of one of the largest
banks in New York telling me that |
had not done wrong. What could it
mean?
You say the lady got off the train
at Thorndale - said the President,
after a silence.
YES, Sir.'
Did you go to Thorndale to look for
herr"
Yes, sir; but could not find her."
NO, of course not. That's easily
understood. What did you do and
what did you learn at Thorndale :"
| then repeated everything that had
happened upon my eventful trip. The
incident of the crazy brother caused
the old gentleman to open his eyes.
| must say | felt little ashamed of
myself for telling it, after the brother
had requested me not to. began to
feel, from, the rigid questioning, that |
had done something wrong, and | de
cided to make Il clean breast of every
thing.
My boy" said the President, after
he had heard my story through;
money with us draws interest, but
it is seldom that it draws it quite as
fast as this, inside OF Il week, or I'm
mistaken ~
Il don't understand you, sir" said
greatly surprised.
Il simply mean that you have been
the means of ascertaining the where
abouts of one of the most successful
gangs of counterfeiters in this country.
Most of this SlG0 you have brought
here is in new counterfeit bills. The
woman who lost the pocketbook was
Il male counterfeiter masQuerading in
female attire-That's why she was
deaf and dumb, and why you couldn't
find her at Thorndale. The crazy
brother act was ruse. These fellows
take 10 chances. They know if they
could be associated i'll any way with
the counterfeit money that their
whereabouts would be discovered.
There is Il reward of 50 600 offered for
information that will lead to the ar
rest of this gang, and l think you
have Justly earned it."
And so it turned out as the PreSi-
dent had said. / had run to earth
most notorious gang of cOunterfeiters
without knowing it.
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