The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-08
Thousand Dollar Bill.

| low hammock, and her husband, Ed
mond Hackett. who was perched upon
the wooden baiustrade. Wilton Loring
was there, too, lounging in a canvas
chalr and smoking 4 domestic" cigar.
| The yeranda ran around three sides of
modest frame house, all painted white
WIN the exception OF it's bright green
shutters. Edmond and Bertha, recently
ndTuei, llNed there i'm the outskirts OF
washington with the head OF the fam
ny. wilton had run down from Phila-
ueiphla where he was cashier of the
kanchers' National Bank They were
grumbling over their meagre incomes
hcle sam, remarked Edmond
hackett quiet. steady going sort OF
Fellow, we'll advanced toward middle
ile' uncie sam is not generous 10 Us
boys ana slrls or the civil service. We
handle between us nigh upon a million
dollars every working day, and give our
ilVes 10 the mill-horse business for a
bare subsistence"
since I've been cashier of the
Ranchefs' National" said Wilton Lor-
lng' I've had enough money pass
through my hands to make me crazy
With thirst for it. It's like being
Don't like TO hear you talk like that.
wit, my son" remarked old Caleb, with
"a quick shake of the head, as III a mos
quito had settled on him. Thoughts of
that kind sometimes materialize into
deeds you'd be sorry for"
"Humph, I'm not so sure I shan't
one day try 10 pinch something" pur-
sued Wilton. with "A wink at his sister.
But big steals are the sort TO succeed
nowadays. TO make a corner in some
thing or other, 20 float salted mine,
or a, bogus building society. That's thc
game"
tut. tut" protested the elder Lor-
Ia NtrfN
Bertha mischieVously took up her
brothers humor.
There's a fine chance now I've got
into the counting division at the Treas
ury,' said she. Say, now why not
make up family combination? You.
Wilton. are cashier al the Ranchers',
and you're constantly having old bills
20 send into the Treasury for redemp-
tion. You pinch. as you cali it. thou
sand dollar greenback. and forward the
packet 10 the Treasury endorsed as
containing one more bill than il actual
ly does That packet comes To me TO be
counted and examined. | JUST pass il as
containing the number OF greenbacks
specified. ON IL goes TO Edmond, my
husband, whose duty is chances to
be 10 check my count Smart Edmond
finds one bill short; but, seeing his
Bertha's initials on the wrapper, he
just winks little. and the packet with
say 80 bills instead OF 100. goes into the
mascerator. Uncle Sam thinking he de-
stroys 100 bills against the new ones to
that value, which he sends back in ex-
change TO the Ranchers' Bank through
the Division OF Issue. See?v
"Ha, ha. ha!" laughed Edmond Hack
ett. disposed TO enter into any joke con-
ceived by his adored little wife."How
we could bleed Uncle Sam. and help
ourselves to the salaries he ought 10
pay u.s."
Have done, Have done," burst out
the old man. IF | believed my son and
my daughter and my daughters hus-
band were capable of such roguery, I'd
fetch cut my gun and fill you fun Of
holes, every one"
lie meant ,ft His usual placid feat
ures were distorted and purpled with
Indignation. and the stem Of the pipe
he held snapped in the angry grip of his
fingers. Wilton flung himself back in
a fit of hearty laughter but Bertha
perceived that the joke had gone too
far.
Father! dear father," she exclaimed
soothngly. You know us all better
than that. sure We were just pokIng
fun weren't we. Edmond? Besides. such
a combination as l figured out couldn't
be. anyway"
quite impossible" averred Wilton.
getting over his mirth.
last degree" said Edmond Hackett.
80, as opportunity makes the thief. |
and we shall have no opportunity.'' 1
added young Loring THE whole three
of us'll have to be honest will we.
won't we?'
You know. father" urged Bertha. to
calm the old man. who muutered and
still, and seemed 10 have
taken fright at the very thought of a
breach of trust. there are nine ladies'
IN the counting division besides myself
and Wilton's imaginary short packet
might go to any one Of them instead OF
to me-"
And IL Bertha did get it and pass
IT, remarked Hackett 10 clineh the |
argument. there are plenty OF fellows
in the secretary's office who check the
counts besides me, and one OF them |
would spot her oversight Even IL the
short packet came 20 me, Ii would be !
useless for me 10 wink. for | should
only have one-half Of the bills They
are cut longitudinally." he added for
Wilton's information turning TO mis-
brother-in-law; -half-the lower
section-comes TO the secretary. and the
upper one goes TO the office OF the reg
ster TO be checked there"
we should need another confeder-
ite In registers" put in Bertha. "The
steal would be caught to a certainty in =
he registers office" q
"Enless-by Caesar we've the whole ! s
rag Of tricks. The combination YOU fig g
ired out Us not only possible. Il Is here S
N our hands. Dad is the senior counter h
n the register division. The big bills 20 !
o him. This is marvellous. II fortune is n
disposed to do us a good turn here's 4
he method all ready. cut and dried: I h
obble thousand-dollar bill al tho :.
ank. and send a packet Of 80 i'm TO the n
'reasury endorsed 100. Bertha passes ii
through the counting division. Ed a
lond gets the lower half i'm the secre- n
lrys Office, notes his wife's initials.
nd swallows the shortage with connu- :,
Ial submission. and Mr. Loring. who | :,
)ots the game In the registers. out os 7,
'spect for ~
His trust. his country's confidence. -
le honor Of his name" burst out the =
d man. reports the matter instantly. g
es, gives the Let OF YOU away. 10 ruin D.
disgrace 20 the hulks. No words W
'out IT, That's what I should do, mind u
att" %
Wilton laughed lightly W
The bundles OF rubbish: ninety-nino -
a hundred hills what would " mat "
r To Uncle sam? And I should send b;
oh OF you $3.50. Think II over. Dad" ~
Think 10 over? 7 shall never forget oi