The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-01
BUNDLE.

I Some people can never keep cool. Bum
BILE, the well known commission merchant
of West street, is one of that kind.
He came tearing out of his private office
the other day in a fearful state of excite
ment, which caused his clerks to draw
short breaths and to suspect that another
failure had raised a thundercloud in the
old mans financial bosom.
where's Gibbs?'' he yelled.
Gibbs was his responsible man.
HE has gone to lunch" said some one.
"Confound his audacityl How dare he
lunchs Go and bring him here at once,
quick!' And as many as three of his
| clerks darted out of the door to find Gibbs,
although each one knew where to fnd him..
Gibbs was just wrestling with a tena-
| eious steak when the GREATNESS messenger
| entered the saloon and informed him that
he was wanted instanter. Reluctantly the
faithful old servant laid down his tools
and started back to the store to see what
the trouble was
"Gibbs, you are an old ass" was his
greeting.
"That may be SO, Mr.. Bundle; but
what is the trouble now?" he asked calm
ly. Gibbs is always calm.
"Where is that 81, 900 check that you
drew this morning."
IT know nothing about it, sir. I placed
it on your desk more han two hours ago,
and that is the last l have seen of it,"
Nonsense, sir. If you placed it here,
1t follows that it should be here now.
There has been no one in here"
mo n but yourself, sir"
"It's a lie, sir, a lie. There has been a
| thief in here, and that check has been stol-
en-stolen, sir"
81 hardly think SO, sir, mildly protest
ed the old bookkeeper.
"Bahl You are an ass, Gibbs! Run to
the bank with all your might, give them
the number of the check, stop payment of
it and order the arrest of the person who
presents it"
Gibbs flew to do as he was hidden.
"That's the way to deal with thieves"
he growled as he banged the door Of his
private office and shut himself out from
the rest of the world.
Some time the next day Bundle found
this check in his pocketbook, where he
had placed it, but he felt SO foolish after
his explosion and abuse of his honest, old
| confidential servant that he kept it to him.
self and said nothing about it, thinking
that HI would quietly draw the money
ALI u ilS aStoNhu SoO4 t2AO -
lowing Gibbs to know what a fool he had
been.
Bundle was not often in the city, spend
ing the most of his time in the country
buying produce or soliciting consign-
ments; consequently he was not known at
the bank, and the entire business was
done there by Gibbs, including the sign
ing of the checks.
After the lapse of a few days Bundle
thought he would go up to the bank and
draw the money on his check. There was
a long line of customers there waiting
their turns, not one Of whom knew Bum
BILE or whom he knew.
But when his turn came he presented
his check to the paying teller. That officer
glanced at it and then at Bundle. Then
he turned and whispered to some one,
who instantly went out of the room.
"How will you rave it-large or small
bills?'' asked the teller in a careless way.
"Oh, / don't care a snap SO long as /
get it quick! I have been waiting here
for half an hour and am as hungry as a
dog"
"Ah, here comes a gentleman who will
attend to your easel Meanwhile l will
keep this check"
"What do you mean, sir?" demanded
Bundle.
"This is you man, officer" said the
teller, pointing to Bundle, who appeared
d~umfounded.
Come along, old duher; played it
once too often"
played what, you IDIOT" howled the
merchant.
"Oh, come along" said the officer,
jerking him out of the line by the coat
collar.
"Take him to the station house, and I
will send a messenger to Bundle right
away said the teller.
ssConfound your ~impudencel I am
Bundle himselfr' shouted the old man
as he was being shaken along.
ssTake him along" said the crowd.
"Serves him right, the old rascall'' said
others, n in spite of protestations he
was taken to the station house, followed
by a curious crowd.
A messenger was dispatched for Bundle
or his representative, informing him that
the check they had ordered stopped had
been presented for payment and the thief
arrested.
Gibbs didn't feel like taking the respon-
sibility, and SO he started several clerks
off in different directions in quest of Bum
BILE. But, of course, they could not find
him and SO reported at the store.
1t was, however, voted that it wouldn't
do the thief any harm to be locked up in
a cell one night longer, and they conclud-
ed to let the matter rest until the next
day, expecting that Bundle would be at
the store early as usual.
But yet he was not. He slept in a cell
that night, his feelings preventing him
from sending for Gibbs, and hoping that
in the meantime something might turn
up that would establish his identity.
Yet nothing turned UP, n at about
noon the next day he wrote a note to his
old bookkeeper, whom he had treated so
uncivilly, and begged him TO come at once
to his rescue.
Even this took some time, and poor
Bundle was actually obliged to spend an
other night in the station house before his
case could be made clear to the authorities.
But it taught him a lesson, which lasted
about q week, and now he is just as ready
as ever to fly into a passion and jump at
oorrlucions -Excbnnra