Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-04-06
CHAPTER L.

ing, IN q roe klnS CHAIR, SMOKING hi@
ccTn-cob pipe: Bertha. his daughter
swinging ii : lCw hammock, and her
husband, Edmund Hackett. who was
rerched upon the wooden balustfaoe
Wilton LOriEg Was there. TOO, loIng'ne
in 4 canvas chair and smoking CO
nests" cigar. The VeTandah TN
round three siG ; OF modest frame
house. al painted white. With the eN-
cuptiOn q its bright green shutters
Edmond and Bertha. recently married
lived here IL TIE outskirts Of Wash
;ng.on w:th tie head Of the family.
Wilton had run down fem PAiladei-
phia. Whera he was cashier oil TIE
Rancher's National Esnk. They Were
all grum5ling over their meagre IN
cores.
Uncle SAM remarked ELlnond
Hachett, a quiet. steady gcing sort OF
fellow. well advanced toward middle
life, "UAcie Sam is not generous to US
toys and girls Of the Civil service. We
handle between nigh upon million
dollars every working day, and give
our lives 10 the riN horse business for
a bare subsistence.
Since I've been cashier OF the
Ranchers' National said Wilton Lo-
ring, i've had enough money pass
through MY hands TO make me crazy
with thirst FOR il. It's like being
Don't like to hear you talk like
that. Wilt my sen" remarked Old Ca
leb. with a quic', shake CT his head, as
II mosquito had settled on him.
Thoughts of that kind sometimes ma
tcTiaiiza into deeds you'd be sorry for"
"Humph, I'm not So sure shan't
one day try to pinch something. pur-
sued Wilton. with a wink ut his sister.
But big steals are the sort to succeed
nowadays. To make Z corner in some
thing or other; To float q salted mine.
or 4 bogus building society. That's
the game"
Tut. tut" protested the elder Lo-
ring. with fierce expectoration: but
Bertha n,iscbievous.y took UP her
brothers humor.
There's a fine chance now I've 60;
into the counting division at the Urea
sury." said she. Say now, why not
make Up family combination? You
Wilton. are cashier at the 'Ranchers,
and you're constantly having old bills
TO send into the Treasury for redemp-
ton. You pinch. as You call 1t. q
ihousand-dollar gTeenback. and for
ward the packet ~ the Treasury en-
dOrsei as containing one more bill
than il actually does. That packet
comes 10 nc to lie counted and ex-
3uiinef:. | just pass il as containing
the number OF greenbacks specified.
Or IL ices 10 Edmond. my husband.
whose dUty it chances To be 10 check
ny o0rnt Smart Edmond finds one
llll short; but seeing his Bertha's ini-
tiais on tie wrapper. b. Just winks
little and the packet. With say ninety
nine bills instead Of one hundred bills
against tic rev ones to that value
which he sends back in exchange to
the Ranc'lers Rank through The Divis-
ion OF Issue See:''
Ia. ha. hal" laughed Edmond
Hackctt. disposed TO eater into any
joke conceived by his adored little
wife. "KIcw we could bleed Uncle Sam
and help ourselves 10 the salaries he
ought TO pay u.s.
Have done. Have dcue:" burst our
the Old man. If | believed my son
and my daughter and my daughters
husband were capable of such rcguery
Id fetch out my gun and fill you full
OF holes. every one"
lie meant it. His usually placid faa-
lures were distorted and purple with
Indignation. and the stem OF the pipe
he held sna 1ped in the angry grip or
his fingers. Wilton flung himself back
in fit of hearty laughter. but Bertha,
perceived that the JOKE had gone too
Tar.
Father. dear father" she exc,alrn-
cd soothingly. You know us all bet
tern that, sure. We were just poking
fun; weren't We. Edmond? Besides,
such combination as | figured out
couldn't be anyway"
Quite impossible" ayerred Wilton.
getting over his mirth.
We'll, I reckon it's improbable IN
the last degree" said Edmond Hackett.
so, as opportunity makes the thief,
and We shall have no opportunity, :"
added young LOring, 1.-The whole three
OF us'll have to be honest, will We, Or
won't we.'
you know. father" urged Bertha.
to calm the old man. who muttered and
protested still, and seemed to have
taken fright at the very thought or a
breach of trust, there are nine ladies
in the Counting Division besides I1y-
self. and Wiltons imaginary snort
instead of to me-"
And If Bertha did get It and pass
it," remarked Hackett. to clinch the
argument, there are plenty OF fellows
in the Secretary's Office who check tho
counts beside me. and one of them
would spot her oversight Even If The
short packet came to me. it woaid be
useless for me 10 wink. for 1 shCulC
have one-half the bills. They are GU
longitudinally. he added for Wilton
information, turning To his brother
in-law; zone half-the lower section
comes to the Secretary. and the uppe'
goes to the Office Of the Register, K
be checked there"
Eve should need another confeder
ate in the Registers" put In Bertha
THE steal would be caught to a Ger
tainty in the Registers Office
"Unless-by Caesar! we've the who'll
h1r pf tricks The com binaff0n yo,