Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-01
CHAPTER I.

swinging In q low hammock, ana hei
husband, Edmund Hackett, who wai
perched upon the wooden balustrade
Wilton Loring was there too, lounglnl
In canvas chair and smoking q 40
nestle" cigar The verandah rar
round three sides of a modest frame
house, all painted white, with the ex'
ception of It's bright green shutters
Edmond and Bertha, recently married
lived here In the outskirts OF Wash
ington with the head OF the family
Wilton had run down from Philadei'
phla, where he was cashier OF the
Rancher's National Bank. They were
all grumbling over their meagre in
comes.
uncle Sam" remarked Edmond
Hackett, a quiet, steady going sort OF
fellow, well advanced toward middle
life, "Uncle Sam ia not generous 10 ua
boys and girls OF the Civil service. We
handle between nigh upon a million
dollars every working day, and give
our lives to the mill horse business FOR
a bare subsistence"
Since I've been cashier OF the
Ranchers National" said Wilton Lo-
ring, 1--WE had enough money pass
through my hands to make me crazy
with thirst for II. It's like being
Don't like to hear you talk like
that, wilt, my SON." remarked Old Ca
leb, with a quick shake Of his head, as
II a mosquito had settled on him.
Thoughts OF that kind sometimes ma
terlallze into deeds you'd BIO sorry for"
"Humph! I'm not 30 sure shan't
one day try to pinch something" pur-
sued Wilton, with wink at his sister,
but big steals are the sort to succeed
nowadays. TO make a corner in some
thing or other; to float a salted mine,
or bogus building society. That's
the game"
"Tut, TUT" protested the elder Lo-
ring, with fierce expectoratlon; but
Bertha mischievously took up her
brothers humor
There's a fine chance now I've got
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, a
thousand-dollar greenback, and for
ward the packet to the Treasury en-
dorsed as containing one more bill
than II actually does. That packet
comes to me to be counted and ex-
amined. l just pass 1t as containing
the number Of greenbacks specified.
On 1t goes to Edmond, my husband,
whose duty 1t chances to be to check
my count. Smart Edmond finds one
bill short; but seeing his Bertha's ini-
tials on tho wrapper, he Just winks a
little, and the packet, with, say ninety
nine bills instead Of one hundred bills
against the new ones to that value
which he sends back In exchange to
the Rancher's Bank through the Divis-
ion Of Issue. See?"
"Ha, ha, hal" laughed Edmond
Hackett, disposed to enter into any
joke conceived by his adored little
wife. How we could bleed Uncle Sam
and help ourselves to the salaries he
ought to pay u.s."
"Eave done! Have dOne!" burst out
the old man. III believed my son
and my daughter and my daughters
husband were capable Of such roguery
I'd fetch out my gun and I'll you full
Of holes. every one!"
He meant It. His usually placid fea-
lures we're distorted and purple with
indignation, and the stem OF the pipe
he held snapped In the angry grip OF
his fingers. Wilton flung himself back
in a Mt of hearty laughter, but Bertha,
perceived that the joke had gone too
far
Father! dear father!" she exclalm-
ed soothingly. "You know us all bet
tern that, sure, We were just poking
fun; weren't we, Edmond? Besides,
such a combination as | figured out
couldn't be anyway"
"Qulte impossible!" averred Wilton,
getting over his mirth.
well, l reckon it's improbable In
the last degree" said Edmond Hackett.
80, as opportunity makes the thief,
and we shall have no opportunity"
added young Loring, "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 OF a
breach Of trust, there are nine ladies
in the Counting Division besides my
self, and Wiltons imaginary short
packet might 60 to any one of them
instead Of to me-"
And II Bertha did get 1t and pass
It," remarked Hackett, to clinch the
argument, there are plenty Of fellows
in the Secretarys office who check the
counts beside me, and one OF them
would spot her oversight Even II the
short packet came to me, 1t would be
useless for me to wink, for l should
have one-half the bills. They are cut
longitudinally," he added for Wilton's
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