, 1902-05-02
Banker lingaf's Son-in-Lav.
BY JAMES O'sHAuGHNEssy

BY JAMES O'SHAUGHNESSY.
Copyright. 1900. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Upon the promotion of William
Tarnley Faldis to the position Of re-
ceiving teller OF the Thirteenth Ma
tional Bank he began to show signs of
the widening of his horizon. He SPELL
ed out his middle name in full and &C.
quired the art of appearing at ease
in a dress suit. He narrowed his So
cial orbit until he felt justiied In
classifying himself as exclusive,
and then he discreetly fell in love with
the daughter Of Abel Lingar, the presi-
dent of the bank.
Fortunately for him Miss Lingar
was not beautiful OF face. and there
was neither symmetry nor grace in her
figure. These gaps in her structural
charms made his love course easy.
In visiting her fathers bank her
keen eye fell on Faldis. He was rather
pleasing In appearance. with light
blue eyes. a blonde mustache and a
pink and white complexion. He could
sing all Of the popular and sentiment
tai songs. He sang the sentimental
ones for her and before the end of the
season he was calling her Ethyl when
no one elea was in hearing.
When he asked her to marry him.
she gave him her hand and their Sc
cret troth was plighted. All that re-
manned to be lone was to obtain the
consent Of Abel Lingar. Here Faldis'
training was a hindrance and not a
help to him. He could not d~isassociate
Ethyl's father from the president of
the Thirteenth National Bank, and he
could not summon sufficient courage
Of his daughter in marriage.
When he arose in the morning his
resolution was fixed. but at night he
returned fretfully to his couch with
the dreaded task still ahead of him.
Whenever he would put himself in the
presence CT Ethyl's father it was only
to discover the great president Of the
Thirteenth National Bank and he
would retire in d~eferential confusion.
One evening when closing his &C.
counts he found they were wrong.
There, In his own handwriting. was a
false entry Of $780, OO. Over and over
the books he went. but the studied
examination only confirmed the awful
evidence that he was short $40, 1000.
At the sight of President Lingar
stalking majesticaliy through the
counting room of the bank to his pri-
vate ONCE, Faldis shook with terror.
1t suddenly occurred to his over-
wrought mind that perhaps the bank
had an unexplained overplus Of $20..
600. With the impulse Of this vagary
he rushed OF to the ONCE.
Il beg your pardon. Mr.. Lingar." he
faltered, "but-er-has-is there an
overplus Of 10000"
WHAT"
Has anyone made an error"
IAN error? An error of $20, 000?'
Numbered Lingar.
The cold. accusing manner Of Lingal
sounded the depths Of Faldis' abjec.
ton. The reaction vas instantaneous
The pale blue eyes Of the teller ceased
to waver in their glances and became
as fixed and steely a those Of the
president. No longer cringing, hi
Strengthened up denantly.
did you say there was an error Of
$2O,000?" said Lingar In slightly soft.
Iened tones.
II did not, but there is an item OF
that amount in my books which I an
unable to explain"
You are i'll, Faldis. Take a rest Of
a day or 30. johnson will take your
place"
Faldis went back to his cage. A few
minutes later Johnson, the assistant
|cashier, entered 1t. Faldis had on his
hat and was buttoning his overcoat
johnson did not notice that Faldis
overcoat was bullying at the breast.
Go through my accounts carefully
Mr.. Johnson. and find the mistake,
am ILL.,"
Faldis walked slowly out Of the
bank. A thick jawed. athletic looking
man stepped quietly out of the ofics
from behind Lingar. and followed like
q shadow on the footsteps OF Faldis
A few hours later Johnson entered
1.-THE presidents ONCE with a sheet oil
paper in his hand.
1T find that this item of $50, 900 IL