The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-10
Banker

Copyrig by Daily Story Pub. Co.
Upon the promotion of WlInam TarnIey
Faldis to the position of receiving teller
of the Thirteenth National bank he began
to show signs of the widening of his
horizon. He spelled out his middle name
in full and acquired the art of appearing
at ease in dress suit He narrowed his
social orbit until he felt justified in class
flying himself as exclusive, and then he
discreetly fell in love with lie daughter
of Abel Lingar, the president 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.
The fiattery that wealth attracts had
made her aware of the potent charm of
millions, and she was naughty and criti-
cal. Of all who came none pleased her
At sthe age of thirty she realized
the vanity of her hope as we'll as the
barrenness of her prospects, and she was
willing to go out in search of admirers
In visiting her fathers bank her keen
eye fell on Faldis. He was rather pleas
ing in appearance, with light blue yes, a
blonde mustache and pink and white
complexion. He could sing all of the
popular and sentimental songs. He sang
the sentimental ones for ner and before
the end of the season he was calling her
Ethy' when no one else was in hearing.
When he asked her to marry him, she
gave him her hand and their secret troth
was plighted. All that remained to be
done was to obtain the consent of Abel
Lingar. Here Faldis training was a
hindrance and not a help to him. He
could not diSasSOciate EthyTs father from
the president of the Thirteenth National
ta-A, and lie could not summon sufficient
courage to ask President LiEgar for the
hand of his daughter in marriage.
When he arose in the morning his reso-
luton was fixed, but at night he returned
fretfully to his couch with the dreaded
tas,- still anead of him. Whenever he
would put himself in the presence of
Ethly'S father it was only to discover the
great president of the Thirteenth National
bank and he would retire in deferential
confusion. He could no longer concen-
trate his mind on his work. He stumbled
over his balance sheets and figures
blurred his eyes.
One evening when closing his accounts
he found they were wrong. There, in
his own handwriting, was false entry
of $4,000. Over and over the books he
went, but the studied examination only
confirmed the awful evidence that he
was short $4,000.
At the sight of President Lingar stalk
Ing mdJeStlcally through the counting
room of the bank to his private office,
Faldis shook with terror 1t suddenly
occurred to his overweight mind that
perhaps the bank had an unexplained
overplus of $4,000. With the impulse Of
this vagary he rushed off to the office
of the president.
II beg your pardon, Mr. Lingar," he
faltered, 'but-er-has-is there an
overplus of s20,000?'
.sWhat?''
Has anyone made an error?"
AN error? An error of $2O.O0O?" thun-
dered Lingar.
The cold, accusing manner of Lingar
sounded the depths of Faldis AFFECTION.
The reaction was instantaneous. The
pale blue eyes of the teller ceased to
waver in their glances and became as
fixed and steely as those Of the presi-
dent. No longer cringing, he straight
ened up defiantly.
did you say thel : was an error of $780,
COOP said Lingar in slightly softened
tones.
II did not, sir, but there is an item of