The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-02-12
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER III.
A few days after this conversation
Bertha Hackett eat In the ONCE Of the
Redemption Division assisting Mrs.
Lawson, the senior lady OF the depart
ment, to count a packet Of big bills"
Greenbacks of large denomination
were allotted to the senior lady In the
ordinary course, and the juniors would
take 1t in turn to work with her for
the sake of becoming accustomed to
every kind Of note, and by such famili-
arity detecting any forgery that might
fall into their hands. Bertha was
serving her apprenticeship in this do
partment. and that day she sat at Mrs.
LawSon's desk to learn all that this
good lady could teach her.
Now among the packets Of old bills
sent In from all parts Of America to
be Cancelled and exchanged for new
currency, 1t was not unusual for the
Ranchers' National Bank of Philadel-
phia, to contribute to its quota. Ber-
glance at the heap NJ parcels before
her companion, wondering whether
chance would so far realize their fan
cied combination as to bring into her
hands q consignment from her brother,
Wilton. Like a pestilent tune that
keeps echoing in the brain, that family
talk Of a conspiracy to defraud Uncle
Sam could not be dismissed from her
thoughts. These slips OF dirty paper
authorizing the payment to bearer OF
large sums Of money, what q pity
they should all &C to the macerating
machine to be ground into pulp! One
more or less would make no difference
to the wealthy nation. but would work
wonders for an u%nderpaid Official who
found 1t hard to make both ends meet.
She told herself it was horribly wicked
to think Of transportation, but she
could not control her thoughts and
they pictured for her persistently the
staff of the three departments reduced
to herself, her father, and her husband,
and figured out the fortune they might
accumulate by the aid OF slick fingers.
While thus musing she was startled by
q remark from Mrs. Lawson, Al that
lady placed before her a heap OF thous-
and-dollar bills which she had been
critically examining with a magnifying
glass. That's a big charge from the
Ranchers' Nationals hundred bills of
a thousand each. l make them right;
but you go over them again one by one.
count them in two packets Of fifty
each, and bind them with q pale band
in the usual way for me to initial and
pass forward"
Mrs. Lawson proceeded with another
packet, SO absorbed In her work that
she did not notice how strangely young
Mrs. Hackett stared for a moment at
the task before her. With the heap
of bills lay the paper band that had en-
closed them when they came from the
Bank at Philadelphia. 1t wal endorsed
with the number and the denomina-
ture. wilton Loring. Cashier" Mrs.
Lawson vouched for them a. correct,
and yet Bertha'S fingers trembled al
she turned them over. She counted
half Of them backward. from 100 to
fifty, and made a packet Of them, az
instructed. and the other half she
counted in the usual way, beginning
one, two, three, four, and so on. When
she came to tho end OF the count she
paused, and counted this second half
again backward. Then she slowly fast
ened a band around the packet
You're not very smart at present,
my girl" remarked the elder lady, OBJ
serving her sluggish action. II have to
hunt for counterfeits; but should v
get through II I took 30 long AZ you
have done with that simple cheque.
But maybe you reckon to ind rye
passed . wrong count!' she added.
with a little touch OF irony. After
t~hirty-four years At this work. my
dear, the bills that have passed
through Rosina LAwson's hands can
be taken a. right II she says So"
Mrs. Lawson was rather tetchy. ana
had q good conceit Of herself. born Of
long infallibility. Bertha in silence
wrote her W initials on the wrappers
OF tho two packets, and this action
modified the senior lady, for by thus
taking responsibility for the correct
ness OF tho packets, Mrs. Hackett
seemed to convey IN impression OF
confidence in her. But something else
was In Bertha's mind, for she muttered
to herself a. the packets we're taken
away to the cutting machine to bs fur
ther checked In the odices Of the SEQ
rotary Of the Register, "There 10 just .
chanco!" ITO b continued.)