The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-12
Sensations and the Outcome.
Chicago Tribune.)

(Chicago Tribune.)
Well, it was done!
L shut the ledger with a snap and
looked over the dim counting room to
the street. I held my head up high
and looked about me, searching as a
rat searches for a cat, for something
room was as empty and as hollow as
an unoccupded tomb. and the dim
lights out in the street showed that the
locality was deserted. The pavements
did not ring to a single step. looked
at the electric burglar alarm as it
stood out clear and black on, its post
under the street light and thanked my
stars that the bank had never taken
the precaution of employing watch
man. If there had been a Waterman
there might have been complications
But yon metal, insenSate, electric
alarm continuance, cunningly fitted to
give warning at the attempted forci-
bic entrance of the bank you would
not, could not, tell a soul of what was
going on inside tonight
y X
1 almost laughed as I regarded the
alarm box 1t stood with its Stats
showing distinctly in the light as if Il
were peering into the dark receSses of
the banks counting room And 1
stared straight back at it, stared it in
the face, and laughed. No one had
seen me come back to the bank that
night; no one had seen me when I left
the ledger in my desk instead of lock-
Ing II in the vault, as was my custom
airy procedure. No one had seen me
make the entries in it that / had just
made-entrieS which We're omitted dur
ing the day.
And what if some one had seen me?
Who was there to question my mission
at any time or under any circum-
stances at the bank? Who was there
to question my motives, no matter
what they were? Who was there in
the width and breadth of the city
who would have believed that I was
guilty of any wrongdoing, even if the
proofs had stared them in the face?
No; even the president of the bank
would have trusted me with his last
dollar; not a prominent depOSitOr but
would have gone my bail for any
amount. And why?
Why, because my name had become
a synonym for honesty and integrity
in the city of Prafrieville; because not
once since ] had come to the city,
boy Of IS. with nothing but good
health and an open face to help me,
not one man in the many whom I
had business dealings with could say
that had ever done a thing that was
position as cashier of the First Ma
tional bank in this same honorable
manner and through hard work; be
cause / was q member and active in
every organization of an advancing ma
ture in PrairieVille, from the Superin-
tendency of the First Baptist Sunday
school to an office in the Citizens I'm
provement and Charitable league. Be
cause ] was the most trusted citizen
in Prafrieville. And now-if the poor
fTa1C In
A shadow fitted over the window be-
fore me, and 1 clutched the ledger
systematically. But II was only a bat
that few swiftly before the electric
light, and I rested assured What If
all PrairieviIle stood without and
looked at me2 Who would suspect
what I had been doing? The whisky
that had taken up at the corner be
fore returning to the bank helped as
sure me- In a spirit of bravadO I
opened the ledger again and turned to
the last entry. The ink was still blue.
I looked at the figures. There they
were, the figures that / had seen walk
ing or sleeping for the last two weeks.
There they were, and they made me
rich! They made me the pOssessor of
$50, 000-they covered up any trace of
wrong doing on my part.
/ had taken the money away the day
before. 1t was now in a safety de-
posit vault up The street, safely locked
where no human soul could see it, and
1 had the key of the box in my pocket.
Fifty thousand dollars! 1t meant in
dependenceI It meant luxury 1t meant
that I could. when the time was ripe
be one of the great men of Prairie
vile, one of the real leaders, perhaps
the leader. And my home
Then 1 thought of my wife. She was
at home sleeping now. hurriedly put
the ledger out of my sight. I went
out and locked the door after me. and
stopped at the corner for another
drink of whisky.
I went straight home. Other men of
the city were up at the corner. laugh
ing, joking and drinking. I didn't rel
ish their company I wanted TO get
home at once to be alone and think
and usually / was the most sOcia bic
of men. I let myself in noiselessIy.
The house looked pitifully small and
cheap now, although before I had al
ways considered it a cOzy. little cot
tage. But now, with the $4,000, some
day there would be a mansion-yes, a
mansion-the little cottage would be
outgrown. My wife was sitting up.
She had ore of her periodical head |
aches. She was wan, and small, and
helpless, and she smiled happily at the
sight of me.
my poor Tom" she said. reaching
out and strOking my hand You've
been working too hard tonight you
look so tired"
I answered gruff1y that had worked |
but little, and was not tired. Tired |
The word nettled me- Why should 7 |
look tired, now?
well. you don't look well. then. |
Tom" she said. 1 left her and went |
into my room. 1 picked up a hand !
mirror Was it possible that mans !
eyes must tell the secrets of his in |
nermost heart? Was it possible that |
my wife could see what I saw I'm nv
eyes, that all the world could SEQ If ? |