The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-16
TIE EVENING STOR
Pooling Benson.

on the other hand, have handled no
money from that drawer"
Therefore il must have been mis-
take in your Lddition. am sorry,
! Jack, but we shall have to look to you
to repay the loss.''
But this is the third time this week
that this has happened" pleaded Niblo.
All the more reason why you should
be more careful" said the president
/ shortly. 1T Is inexcusable that re-
ceivfng teller should make three mis-
takes in a single week If there IS
/ repetition of this trouble I am afraid
that shall have to replace you
Niblo bowed and left the private
office. It seemed pretty hard to him
\ that he should be required to make GOOD
a two-hundred dollar shortage in q
single week, but three times when he had
come to balance his accounts he had
found that he was short. Once It had
been q hundred-dollar bill that was
missing and twice his sheet showed
ffty-dollar shortage
He had the money with which TO
make up the loss, for he had been saw
ing up ever since Nettie Cable promised
to marry him. At this rate the savings
would soon vanish, yet, If he was forced
to give up his position because he was
unreliable his savings would be gone
before he could obtain another position
without a recommendation from the
bank.
1t was with heavy heart that he
went to meet her. They were to go to
a concert that evening. The girls quick
eyes perceived his dependency. and as
they walked along she drew the story
from him.
'eWho do you think it is ~ she asked.
That's the worst of it," he declared.
Il have no gro ,nds for suspecting any
one. When come back from lunch to
relieve Benson the money is right to a
penny. The loss or mistake, or what
sc ~FA a
But you can't be making mistakes
all the time" she insisted. isn't 1t
possible that some one comes into your
cage for a moment2"
mot a soul was in there all the
afternoon he said positively.
And Mr. FEELS cannot reach over
from his cage p.
s"The money is all in the drawer. He
4 would have to open that first"
Have you looked behind the draw
err" she asked hopefully. Perhaps It
/ just fell down behind
4 st had the drawer out" he ex-
! planned, land looked behind it
who is that in there ?" she asked
suddenly, as they passed the bank
building.
ct must be Benson" he answered
carelessly. HE works late on the
! foreign business. don't know wheth-
er he does it because he likes work or
because he wants to make a good i'm
1 preston on your father but he is at
1t all the time
rs the money all locked up?"
Benson wouldn't take it, anyhow, -
he declared. but the money is locked
with a time lock. Benson merely uses
the small safe with the books.
Il don't like Mr.. Benson she said
/ decidedly. Father refuses to inter
j fere, but I know that Mr. Benson has
tried to get him to send you away and
take him as a son-in-law
"Forewarned is forearmed." he
! laughed. well foolSfim yet, or rath-
er you Will I don'tsthink Tn clever
7 think I'm as clever as Mr.. Ben
son. she announced, and I'm going
to fool him, see If 1 don't"
They turned into the concert hall,
next the bank, and in the music Jack
! forgot the threat.
He did not even recall it a few days
later when Nettie came into the bank,
and after a chat with her father, made
i her way to Niblo's compartment. He
\ sprung the latch on the lattice door for
/ her and returned to counting the pile
of bills in front of him.
She leaned on the counter beside him
and as he turned over the bills he
I glanced at her.
Forty fifties.'' he laughed. DO
4 you make it the same?" Nettie nod
4 ded and he turned to the rest of the
4 money. Silently she checked the other
I items on the deposit slip, and as the
4 picked up one of the bills.
i What is that?" she demanded,
i pointing to some glistening particles.
4 Niblo laughed.
| planned. "Gregson has been buying
some steel"
ssHow do you know?" she asked.
ssGregson is peculiar. He pays cash
for everything he gets. The foundry
sends him stuff for the houses he is
building in the new section, and as the
last load is dumped he sends over TO
pay for it. He will not use a bank, but
pays in cash, and he never lets Dill
run over night
s'Does he buy much?' she asked. as
she fingered a bill.
''They deposit cash about three times
And always With this thing on?'
Its steel filings" explained Niblo.
ssThey are everywhere over at the
foundry" He slipped the bills in the
drawer and stuck the slip on the
Jack. - she said suddenly. count the
money again.
Il just did, he said in surprise, as
he opened the drawer. The other bills
Il had been banded and it was an easy
matter to get only the foundry deposit
/ He ran the bills over rapidly, then
turned to her with a puzzled express
what do YOU make it?' he asked.
ssThirty-nine," she declared, as he
| picked up the pile of bills and laid
| them back In the drawer. Don't find
the other even II you can. Just wait.
AS soon as you are out Of the bank
/ come over to George Castles"
All through the rest of the afternoon
Il he wondered as he went about his
work. There was trouble over the
shortage and Niblo left the bank with
u a. warning that the next mistake would
\ be his last.
He went straight across the street to
4 the dental Office in the postofnce build
ing, where Nettie had told him to meet
| her. and in the darkness they watched
the interior of the bank
i At last Benson came into the receiv-
ling teller's pen and fumbled there a
/ moment. With. little cry Nettie
/ ceased her virgil and went to the tele-
I-nhone Half an hour later Nettle. her