The Washington times., 1906-06-03

a n. A man with a thick
black leather wallet under
his arm left the train and
walked rapidly up the main
street of the town. There were other
passengers who also got off at San
Rosario but they either slouched linn
berry over 10 the railroad eattnE-house
or the Silver Dollar saloon, or joined
the groups OF idIers about the station
Indecision had no part in the move
ments of the man with the wallet re
VAS short in stature. but strongly puil''
with very light. clOsely-trimmed hair'
smooth. determined face, ana seSTes-
sive, gold-rimmed nose glasses lie
was well dressed in the preNallnS
Eastern ytvle. HIS air denoted n quiet
but conscious reserve force, II not
actual authority.
After walking a distance OF three
squares he came 70 the center Of the
towns business area. Here another
street of Importance crossed. the main
one. forming the hub of San Rosario's
life and commerce Upon one corner
stood the postonice- Upon another Ru-
bensky's Clothing Emporium. The
other two djagonaIly opposite corners
were occupied by the towns two
banks. the First National and the
Stockmen's National Into the First
National Bank Of San Rosario the
newcomer walked. never slowing his
brisk step until he stood at the CASH
ier's window. The bank opened for
business at Q, aud the working force
was already assembled. each prepar-
inE his department FOR the dav's busi-
rFafT
mail when he noticed the stranger
standing at his window.
Bank doesn't open til g." he re-
marked. curtly, but without feeling.
He had had 10 make that statement so
often to early birds since San Rosario
adopted city banking hours
81 am well aware OF that" said the
other man, In cool. brittle tones. VIII
you kindly receive my card7"
The cashier drew the small. spotless
parallelOgram inside the bars OF his
wicket, and read:
J. F. c. NETTLEwICR.
National Bank Examiner
"Oh-er-will you walk around in
side. Mr.-er- -NettIewick? Your first
sisit-didn't know your business, OF
curse. Walk right around. please"
The examiner was quickly inside the
Iacred precincts OF the bank. where he
Eas ponderously introduced to each
SmpIoye in turn by Mr. Edlinger. the
cashier-a middle-aged gentleman OF
deliberation. discretion and method
Il was kind Of expecting Sam Turn
er round again. pretty soon.' said Mr..
EdlinEer. SANS been examining us
now, for about four years guess you
VIII find US all right, though. consid-
ering the tightness in business. Not
overly much money on hand. but able
TO stand the storms. sir. stand the
storms
Mr. Turner and have been ordered
By the comptroller 70 exchange dis
tricts," said the examiner. in his de-
cisive formal tones. He Is covering
my old territory in southern Illinois
and Indiana. I will take the cash first,
please
Perry Dorsey. the teller. was already
arranging his cash on the counter for
the examiners inspection. He knew il
was right to cent. and he had moth
ing TO fear but he was nervous and
fustered. So was every man in tho
bank There was something so icy and
swift so impersonal and uncompromis-
ing about this man that his very pres
ence seemed an accusation. He looked
10 be a man who would never make
nor overlook an error
Mr.. Nettlewick first seized the cur
rency. and with a rapid. almost Jug
Cling motion, counted II by packages
Then he spun the sponge cup toward
him and verified the count by bills. His
thin white fingers few Ike some ex-
pert musicians upon the Keys OF
piano. He dumped the gold upon the
counter with a crash. and the coins
whined and sang as they skinned
across the marble slab from the tips
Of his nimble digits- The air was full
OF fractional currency when he came
to the halves and quarters He
counted the last nickel and dime. He
had the scales brought. ana ne weigh
ed every sack OF silver IN the vault.
He questioned Dorsey concerning each
OF the cash memoranda-certain
checks. charge slips. etc. carried over
from the previous days work-with
unimpeachable courtesy. yet with
something so mysteriously momentous
In his frigid manner trat the teller
was reduced to pink chvons and a
stammering tongue.
This newly-Imported examiner was
so different from Sam Turner. 1t had
been Sans way 10 enter the bank
with d shout. pass the cigars and tell
Ihe latest stories he had picked up on
his rounds. His customary greeting
u Dorsey had been. Hello, Perry
Haven't skipped out with the Doodle
vt. l see Turner'S way Of counting
the cash had been different. too. He
would finger the packages Of bills in
tired kind Of way. and then go into
the vault and kick over a few sacks
Of silver. and the thing was done
Halves and quarters. and dimes? NOT
for sam Turner NO chicken fead for
me, he would say when they were
set before him. I'm not the agric,,r-
tural department" But. then. Turner
was Texan. an old friend of the
banks president. and had known Dor
sew since he was a babv.
While the examiner was COUNTING
the casE. Major Thomas B. Kingman0
known 10 everyone as Major Tom
the president Of the First National
drove UP 10 the side door with his old
dun horse and buggy. and came inside
lie saw the examiner busy with the
money, and. going into the little pony
corral. as he called il, in which his
desk was raflaI on