The Lake County times., 1907-05-04

You must come back also" he said
to the girl.
I'D rather not" she pleaded in a
low voice, and it was hardly possibls I
to have made q more injudicious re- I
mark If she had taken the whole after
noon TO prepare.
Renewed determination shone from /
the face Of the cashier.
You must come back to the bank"
he reiterated.
"Oh, l say" protested the lieuten- |
ant, "you are now exceeding your au-
thority. / alone am the culprit. The
young lady Is quite blameless, and
you have no right to detain her for a
moment"
The girl, who had been edging away
and showing signs of flight, which the
bareheaded man, visibly on the alert,
leaned forward ready to intercept,
seemed to make up her mind to bow
to the inevitable. Ignoring the cashier,
she looked up at the blond lieutenant
with a slight smile on her pretty lips.
ut was really all my fault at the be-
ginning" she said, ''and very stupid Of
me- l am slightly acquainted with the
bank manager. and l am sure he will
vouch for me If he is there"
With that she turned and walked
briskly toward the bank at so rapid
pace as to indicate that she did not
wish an escort. The bareheaded off,
cial found his anger unaccountably de-
serting him, while a great fear that
he had put his foot In it took its place.
Really" said the lieutenant gently
as they strobe along together, IAN OFF,
cial in your position should be q good
Judge of human nature. How any sane
person, especially a young man, can
look at that beautiful girl and suspect
her of evil passes my comprehension.
Do you know herr"
"No," said the cashier shortly. "Do
your"
The lieutenant laughed genially.
"Still suspicious, eh?' he asked. "No,
1 don't know her; but, to use a bank
ing term, you may bet your bottom
dollar I'm going to. Indeed, 1 ana
rather grateful to you for your stub
bornness in forcing US to return. It's
a quality 1 like, and you possess it in
marvellous development, so I intend
to stand by you when the managerial
censure is due. I'm very certain l
met your manager at the dinner they
gave us last night Mr.. Morton, isn't
he?"
eyes," growled the cashier in gruff
dependency.
"Ah, that's awfully jolly. One of the
finest fellows I've met in ten years.
Now, the lady said she was acquainted
with him, so if 1 don't wheedle an in
PRODUCTION out of him it will show that
a man at a dinner and a man in a
bank are two different individuals
You were looking for plots, so there is
mine laid bare to you. It's an intro
duction, not gold, I'm conspiring for"
The cashier had nothing further to
say. When they entered the bank to-
gether, he saw the clerks all busily al
work and knew that no startling event
had happened during his absence. The
girl had gone direct to the managers
room, and thither the young men fol
lowed her. The bank manager was
standing at his desk, trying to pre-
serve a severe financial cast of counte
nance, which the twinkle, in his eyes
belied. The girl, also standing, ha(
evidently been giving him a rapid
sketch Of what had occurred, but nov
} fell into silence when accuser and &C
complice appeared.
The advent Of the Englishman wai
a godsend to the manager. He wa
too courteous a gentleman to laugh II
the face Of a lady who very SERIOUSLY
was relating. set Of incidents whicl
appealed to his sense Of humor, SO th,
coming Of the lieutenant enabled hin
to switch of his mirth on another sub
Ject, and in reply to the officers cor
} dial Good morning, Mr. Morton" b
} replied:
why, lieutenant, I'm delighted +
see you. That was very jolly SON.
you sang for us last night I'll neve
forget it. What do you call it? Whit
tington FairT" And he laughed out
right as at a genial recollection.
The lieutenant blushed red as a gin
, and stammered:
Really, Mr.. Morton, you know that
not according to the rules of evidence
When a fellow comes up for trial pre-
vious convictions are never allowed t
be mentioned till after the sentence
Whiddicomb Fair should not be hel
against me In the present crisis.''
The manager chuckled gleefully. Th
cashier, when he saw how the land lay
had quietly withdrawn, closing th
door behind him.
swell, lieutenant I think 1 mus
have this incident cabled to Europe,
said Morton, 80 the effete nations c
your continent may know that plai
bank cashier isn't afraid to tackle th
British navy. Indeed, Mr.. Drummons
II you read history you viii learn ths
this Is dangerous coast for your wa