The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-21
THE EVENING STORY
Counting the Reserve,
(By Henry Hasling.)


cashier. moved rapidly between the
rows OF desks which lined the walls
OF the accounting department. Daisy.
bending over her, huge volume.
flushed as she caught sight of the tall.
soldierly figure, but her face turned
white and tense as she saw how grave
his expression was. Clearly some
thing had happened!
Others, perhaps, might not nave
noticed the change in his expression
but to Daisy every shade of meaning
was familiar, and she knew that they
must be serious worries which took
made still more grave the lines about
the mouth.
Every since she had been in the
bank. Daisy had made Barker her
ideal. It was he who had induc.ea
her into the mysteries Of the savings
department, and had stood guard
over her ever since. He was always
ready to give her a help over the
hard places and OF late 1t had seemed
to Daisy that there was something
more than mere kindly interest in the
steady grey eyes as he looked upon
her.
Now he came to a stop before her
desk. and bent over the book on
which she was working.
Miss Gibbins will look after your
IT want to have your assistance In
counting the reserve. The bank
examiner comes next week and we
want to see that things are all right.
st didn't suppose that you were to
know when the examiner camel"
cried Daisy.
Barker smiled. bur the smile was
mirthless,
I'VE are not supposed to know"
he admitted, "but there are sometimes
l T. l~v NV NavNt
viii you come with me to the
Daisy followed him to the base
ment where the reserve vaults were
located. A steel cage. formed OF
heavy bars in place of the light net
provided with a table and chair
Daisy took her seat before the piles
of bills which which the table was
loaded.
According to the law, a certain
| cash reserve was required OF the
| the packages of bills and make GER
tain that the contents agreed with the
| figures on the paper bands. Barker
| leaned across the table.
mike will take these away and
| bring you more when you are ready"
he said "You know how to check
| them on the slips"
Daisy nodded Understandings. Bar
| ker turned away only to come back
| and bend close to the curly brown
head.
| II have selected you for the counting
because you are discreet and faith
| full
This time the new cashier assembled
| the stairs and Daisy's nimble fingers
| made quick work of the bills. They
| were for the greater part fifty-dollar
/ ,0fn in ma hnn0re0
each. and Daisy dropped them into
| the box at her side as she verified the
| count
The porter brought her a fresh
supply of higher denominations and
| of these she took more careful count.
Several of the packages were short
| one or two bills and these were for
500 and $500 each. The packages
| were tossed aside to be recounted
later when the work should be done.
| It might be that some error had been
made and other package might con-
| tain a bill or two in excess Of their
| supposed number.
But package after package went to
swell the pile on the rough deal table
and there were none to balance the
shortage. Barker's words flashed
through Daisy's brain. She was to
| be discreet and faithful!
| Only two weeks back Barker had
| been promoted to be cashier. Before
| then he had been the assistant, and 1t
was he who had last counted and
packaged the reserve. Now that he
| was made cashier in the place of
Newton Bryan, the count had to be
made again, because the bank exami-
ner was expected. The shortage
would become known unless she was
discreet and faithful!
For little time things turned black
| for Daisy. To Barker she owed her
1 , ~, ho n
virtually saved her place for her by
| his kindly advice when she had first
taken a position, and during the en-
| tire two years she ha0 Deen with the
bank he had put her under a heavy
burden of gratitude. He had been
kind to all the girls, but 1t seemed to
Daisy that he had been more watch
| full Of her interests than of the others,
and now-now she was being asked
| to make return!
A step aroused her from her
thoughts and she resumed her work
| just as the president came down the
stone stairway to the basement. Daisy's
fingers became nimble again and she
tried to keep all traces of excitement
from her face.
Greenwich as he came into the COM
partment. 1.-THE count is correct?"
There was a note of anxiety in his
| kindly voice. Daisy wondered If he
had any suspicious. For a moment
| she was tempted to answer that all
| was right. She could give an evasive
answer and warn Barker that he was
| in danger of discovery Then came
| the echo of the words Discreet and
faithful
It would not be faithful to the bank
| to hide the shortage. It could not be
| that Barker would have asked her to
hide his guilt She looked bravely into
the presidents face.
CHOSE packages are all short" she
said simply. "They are mostly the
| hundreds, but there are five thous-
ands, too"
"As Mr.. Barker to come here" d.
rected the president. do not tell him
what is the matter. Just say that I
| want to see him here. Come back
4 n