Evening star., 1909-08-29
WHAT do you mean" cried the astonished

Il mean this Mr. Williams" said Carleton lean
ing forward Pressely @ onsss W;1s am an very much
check and of conspring to defraud the Roosevelt
Trust Company of ninety thousand dollars. You
have him at this very moment cooped up in the
board ROOM with of the directors keeping strict
watch over him. | could make guess at the iden-
tity of the director. But you are barking up the
wrong tree Has it never occurred to you that the
telephone call simply blind to get Wilson
of the bank when Mr.. Hasselmann called up about
the bogus check? Didn't it rather strange that
forged, and then sit around and wait for the police
to come and gather him in? Besides, where does he
benefit by the crime' The money appears to have
been paid to Mr.. Lessing. Do you believe that he
working in collusion with =
Oh no, no. no! Most certainly not!' exclaimed
the president lent IN mr. L, LessnE IS above suspicion
the present. continued Carleton Did you not
realize that the telers signature could have been
initiated quite well as the signatures OF Curtiss
Co. and Loring & Co, and probably far better on
account of the criminals greater familiarity with it,
But don't understand your point. Who else
Who were in the bank at ten minutes after twelve
clerk who is here to-day attending to business and
your bookkeeper, who came to you a stranger three
months ago and is now enjoying the benefits OF sea
change Who but the ledger clerk and the bookkeeper
would be likely to have access to the certifcation
stamp and be sufficiently familiar with the sigma
lures Of the depositors and teller to initiate them
cessfully?"
"You-you mean Acton7" cried the president as
If light had dawned on him at last.
Yes, Acton, ]. Acton Morgan whatever
else he chooses to call himself | inclined to
think Mr. Williams, that you have not only unjusty
suspected and accused an innocent man, but that
you have been employing in confidential capacity
young man who was recently employed by
terprising firm of brokers to spy upon one of our
stenographers and steal advance information of our
operations.
THE effect of this announcement upon the presi-
dent was electrifying He sat staring at Carleton,
his little h fairly from his head Good
that we have been employing spy-a thef-a
forger here-here, in the bank?"
Il do, replied the young man shortly. Il hope
am not venturing into the of impertnence when
suggest in friendly, not at all a carping manner,
that recommendation from Francis Lessing is
hardly"
Who told you that Mr. Lessing recommended
Acton?" demanded Williams hotly LAS matter
of fact he did nothing of the kind! He-er-he
merely stated that the young man was an excellent
bookkeeper, which he was, and that he had been en-
p1oyed by Lessng & Co, which know to be fact
and that his work there was very satisfactory"
Which have every reason to believe it was,
inter ected Carleton
Williams glared at him mpatient1y Mr. Lessing
is well known business man of wealth and ire
proachable character, the bank president asserted
+" He may have been mistaken in Acton; but that is
hardly warrant Mr. Carleton for your remarks
corning the value OF a recommendation from him.
We'll, Lessing presented the forged check and
drew the money, Mr.. Williams" Carleton said
pointedly. He may have known Wilson; but
he certainly knew Acton. Mr. Wilson is here; Acton
mas dlsapPeared Less1ng lett town suddenly for
Chicago Saturday night, and cannot be located
to-day. How does it look to you put in that way"
DO understand you to imply that Mr.. Lessng
is implicated in this matter, Mr. Carleton?" The
president of the Fourth National up very straight
in his chair.
CARLETON about to reply when the sharp
- jingle of the telephone bell the desk inter
rupted him With a contemptuous wave of his hand
the president turned to answer it. Carleton walked
over to the window. When he recalled by Will
liamS' sharp . Mr.. CarletOn!" he noticed a subtle
change in the face before him. Little lines of care
and WorrY were smoothed out and gleam of salts