Evening star., 1909-08-29

claimed Carleton. Have LoTlng q TO. nothing
to say about it, Our name is forged for large
amount and you and Mr. Hasselmann calmly
agree to let the matter drop. Mr. Loring may
not be inclined to be SO lenient.
The president hesitated. Then, before Car
Teton could anticipate the movement, he picked
up the check and tore it into fragments.
. think Mr.. Carleton, that you and Mr..
Loring will find it better to agree with Mr. Has
selmann and myself" he said suavely "A
trick has undoubtedly been played upon Mr.
Lessing, either by some practical Joker, or by
some one who owes him personal grudge,
somebody in the Street with whose plans Mr.
Lessing has interfered. and who has sought
thus basely to discredit him. Mr.. Lessing has
friends who are unwilling to see him victmIzed
Do | make myself clear, Mr.. Carleton"
FOR answer the young man reached over and
took blank check from the presidents S
desk and rapidly filled it out. You do he
said in a low tone and this is my reply.
noticed the exact amount of our balance with
you when | looked at our checkbook before
leaving New York This check represents it.
1t is the last one we shall draw on this bank.
He turned on his heel and left the Office.
Carleton presented his check at the window.
The cashier looked at him in some surprise and
dropped the check on the desk of the corre-
spondence clerk, who soon returned 1t to the
cashier, as the latter came back with package
of bills in his hand.
40. X Total balance" was the brief report.
Please have passbook balanced as soon
as YOU receive it from New York and close the
account" Carleton said as the cashier began
to count out the money.
The cashier Carleton cross the street and
enter the doors of the Second National Bank,
bearing with him one of the Fourth Nationals
most desirable accounts.
"There'll be the deuce of fuss over this at
the directors meeting. remarked the receiving
teller through the grating.
The cashier grunted. mo, there wont.
The directors do Williams tells them, and
Williams does as Mellor SAYS Meor IS
sponsible for this He was closeted with the
old man for two hours this morning. But If
you ask me, | should say 1t was mighty poor
business to throw away one OF the biggest and
steadiest balances we have for precarious ac-
count like that of Lessing's. Sometimes he has
a hundred thousand, and sometimes
often-he hasn't hundred cents. He only
keeps an account here SO that he can cover up
his overdrafts by kiting checks between here
and New York. 1t makes me tiredl'
A Carleton mounted the concourse at Ho-
boken and passed through the ferryhouse
on his way to the upper deck OF the boat, ne
caught sight OF young woman standing little
to one side. Even as he looked, the gates were
thrown open and stream of passengers poured
through from a 23d-st boat that had just
come in. A man detached himself from the
hurrying throng and approached the waiting
girl Carleton gave start OF surprise, then
hastily turned MS DaCK on the anu
boarded a boat for Barclay-st.
TWENTY minutes later, he entered the pri-
vate office of Abel Loring.
Anything to report. John?" asked that man
"Only that thought had Francis Lessng
in the Tombs awaiting trial, and l have
other think coming
Explain"
Il can't. I'd like to. I've seen Hasselmann
and Williams both, and the conduct of the lat
ter admits of SO little explanation that I've
withdrawn our account and opened one with
the Second National
Having thoroughly mystiied his partner,
Carleton then gave him detailed description
of his experiences.
Il figure it out this way, chief" he
cluded. 1T Just three months ago that
Lessing got so badly squeezed when he fell into
the trap laid for him discovering that he
was using Morgan to spy on our stenographer
from the window across the airshaft, and get
ting at the contents of the firms private cor
respondence through the stoolpigeon's expert
knowledge of the touch system of typewriting.
Badly squeezed as Lessing was, he wealth
cred the storm, and everything has been going
smoothly in his business to all outward APP
pearance, ever since. l have made it my con-
Germ to know, however, that this appearance
has been due to the fact that he has been doing
very little business. 1t looks to if he had
raised enough money on sixty-day loans to
carry him. and had then got thirty days more
time To-day it was up to him to make good
or be sold out, and. knowing Lessing as well as