The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-02-25


before him. I'm not In the agricul.
tural department" But. then. Turner
was a Texan. an old friend OF the
banks president, and had known Dor.
seq since he was q baby.
While the eIam.n:r was counting
the cash, Mai. Thomas B. Kingman-
known to every one as Major Tom,
the president Of the; Frist National,
drove up to the side door with his
old dun horse and buggy, and came
inside. He saw the examiner busy
with the money and. going into the
pony corral az he called 1t, In
which, bis desk was rallied OF, he be-
gan to look owe his letters.
Earlier. a little incident had oc-
cured that even the sharp eyes Of the
examiner had failed to notice. when
he had begun his work at the cash
counter, Mr.. Edlinger had wlnked sig.
/ n%iicantly at Roy Wilson, the youthful.
bank messenger, and nodded his head
slightly toward the front door. ROY
understood, took his hat and walked
~leisurely out, with his collectors book
under his arm. Once outside. he made
a tee.line for the Stockmen's Nation
al. That bank was also getting ready
to open. No customers had, as yet,
presented themselves.
Say. you people!" cried Roy, with
the familiarity OF youth and long &c.
q~uaintance, :you want to get q move
on you. There's a new bank eI-
aminer over at the First, and he's a
stem-winder, He's counting nickels
on Perry. and he's got the whole out.
ut bluffed. Mr.. Edllnger gave me the
tip to let you know.
Mr.. Buck. y, president OF the Stock.
mems National-a stout, elderly man.
looking like a farmer dressed for Sun.
day-heard Roy from his private office
In the rear, and called him.
Has Major Kingman come down to
the bank YETI" he asked the boy.
yes, sir, he was just driving up rs
left" said Roy.
want you to take him a note. Put
1t Into his own hands al soon as you
get back"
Mr Buckley sat down and began
to write.
Roy returned and handed to Major,
kingman the envelope containing the
note, The major read At, folded ST,
and slipped II Into his vest pocket,
He leaned back In his chair for a few
moments as III he were meditatlng
deeply, and then rose and went into
the vault. HeNcame out with the
bulky, old.fashioned leather note case
stamped on the back In gilt letters,
Bills Discounted" In this were the
notes due the bank with their attach.
ed securities. and the major. in his
rough way dumped the lot upon his
desk and began to sort them over.
By this time Nettlewick had finish.
ed his count OF the cash. His. pencil
iuttered like a swallow over the sheet
OF paper on which he had set his flg.
ures. He opened his black wallet,
which seemed to be also a kind OF
secret memorandum book. made a few
rapid figures In It, wheeled and trans
fixed Dorsey with the glare Of bis
spectacles. That look seemed to say:
You're safe this time, but"
Cash all correct" snapped tho ex.
aminer. He made a dash for the In.
divldual b%ookkeerer. and, for . few
minutes there was a %flutterIrg OF led.
ger leaves and a sailing or oalauce
sheets through the air.
How often do you balance yonr
passbooks?' he demanded, suddenly,
"Er-once a MONTH" taltered the
individual bookkeeper,. wondering how
many years they would give him.
"All right" said the examiner, turn.
Ing and charging upon the general
bookkeeper, who had the statements
of his foreign banks and their recon.
element memoranda ready. Every.
thing there was found 10 be all right,
Then the stub book Of the certificates
CT deposit. Futter- tutter-zip-ziD
Check! All right. List Of over.
drafts. please. Thanks. Hmm. Tin.
signed bills OF the bank, next. All
right.
lueH game tue CASHIERS turn. and
easy going Mr.. Edlingeri rubbed ms
nose and polished his glasses nervous.
~ under the quick fire OF questions
concerning the circulation, undivided
profits, bank real estate, and stock
ownership.
Presently Nettlewick was aware OF
n big man towering above him at bis
elbow--a mar OF sixty years of age.
rugged and hale. with a rough, griz.
fled beard. a mass of gray hair, and
q pair OF penetrating blue eyes that
confronted the formidable glasses Of
the examiner without a flicker.
'Er-Major Klngman, our president
-er-N1r. Nettlewick." said the cnsh,
Ter.
Two men Of very dtEeren, types
shook hands. One was a~st.fnlshed
product OF the world OF straight lines,
conventional methods and formal al.
fairs. The other was something freer,
wider and nearer to nature. Tom
Kingman had not been cut to any pat.
tern; He had been mule driver, o "
boy. ranger. soldier, sheriff. prosbector