Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-01-27

Cured that even the sharp eyes of the
examiner had failed to notice. When
ne had begun his work at the cash
counter, Mr.. Edlinger had winked sig
niiicantly at Roy Wilson. the youthful
Dank messenger, and nodded his head
| signify 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 Decline 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 ac-
quaintance, you want to get a move
on you. There's a new bank ex-
aminer over at the First, and he's
stem-winder. He's counting nickels
on Perry. and he's got the whole out
fit bluffed. Mr.. Edlinger gave me the
tip to let you know"
Mr.. Buckley, 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 as
| left" said Roy.
Il want you to take him a note Put
it into his own hands as soon as you
get back"
Mr. Buckley sat down and began
to write
ROY returned and handed to Major
kinSman the envelope containing the
| note. The major read it, folded it.
and slipped it into his vest pocket.
He leaned back in his chair for few
moments as if he were meditating
deeply, and then rose and went into
the vault. He came 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
fluttered like a swallow over the sheet
of paper on which he had set his fig
| 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 his
| spectacles. That look seemed to say:
You're safe this time, but"
Cash all correct" snapped the ex.
| aminer. He made dash for the in
dividual bookkeeper, and. for few
minutes there was fiutterina of led
ger leaves and a sailing of balance
sheets through the air
How often do you balance Your
passbooks?" he demanded, suddenly.
"Er-once month" faltered the
individual bookkeeper, wondering how
man" years they would give him.
All right" said the examiner, turn
ing and charging upon the general
| bockkeeper, who had the statements
of his foreign banks and their recon-
| element memoranda ready. Every
! thing there was found to be all right
| Then the stub book of the certificates
of deposit. Flutter- flutter-zip-zip
check, All right List of over
drafts. please. Thanks. Hmm. Tn.
signed bills of the bank, next All
right
Then came the cashiers turn, and
easy going Mr.. Edlinger rubbed ms
to N.
ly under the quick fire of questions
concerning the circulation. undivided
profits. bank real estate, and stock
ownership.
Presently Nettlewick was aware Of
big man towering above him at his
elbow-a man of sixty years of age.
rugged and hale, with a rough, griz-
lied beard. mass of gray hair, and
pair of penetrating blue eyes that
confronted the formidable glasses of
the examiner without a flicker.
"Er-Major Kingman. our president
-er-Mr. Nettlewick," said the cash
Ter
Two men of very different types
shook hands. One was a finished
product of the world of straight lines.
conventional methods and formal af
fairs. The other was something freer.
wider and nearer to nature. Tom
Kingman had not been cut to any nat
tern. He had been mule-driver. cow
boy. ranger, soldier, sheriff, prospector
and cattleman. Now. when he was
bank president his old comrades from
The prairies. of the saddle tent and
trail found no change in him. He
had made his fortune when Texas cat
tie were at the high tide of value, and
had organized the First National
bank of San Rosario. In spite of his
largeness of heart and sometimes I'M
wise generosity toward his old friends,
the bank had prospered, for Maj. Tom
Kingman knew men as well as ne
knew cattle. or late years the cat |
tie business had gone to pieces, and |
the majors bank was one of the few |
whose losses had not been great.
And now said the examiner, brisk |
ly, pulling out his watch, the last |
thing is the loans. We will take them
up now. if you please"
He had gone through the First Ma |
tional at almost record-breaking speed |
-bu- thoroughly. as he did every
thing. The running order of the bank |
was smooth and clean, and that had 1
facilitated his work. There was but |
OIL in, he