The Press., 1913-04-09
AVdientine That Was a Long Time.
 Coming
By EDNA WINTHROP

from him, the last at the DeglnnlnB ol
 the new year, the midyear of the nine
 teen,lI century. In this letter Potndex
 ter sad: T shall send you a valentine
 calculating to mail It so that 1t shal
 reach you on the 14th of February
 The mails are the surest means oi
 transportation from here to the east
 Out even they are not very regular. Ii
 you don't receive my valentine, say
 within ten days after St. Valentines
 day, go to the postoffice and inquire foE
 1t, writing me at the same time"
 The 14th of February came, but nc
 valentine. Instead, letter came from
 a friend of Poindexter stating that
 Poindexter had been taken i'll a fort
 night before and had died. He had
 struck vein of ore, which he had in structed the writer to sell and send
 her the proceeds.
 The mine was afterward sold for $2O.OOO and the money sent to Miss Crane. She never married, but brother having died, leaving little girl named for her, Aunt Ellen brought her up. The aunt died when little Ellen was twenty years old. Ellen Crane, Jr., inherited the $20,OOO her aunt had received from her lover In California. The niece was engaged to be married to Walter Browning, a young man occupying the position of teller In bank, and expect ed soon to be bride.
 One evening shortly before St. Valen- tines day Walter Browning, who was expected by his flancee, came to see her with every evidence of distress. A thousand dollar banknote had slipped through his fingers and disappeared. He had handled a package of notes of the denomination of $1,00O each and was satisfied that there were ten of them. They had been deposited as such an amount during the day, but when he came to count them later there were only nine of them.
 The misfortune weighed heavily upon the lovers, who were at the time ex- pecting to be married in a few days. Indeed, Browning assigned the error he had made to this very cause. One about to be married is not likely to have all his wits about him, and he realized that he was not, in his con- ditlOu, fitted for the very important work he was doing. Ellen asked him If he could remember any Interruption that had occurred while receiving the money. He thought hard for few minutes, then said that after making the entry in the depOsitor's passbOok, while the bills were on the counter, the cashier had called to him to ask him a question. Browning had turned his back to the money while he held a brief conversation with the cashier, but had not left his cage
 Browning had no trouble in con- VIncing his sweetheart that he was not | playing a game to cover up a defalca ion But the bank manager was of | l suspicious disposition, and since he .ould see no way for thousand dollar | pill to disappear within a cage with | 'ne man In 1t, except by means of that | mans fingers, he suspected Ned. AS soon as the teller had left the bank an was made. The depositor was telephoned to know what amount he had intended to deposit. He re- piled that he had handed In ten $1.O00 bills. This eliminated that loophole for Browning, and it was the only pos sible escape for him. The officers of the bank met later in the evening and decided what to do In the matter so far as Browning was concerned. They knew that he was to be married In a few days. BrownIng's fellow clerks had bought wedding present for the bride, and it had been the intention of the president to send a check for $1OO. Owing to these conditions they decid- ed not to arrest Browning.
 When Browning went to the bank the next morning every person there looked up at him. He felt that he was a suspect and knew that he was fn- iebted to the bank for $1.OOO, which he could not pay. Ellen would have paid the money in his stead, but in the first place the fortune she had received from her aunt had been left to her In trust for her children. the income only to be paid to her, and in the second place the payment of the last amount would not remove the cloud resting upon her lover.
 
 gan to receive deposits, but his mind pas so preoC cupied by his trouble that he soon went to the manager and told him that, considering his condition of mind. he feared he was not to be trust sd at the window; that substitute had better be put on duty and he be placed at other work. His admo- 1Fz yranted. The wedding was to take place on | he 18th of February. On the evening | f the 18th Browning and his betrothed | alked over the matter of withdrawing he invitations and being married pri- | yately, but had come to no conclusion. | Browning took his trouble so much to \ leart that be dreaded the ordeal of 'acing friends on what was intended | Or a joyful occasion, feeling that he | vas suspected of betrayal of trust, of | arceny, and In danger of arrest. On | he other hand. no one except them | selves and those connected with the | bank was aware of his trouble. and 1t | would only make the matter worse if | It were known. To recall the invita- tions would make talk, which would be | sure to bring out the cause of their | being withdrawn. They parted to meet the next morning. when they would come to decision.
 On St. Valentines day Walter | Browning and Ellen Crane were trying | to make up their minds as to what | UaE Fr,v, private wedding. Though there was no reason for such q dread, he fancied | be might be arrested during the cere- mony. Ellen strove in vain to eradi- cate this fear. She was arguing with him when shrill whistle was heard | without. followed by a sharp ring at the doorbell.
 "It's the postman," she exclaimed, and since he's loaded down with val- auffuzz hofa in a hurPy Tsfl on fo fho