Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-03-11
NUMBERED

wonder" she said, speaking more 10
herself than to her lover. 1T seems to
be valentine. At least there are some
flowers stamped on 1t. | don't know
the handwriting, and l don't know any
one at the place where 1t was post
marked"
"It seems to me-" said Walter drear-
fly, "that tie quickest way to find out
about letter is to open and read II.
But that's something no woman would
think Of doing"
IF the pOstmark was palmer" con-
tinued Ellen. without needing lis sar-
casm, IL might make 1t out. It's San
something or other, and Col. That
must be Colorado"
Break it openw cried Walter testify.
You'll drive me crazy"
She soothed him with a kiss. then
tore open the envelope, remarking ut
the same time that 1t was dirty enough
to haze gone around the world. 1t con-
tained a cheap looking valentine. and
within the valentine was folded several
thicknesses Of newspaper Ellen I'M
folded the newspaper and took out two
$500 bills.
"E'or heavens sake" she exclaimed.
Walter simply gaped ut the bills.
What does 1t mean" was Ellen's
next comment.
BY this time her lovers curiosity was
excited. With n trembling hand he
took the valentine and the bills from
her.
"Why, these are old state bank bills"
he said, wonderingly Then, taking the
envelope, he scrutiniZcd II. This val
entine was mailed in $780, he went
on. land those letters are not Col;
they are Cal. It's from San Francisco.
Cal"
Many time Ellen Crane had heard
her aunt tell about the valentine her
lover was to send her. about which she
WAS TO make Inquiry II II did not come
and which 1t was supposed he had been
cut off from sending by sickness and
death. A food Of light burst IN upon
her. This was that valentine. 1t had
been sent, but had been many years on
the way. The happy girl did not walt
to explain this to her lover. Holding
the bills high up above her head, she
danced around the room, crying:
Now we can restore the missing
money"
7 ntn Dr. mi ~, tn nnGtntHpn
with the valentine and learned from
the postmaster that postoliice build
ing had recently been pulled down on
the line tie valentine had Travelled. and
the letter had been found on the re-
moval CT fixture behind which it had
Slipped. doubtless while being sorted.
Ii was forwarded and fell into the
hands not OF the Ellen Crane to whom
Il had been written, but to her name-
sake and heir, who lived in the house
10 which IL had been addressed.
Ellen placed the bills in Bpwnings
hands. Going to money broker. he
learned thar though the banks that had
issued the bills had gone out Of eI.
isteEcc Il fund had been put aside for
payment OF all demands against 1t.
Then Walter went TO the bank that
had issued the bill he had lost and eX-
changed his money for one Of its
$1,000 notes and with 1t made up the
deficiency for which he was respon-
sible.
there was happy wedding. made
happier by the great load taken off
the shoulders OF the contracting par
ties.
The $1,000 WIS in time returned by
the bank. One of the employees OF
the institution proved dishonest, and
long series Of peculations WAS discov-
cred. He confessed the stealing Of the
bill that Browning had lost. on that
occasion he was acting as paying teller
In the next cage to Browning When
the latters back was turned, seeing
that no one was looking in his direc.
ton, he took out from pocket In his
coat Il slender piece Of whaleb0ne with
hook on the end of it and passing 1t
through an opening in the grating that
separated the cages, removed one OF
the bills lying on the counter.
This occurred shortly after Brown
ing's marriage and caused so great q
reversal In the feeling toward Brown
ing that the officers of the bank
thought they should make some repa-
ration to him for his misfortune. Be
sides returning the $1,000 that he had
made good, they created the office Of
assistant cashier and gave him the po-
sitlon with a large Increase Of salary.
So his misfortune turned out to be
blessing I'm disguise. And 1t served
him in more respects than one. 1t
made him far more careful man and
extremely cautious In condemning 9th
ers under suspicion. He eventually
became the president Of bank, and
whenever Il shortage occurred he In
varinbly protected the one suspected
from being unjustly condemned. For
this alone he was much beloved BY
the employees.