The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-10
WHERE THE MONEY WENT :
BY GEORGE MUNSoN.
Copyright. 1915. by W. G. Chapman)

1
ing's accounts were three thousand
dollars short at the end of the day.
Three bills of the denomination of a
thousand dollars apiece were missing.
Fleming said that he had put them in
the drawer. But they were not In the
drawer, and could not be found.
The president accepted Fleming's
explanation. Fleming retained his po-
sition in the bank as assistant paying |
teller. He was earning seven hundred |
and fifty year.
Jim not only retained his position
but was promoted to be paying teller
the second year-still at seven hun '
dred and fifty. Ordinarily the position
would have started at twelve hundred
and fifty. Then Myra. the managers
stenographer, and Jim could have got
married. Now marriage was impos-
sible The fellows in the bank grinned
and wondered where Jim had "salted"
the money away.
Old Moss, the president, was as hard
as nails. He never let up ON q man.
He had seen at once Fleming's idea
and determined to checkmate the man
whom he regarded as brazen thief.
Out of his own pocket he paid the hire
Of the detectives for the first six
months, but at the annual meeting it
was decided to spend the money which
would normally have gone to Jim's sal
airy in having him watched.
Year after year the watch kept up.
Jim knew abopt it. 1t was impossible
for him not to know.
with that fellows genius for
secrecy he would make a firstrate
politician or criminal" said old Moss
grimly, at the second annual meeting
Of the directors.
Talent misapplied," growled the
manager. MY stenographer is still en-
gagged to him."
She'll be too Old to marry him be
' fore he gets a raise" grOwled Moss.
And if they do marry. we'll know
where the money comes from"
Five, six, seven years passed. The
detectives were less obtrusive now,
but they still followed Jim Fleming.
; He was still liable to return home to
find that someone had tempered with
bis desk or trunk.
Jim, dear, l have saved up thou
sand dollars" said Myra one day. Let
/, us be married anyway"
He shook his head grimly. He would
: not marry her until the bank had Of
: ficially pronounced the stain upon his
:. character wiped away. He had often
: urged Myra to release him.
"Ill stand by you till the end, dear,
;, she answered.
u BY this time the directors had come
to waver in their opinion of jim. TRAPS
had been laid for him, opportunitie!
placed in his way. He evGded then
c or did not seem to recognize them. Ill
still remained paying teller. His sal
airy should have been seventeen hun
e dred and fifty. The bank was making
a thousand q year out of him. Hal
that money went to the detectiv
agency, but still Jim had almost mad
,e up the missing money.
4 The town was growing. At last
|e was decided to build a new bank.
had outgrown its limited premises.
magnificent structure Of marble wa
+" going up. New desks and counter
r. had already been installed, and on tn
,e day when the papers and money wer
lie removed the old fixtures would b
It. turned over to the junk man.
&c Everything was ready at last. Tn
r. manager was experimenting the r.
n moval of the money. Old Moss stoo
ut grinly by, watching the ceremon,
ry Jim opened his drawer, which he ha
In pulled out and closed so many tho
1t. sands of times during the course of h
ty service in the bank. He took out tt
% bills and packages Of coins and han
ed them to the manager, who counte
er them and placed them in the SAT
TX which stood in the main office, reat
for removal.
The drawer had stuck-for the fir
time in all those years Jim pull'
ne it out half way. 1t would come o
~. no farther.
Gu Moss, seeing him Juggling. STROLL
% up. The manager was looking at hi
VI From her seat at her typewriter. il
IN -" saw Myra looking at him. He tugg
III and tugged and the drawer would n
-. bulge.
nd -, - IL
80, upon his chest. and the old count
broken into half dozen pieces.
-, Suddenly the manager uttered an I
-, clamation and stopped down. From
"a crevice he extracted three-three bra
- new thousand dollar bills. He he
&C.,. them up Significantly. Moss came f
vi,. ward. Jim got up and stood start
lad at them speechlessly. Then, with
ia. cry, Myra ran from her place and flu
her arms round Jim and stood faci
them all with love and defiance up
her face.
ma. 1t was easy to see what had HI
in pened The three bills had slipI
the back when the drawer was open
ish and had lodged at the BACK In crew
sed of the counter. Jim's hands must ha
ere wandered above them a score of tin
AMI a day, and he had never guessed.
nsi- Jim felt them clap him on the ba
-ep- Moss took his hands in his.
up Jim" he gulped, Il want to spe
,ofs to you as soon as ! can see you, alb
hey about your salary"
rec, Jim hardly heard. He was look
its into Myra's eyes, and they both wa
raj ed desperately to speak to each OF
ons. Just then-about a home.