The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

80
In the service of the Treasury Depart
ment. His district was central New
York. For three years he had been
taking an occasional look into the
books of the various national banks
OF his district, checking up assets and
liabilities. %inquiring into the value Of
the paper held by the banks.
Two weeks before Conrad Compton
gave his party Newton had been in
New Beaufort and had gone thor
oughly into the affairs OF the bank.
It's books were models Of efficiency
and there was no flaw to be found In
any OF Its securities or loans. Newton
had given the institution his q. *.
and had passed on to other towns.
But n feeling Of unrest haunted the
young examiner. 1t seemed that his
subconscious mind was aware Of an
oversight that had been made by his
working faculties. He was not able
to sleep well of nights and in his
sleep the various accounts Of the New
Beaufort bank insisted on visualizlng
themselves.
Finally the recurring accounts elm
mated themselves with the exception
Of one which persisted. The loans and
discounts account kept thrusting it.
self into his consciousness.
by Jove.' he exclaimed suddenly
to himself. THE entries In that ac-
count. the amounts of money that have
been through It. are out OF all
proportion to the other business Of the
institution. Something Is wrong with
loans and discounts"
So Newton hurried back to New
Beaufort and was that night a guest
ut the party given by Conrad Compton.
with whom he had built up a friend
ship through years of association in
the line OF his work. He was to take
a further look at the loans and dis
counts on the morrow.
The Department Of Justice is the
prosecutor In cases OF violations OF the
national banking law. It's work Is en-
tirely apart from that Of the bank ex-
aminers OF the Treasury Department.
The New York office of this service.
as a matter OF daily routine. received
the information that David Torrance
assistant cashier OF the First National
Bank OF New Beaufort, was regularly
placing heavy buying and selling or
ders with n certain broker In Wal
Street.
I For this reason Agent Gard got tho
assignment 10 go to New Beaufort and
was thus h representative OF the
third detective service. His windows
at the grocery store looked out upon
the side door Of the bank opposite.
lie was bland and inconspicuous, but
he was an expert accountant. had
taken a degree in the law and worked
three nights a week in the gymnasium
in New York when he was In W
The Compton home stood on a hill
Just back Of the town. 1t was known
as Stone Crest and was the most am
bilious establishment ~thereabout. be-
ing always pointed out with pride 70
visitors. The banker was a widower
but given to entertainment and to
charity.
The members Of the Board Of Alder
men often met al Stone Crest to dis
cuss matters that had To do with the
we'll being of the town. Teas were
given there whenever its charitable
women were !naugurating some new
venture. The party tonight was 6
seml-puhl!c affair, for II was in com
memoration of n centennial anniver'
sary OF that occasion when the frs
settlers had fought of attacking In
dams from their stockade through {
day and night.
Conrad Compton was a tall. graceful
nervous man with a high forehead an,
a mass of wavy hair, His feature.
were OF perfect regularity and tn
whole face was SO small as TO give 1
somewhat the appearance OF that Of
woman. an impression that was height
ened by its absolute pallor.
Ogram Newton, the bank examiner
watched his host narrowly as he re
ceived his guests, az he directed thei
entertainment by a party OF profes
SIGNALS who had been brought up from
New York for the occasion. as tn,
ices were served. He thought tn
banker was n bit paler than usual ant
his natural nervousness seemed some
what %accentuated.