The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-10-08
WHERE THE MONEY WENT /
~ GEORGE MUNsoN.
IcopyrlEht. 1918. 81 W. q. ChapmanJ

The situation was this: Jim Elem.
ing's accounts were three thousand
dollars short al 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-
sitlon In the bank as assistant paying
teller. He was earning seven hundred
and fifty a 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
st~euographer. and Jim could have got
marriad. Now marriage was impos-
slble. The fellows in the bank grinned
and wondered where Jim had sailed
the money away.
Old Moss. the president. was as hard
as nails. lie never let up on a man.
He had seen at once FIeming's idea
and determined TO chockmate the man
whom he regarded as q brazen thief.
Out Of his pocket he paid the hire
OF the detectives for the FIRST six
months, but at the annual meeting II
was decided to spend the money which
would normally have gone TO Jim'g sal
AIRY In having him watched.
Year after year the watch kept up.
Jim knew about IL. II was impossible
for him not to know.
with that fellows genius for
seerecy he would make a iirst.rato
politician or criminal" said old Moss
grlmly, 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 n raise" groWled Moss.
And II they do marry. we'll know
where the money comes from"
Five, six, seven years passed. The
detectives we're less obtrusiye now.
but they still followed Jim Fleming
lie was still liable to return home to
find that someone had tempered with
his desk or trunk.
"Jim. dear. | have SIZED up a thou
sand dollars said Myra one day. Let
us be married anyway"
He shook his head grimly. lie would
not marry her until the bank had Of
fcially pronounced the stain upon his
nkaranNap ruaVuA auauaf lie huA aTfAn
urged Myra TO release him.
an stand by you TIL the end, dear
she answered.
by this time the directors had come
to wRver in their opinion OF Jim. Traps
had been laid for him, opportunities
placed In mis- way. lie evaded them
c or did not seem 20 recognize them. lie
still remained paying teller. His sal
airy should have been seventeen hun.
drcd and fifty. The bank was making
a thousand q year out Of him Halt
that money went 10 the detective
agency. but still Jim had almost made
up the missing money.
The town was growing. At last II
was decided to build a new bank. II
: had outfrown It's limited premises. A
magnificent structure OF marble was
, going up. New desks and counter,
had already been installed, and on tn,
day when the papers and money wer,
removed the old fixtures would b.
turned over to the junk man
Everything was ready at last. The
manager was experimenting the re
moval of the money. Old Moss stool
grimly by, watching the ceremony
Jim opened his drawer, which he Ia,
pulled out and closed so many thou
sands OF times during the course Of he
service In the bank. lie took out IN,
bills and packages OF coins and hand
, ed them 10 the manager. who counteI
them and placed them in the safe
which stood In the main office. read.
, for removal.
The drawer had stuck-for the frs
, time In all those years. Jim pullou
? Il out half way. u would come on
no farther.
Moss. seeing him Juggling. strolle
up. The manager was looking at hin
r From her seat at her typewriter. Jir
{ saw Myra looking at him. He tugge
= and tugged, and the drawer would nc
r bulge.
70 Suddenly he was lying upon hi
- back. with the empty, broken drawC
upon his chest. and the old counte
broken into half a dozen pieces.
Suddenly the manager uttered nm e.
clamation and stopped down. From
" crevice he extracted thrce-three bran
d new thousand dollar bills. He hel
n, them up significantly. Moss came 70
- ward. Jim got up and stood starin
X at them s%peechlessly. Then, with
i cry. Myra ran from her place and fun
- her arms round Jim and stood facir
p. thom all with love and defiance upc
her face.
= II was easy TO see what had ha
n pcncd. Tho three bills had sllpps
T. back when the drawer was opene
r and had lodged at the back In a crevi'
OF the counter. Jim's hands must ha'
wandered above them a score Of tim,
a a day. and he had never guessed.
Jim felt them clap him on the bac
Moss took his hands IN his.