Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-06-17
Where The Money Went.

and she was the only member ofthe bank
staff that did.
The situation was this Il: Jim Fleming's
accounts were three thousand dollars
short at the end of the day. Three bills
OF the denomination of 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 ex-
PLANTATION. Fleming retained his position
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 hundred 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 mar
rage was impossible. 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 man. He
had seen at once Fleming's idea and de-
termined to checkmate the man whom he
regarded as brazen thief. Out ofhis own
pocket he paid the hire of the detectives
for the first six months, but at the annual
meeting it was decided to spendthe money
which would normally have gone to Jim's
salary in having him watched.
Year after year the watch kept up
Jim knew about it. 1t was impossible
for him not TO know.
with that fellows genius for secrecy
he would make first-rate 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 before
he gets 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 obtrusve now, but
they still followed Jim Fleming. He was
still liable to return home to lind that
someone had tampered with his desk or
trunk.
"Jim, dear, have saved upa thousand
dollars" said Myra one day. "Let us be
married anyway"
He shook his head grimly. He would
not marry her until the bank had officially
pronounced the stain upon his character
wiped away. He had often urged Myra
to release him.
~'l stand by you till the end, dear,"
she answered.
By this time the directors had come to
waver in their opinion OF Jim. Traps had
been laid for him, opportunities placed in
his way. He evaded them or did not
seem to recognize them. He still remain
ed paying teller. His salary should have
been seventeen hundred and fifty. The
bank was making thousand a year out OF
him. Half the money went to the detec-
tive agency, but still Jim had almost made
| up the missing money.
The town was growing. AT last it was
decided to build new bank. II had out
grown its limited premises. A magnifi-
cent structure of marble was going up.
| New desks and counters had already been
installed, and on the day when the papers
and money were removed the old fix
tures would be turned over to the junk
man.
Everything was ready at last. The
manager was experimenting the removal
of the money. Old Moss stood grimly
by, watching the ceremony. Jim opened
his drawer, which he had pulled out and
closed so many thousands of times dur
ing the course of his service in the bank.
He took out the bills and packages OF
coins and handed them to the manager,
who counted them and placed them in tile
safe, which stood in the main office, ready
for removal.
! The drawer had Stuck-for the first
time in all those years. Jim pulled il out
half way. II would come out no farther.
Moss, seeing him tugging, strolled up.
The manager was looking at him. From
her seat at her typewriter, Jim saw MYra
looking at him. He tugged and tugged,
and the drawer would not bulge.
Suddenly he was lying upon his back,
J with the empty, broken drawer upon his
chest, and the old counter broken into
half dozen pieces.
Suddenly the manager uttered an ex-
clamation and stopped down. From
crevice he extracted three-three brand
new thousand dollar bills. He held them
up significantly. Moss came forward.
Jim got up and stood staring at them
speechlessly. Then with cry Myra ran
from her place and flung her arms round
Jim and stood facing them all, with love
and defiance upon her face.
II was easy to see what had happened.
The three bills had slipped back when the
drawer was opened, and had lodged at
the back in crevice OF the counter.
Jim's hands must have wandered above
them score of times day, and he had
never guessed.
Jim telt them clasp him on the back.
Moss took his hands in his.
'Jim," he gulped, ''I want TO speak to
you as soon as can see you, about
about your salary"
Jim hardly heard. He was looking into
Myra's eyes, and they both wanted des-