Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-10-21
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Copyright by ". q. Chapman


when al peace with the world and
when unaroused by any call OF the
present He had reached the rolls
and coffee stage of his meal in a spirit
OF detachment that took no account Of
the somewhat garish fashlness az the
hotel dining room in this typical hos
telTy Of a city that had become noted
as maker OF industrial millionaires
Then as his glance idly trailed among
the other breakfasters. 1t automatically
picked up al incident that flashed a
light into his dormant brain and
brought il 10 full consciousness.
spoon had started from grape
fruit 10 the mouth of the tall, curly
haired man two tables away. Han
way on its journey the hand which
held il had twitched violently and
spilled most of the contents. The
brown eyes Of the man stole out some
what furtively TO learn il an! body had
noticed his nervousness.
Special Agent Billy Gard now Gazed
at the ceiling. but his mind was busy.
II Was running over the facts that il
contained with relation 10 Bayarc
Alexander, who was this morning not
himself and apprehensiye lest the fact
tie noticed For Alexander was Of
the class Of men of whom it was his
business to know. lie was cashier Of
the Second National bank and Uncle
Sam keeps q pretty close watch on
such institutions when they happen
TO be located in communities of fever
ish activity.
So the special agent recalled that
the tail man with the damp curls was
a moving spirit in the city, an impor-
tant instrument in its development. q
man of many philanthropies, personal
friend of a United States senator,
cashier and active head OF one of the
most powerful financial institutions
in the community. He was a man OF
very great energy, but one who led
normal, wholesome life and who, at
the age OF forty-five, seemed just CON-
ing into his stride. The bank eXamin-
ers, Gard recalled, had steadily given
the Second National a clean bill of
health
Why, then. should Alexander be
nervous and. granting him that privi-
- 9yks--sL ~, u = -faaE Sc being
noticed? '
All OF which was the seemingly IL
logical reason why Gard went 70
Wheenhg that very night and was not
seen about the metropolis for week
thereafter.
Il am a poor man." he told Allen,
the stout bank examiner, when they
met in the West Virginia town. Poor
but honest and not trying TO borrow
money. am on my way to the city of
opportunity looking for job
You have come away that you
might go back, as l understand it.
said Allen. Couldn't you change your
peacock raiment for a hand-me-down
without coming 10 Wheeling
Yes, but | couldn't see you.
Cherub,' said Gard. and you are 10
make all things possible for me. You
are to convert me from a dweller in
gilded palaces to bank bOokkeeper
out OF work, but with credentials.
There is in Wheeling bank cash
ier of your acquaintance explained
the special agent, who used to work
beside a bookkeeper whose friendship
I want to cultivate. You intro
duce me to the cashier. he finds
out what really good fellow
am, we become friends. He
gives me a letter of introduction to
the man ] want 10 meet. l return to
the city and thrust myself properly
into the affairs of one Sloan, book
keeper for the Second National. The
next time the corpulent examiner
comes around he gets the surprise OF
his life. Do you follow me?"
Billy Gard had reached the conclu-
sion that, IL there was anything wrong
with Bayard Alexander's bank the ex-
aminer was being deceived and that
therefore, there must be juggling of
accounts. Bookkeeper Charley Sloan
OF the individual ledgers occupied the
post most likely to be used for de-
ception, and so the special agent was
taking a lot of trouble to make the
right opportunity for getting friendly
with Charley. That mild little man
was therefore favorably impressed
when he was handed letter from his
former associate who had gone to
Wheeling and become a cashier. The
two visited so agreeably together That
friendship developed and Gard came
20 live at the bookkeeper's boarding
house The two accountants grew to
spend many evenings together and
naturally talked shop.
Il had a friend" said Gard one eve
ming, who worked in bank in New
Orleans. Next to him was a book
keeper who went wrong. He was in
duced to do this by depositor who
had a scheme for making them both
rich. All the depositor needed was a
little money. So he proposed that he
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SACRIFICE THAT WAS FUTILE