, 1917-09-27

for a dollar.
One day 1t was necessary to use a
large amount of the reserve cash, a
$4,000 package included In the ag-
gregate was found to contain, instead
of fifty s. 1000 bills, exactly fifty ones.
That package had been passed from
stamped value always accepted with
out hesitation. The cord enclosing 1t,
duly covered with government seals,
was apparently all right. There was
nothing in the exterior appearance Of
the package to Indicate tampering or
substitution.
Here was a cold, clear fact, however
-$49,950 short. The s~ub-treasury
agent looked owe the opened package,
calmly called attention to three facts
that were incontrovertible: the string
was not government string, the wax
in the seals was not government a
and the paper enclosing the package
did not bear the government water
mark. In other words, the govern
ment disputed ever delivering the
package to the Unity National. Some
one had substituted the one contain
ing the one-dollar bills a month back
two, three, six-or yesterday, or to-
day. 1t was the duty of Alison Ran
some to guess how 1t could have been
done, for he was responsible for the
deeds and misdeeds of the depart
ment.
Resilius Marvel had been called in.
1t took him a day to decide that no.
body in the bank had worked the sub
stitution. When he came to examine
the wrapper that had enclosed the
substituted bills, he found hat it had
been a discarded covering for some
other package at one time, such as
were thrown into the waste room.
The figures had been changed, but the
official stamp helped through the i'm
position. AS to the seals, they had
been broken in opening the package,
SO their recent real condition could
not be estimated.
At the time l was a silent lounger
in a dark corner in Marvel's private
office When he held a rapid fire col
loquy with this same Alison Ransome.
l felt sorry for the young fellow, for
he was SO a%rtless, SO distressed, SO
clear in his statements, that there was
not a false note paIpable in what he
said. He had brought the visitors
register with him. Spread out on the
same glass-topped table where / now
confronted Marvel, the twain went
over 1t line by line.
There were foreign and sightseeing
visitors, soon disposed of. The repre-
%sentatives of country banks came I'M
der cynosure with no results warrant
ing suspicion. Every name on the
register was tailed off quite satisfac-
torily until they came to a delicate
line announcing Miss Vera Tithenor.
Credited to whom" Marvel had
keeping his finger on the
penciled initials after the name and
looking Ransome squareiy in the face.
who flushed like a schoolboy and
blurted out:
Myself"
I noticed Marvel Just there start
slightly,
"A friend-a relative?"
"a friend. yes" answered Ransome;
well, l might better say an acquaint-
ance. / knew the lady only casually
the time. She expressed q wish to
through the bank and Of course l
had to be courteous. Then she
brought a friend. She was very much
interested in bank details. saying her
and her uncle had been in that
line once"
Tall. fair?" insinuated Marvel, and
I knew he was prompted to pursue
the topic by the vagrant thought
Tall. fair-very fair" acceded the
young fellow, with almost a sigh.
Light blue eyes-one disfigured?"
continued Marvel.
why, mol" exclaimed Ransome,
with a hard stare. What a strange
question to ask, sir! Blue eyes! Dis
figured! Indeed, no, sir-eyes black
a sloe, and very bright and-be-
witching. I've got to say it," ex-
planned the speaker, with a slight
laugh, for to tell you the truth, 1
fancied / was in love with Miss 1.-THE
nor at the time"
And now?" Intercepted Marvel,
mercilessly.
Il have not seen her for weeks. /
understand she has gone abroad"
The color of the eyes seemed to
settle the matter with Marvel, and he
checked off the name. After that
evening | considered the case aban-
doned, for l had not heard Marvel
mention it since. The bank quietly
buried the circumstances, but young
left it's employ a week later.
| understood that he had Joined some
small brokerage firm. There was no
imputation as to his honesty, but the
luckless loss OF 100000 to the bank
stood against him OF the records.
And now Resilius Marvel, with his