Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-23

Of the Atlus National bank
looked up annoyed. while I.
his confidential secretary. suspended
my pencil in the process of taking
notes Of his instructions regarding the
new Chinese loan.
"liOw much?" challenged the big
nan Of the institution.
give thousand dollars"
"Somcthlng to consider" mumhled
1Oes ID Occur?"
"Pnylng tell A. to G.-wIndOw s.
Agnew."
"II'm!" scowled the president.
"Thnts bad. Overlmymcnt, and that
stands for little chance of II return
The chief clerk suppr, sSed a slight
smile OF incrcduity. read his
thought and shared his deductions.
BARLEY ACnew was the "crack" teller
Of the Atlas. expert authority on
good money, and the swiftest counter
and oldest payer In the service.
"Send Agnew here" WAS all the
president said. and sat aimless play
Ing with letter opener. irritability
and Impotence manifested In his face
and actions. for he was not a man to
brook delay or mistakes.
Within five minutes the chief clerk
Door. ushcred in Acnew and reluc-
trinity withdrew. The latter wore his
usual pen cOStume-well-worn shin
ing. black alpaca coat, shallow skull
cap. clOSe-ftting silk sleeves and
brcast-high apron. He came forward.
leaned one hand on the top Of one Of
the high easy chairs. and nodded re-
Epcctfully, but briefly to the president.
] tried to give AgnPw Il reaSSuring
look. There was nothing of the cul-
Prit In him. yet he was unnaturallv
pale. His hand shook vlSibly. The
frightened man. He swept aside all
tmputatiOn of suspicion or rebuke with
q singular outburSt:
'My record. sir" and mingled pride
and humiliation brought the actual
tears TO his eyes.
president ut more sensitive spot
n the Atlas was proud of anything
II was Its system and the persons IL
Ind In service-picked men. the last
enc Of them. and representing fifty per
cent Of the Gibraltar integrity of the
institution.
"DOn't get nervous. ACnew." he said
dmply-"explain the mistake"
Il can't!" cried the perturbed teller
IN n hard. collapsing gasp. That's
the misery of II. One error might be
traced down. hut twO-three -"
He bowed his head and sat motion
less. His helplessness was pitiable
] knew what was passing In the mans
nind-the keen torture of the profess
sional expert. broken on the wheel Of
some hldeous combination of circum-
stances that cast him into the junk
heap or ''the down and out"
"You must be coherent. ACnew,"
spoke the president. a trife sharply
His time. MY time is valuable and
some explanation is due"
Every Wen. sir" replied the unfor-
tunate teller. with n powerful effort mt
bracing up; ''there Is all have to pre-
sent"
He had taken three slips of paper
from his pocket and placed them
eonsecutively upon the glass slab that
covered the presidents desk. My
curious glance swept them rapidly
thrce of the ordinary checks of the
bank.
= Blank" spoke the president. turn
Ing them over inspecting them aud
then tossing them carelcSsly aside as
81 the presentation was too paltry to
consider.
As you see them" replied the
teller. 81 have thought Il MI out. sir.
and I feel that YOU. wiz deridc me.
iut those 'hr"" checks represent the
shortage OF $1,000"
The president did not speak. II
was 80 clearly n riddle that only the
Individual who presented it could give
an elUciGatiun. and he waited for il.
"'TO be rs brief and clear as can"
proceeded AGnew. Day before YES
trrday when | gathered up the odd
thousand checks had spindlcd during
the day. | found about the middle of
the heap one of those blank checks.
] wondered what miShap had placed IL
there. where II had come from. |
tossed il aside. When came to
count up my cash ! was $500 short.
was summing up the checks again TO
find the error when the vault cat
came along. and had to turn in my
trays. | have often run across n false
first tally. so ! went home intending
% check off again In the morning. But
yesterday. as you know, was the first
day of the month and pay roll day.
II WAS not until late in the afternoon
affairs. Again the blank check-two
Of them. and there nre the three.
was fairly sick, sir, when | found that
wnS short S2.T00 additional. In all
5000. went home, but not 10 sleep
I've lain awake all night long. figuring
probing. thinking. I've reasoned it
out"
"How-what do you mean?"
Invisible ink"
81 received the idea with energy. the
president with puzzled stare lie
repeated the two words so positively
spoken by the teller. He picked up
The three checks again. He felt OF
them. he held them up against the
light of day streaming in through the