, 1917-09-13
THERE was a quick call at the
telenhone and ResilIuS Marvel

"iAS LIN AhS
heard him ask in rapid succession:
Observation-Disclosures"
He penciled rapidly on his shirt cuff
as the replies m
Verify" were his final words: re
296, 701, Series of 1906 Very well"
and hung up the receiver and arose
to his feet. Come with me-" he add
ed simply, and / knew that the great
head of the United Bankers Protec-
tive association was started on an
other case"
'"rE. 1906" l observed with a sud
den shock Of memory as we reached
the street-"if that applies to a n
hundred dollar treasury note"
1T does" ~vouchsafed Marvel terse-
ly.
Then you probably have the man.
"If instructions have been followed,
yes" replied my friend.
Who is it?"
THE Central National"
That makes ten"
You keep good tab" complimented
Marvel-"exactly ten. What an opti-
mist his original shower of h queer
must bel"
Briefly, within a week ten counter
felt 800 notes had been passed upon
the city banks. On a certain Monday
morning a spruce, sprightly young
man of about twenty-five had come
into our institution and had presented
himself at. the paying teller's window
with five 500 treasury notes. He
asked to nave them changed into bills
of smaller denominations n was
readily accommodated. The teller
had noted they were comparatively
new. thai their serial numbers were
consecutive. An expert glance salts
fed him, however, that they were all
right. They were placed with other
hundreds to make up a package of
twenty, or $1,000, and nothing more
was thought of it.
Four mornings later Resilius Mar
vel came into the bank with Nc. 296,
695 of the same series. Across its
face was stamped the word Counter
felt in broad red letters taking in
the full front surface of the note.
Have you any of those?" he in
quired, placing the bill before me.
81 will find out" l replied, and then
rather wonderingly scanned the note.
1t would have passed muster with me,
and | counted myself something of a
specialist in my line.
1t took half an hour to go the
rounds of the cages. 1t is almost sec
ond nature for a teller to remember
any bill he has handled, especially
those of large denomination. The
man who had changed the treasury
notes for a stranger soon had he hVe
In question in evidence.
Two more of the 500 notes turned
up twenty-four hours later at another
institution. Then two other banks
each contributed like bills. In each
case a smiling. easy-mannered young
fellow had passed the notes. Marvel
had named progress to me as 1t cul-
minated. Now a tenth note had
turned up. l accompanied him to the
Central National.
The floor officer was waiting for
Marvel, and knew him. There was a
Hutter of Importance and excitement
In his manner at being concerned in
a professional transaction with the
great head of the United Bankers
Protective association. He took us
to the paying teller, saying nothing,
but looking the part of an humble
instrument of justice who had coop
Grated in capturing a crook The
teller, looking wise and keen and in a
suppressed way eXultant, eckoned to
US, and we went beyond the railing
and around into aD anteroom, where
he joined us.
There is one of the hundred you
tagged for US, MIR. Marvel he said,
and handed a 800 bill to my friend.
Resilius Marvel nodded, gave the
bill a close scrutiny, and returned it
to the teller with the words: Cancel
1t and preserve it for evidence.
Where is the MANI
The teller slipped the note into his
coat pocket and took out a key.
This way" he directed, and we
followed him down a narrow corridor.
AS he started to open a steel-studded
door Marvel halted him.
"One moment" he said-"tell me
the circumstance of the matter"
why, your warning had prepared
US all, of course" explained the bank
man. When the fellow with his note
presented 1t, ! pretended to be called
by my assistant in the next cage |
quietly pressed the call button, sig
mailing what | wanted to the chief
clerks desk. He and the floor officer
came up quietly. The man at the
window looked amazed and indignant
as the officer seized his arm. He de
manded to know what his arrest
meant. When l told him that the bill
was counterfeit. it seemed to me as
If all of a sudden some frightful sug.