Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-11-02

W - CHleI CLERK, anu Ll.C QItSlucuL
of the Atlas National bank
looked up annoyed, while /,
his confidential secretary, suspended
my psncil in the process of taking
NOTES of his Instructions regarding the
new CP1Oese loan.
"Row muca:" challenged the big
Xnan of RE institutiCn.
''F3se :zousand dollars"
"Sonething to consider" mumbled
OF. official head and censor. "Where
does it occur?"
Paying tell A. to G.-window 81
Agnew."
"H'm!" scowled the president.
'"Thats bad. Overpayment, and that
stands for little chance of return"
The chief clerk suppressed slight
smile of incredulity. / read his
thought and shared his deductions.
BARLEY Agnew 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 a letter opener, irritability
and impatience manifested in his face
and actions, for he was not a man to
brook delay or mistakes.
Within five minutes the chief clerk
returned discreetly knocked at the
door, ushered in Agnew and reluc-
family withdrew. The latter wore his
usual pen costume-well-worn shin
ing, black alpaca coat, shallow skull
cap, close-fitting silk sleeves and
breast-high apron. He came forward,
leaned one hand on the top of one of
the high easy chairs, and nodded re-
spectfully, but briefly to the president.
[ tried to give Agnew reassuring
look. There was nothing of the Gull
prit in him, yet he was unnaturally
pale. His hand shook visibly. The
aspect was that of a mystifed and
frightened man. He swept aside all
imputation of suspicion or rebuke with
singular outburst:
''My record, STRIP and mingled pride
and humiliation brought the actual
tears to his eyes.
He could not have appealed to our
president at a more sensitive spot.
If the Atlas was proud of anything,
it was its system and the persons it
had in service-picked men, the last
one of them, and representing fifty per
cent of the Gibraltar integrity Of the
institution.
.tDon't get nervous, Agnew," he said
simply explain the mistake"
81 can't!'' cried the perturbed teller
fin a hard, collapsing gasp. That's
the misery of it. One error might be
traced down, but two-three ="
He bowed his head and sat motion
less. His helplessness was pitiable.
/ knew what was passing in the mans
mind-the keen torture Of the profess
sional expert, broken on the wheel of
some hideous combination of circum-
stances that cast him into the junk
heap or "tIe down and out.'
''You must be coherent, Agnew,"
spoke the president, triie sharply
this time. "My time is valuable and
some explanation is DUE"
''Yery well, sir" replied the unfor-
tunate teller, with a powerful effort at
bracing up; there is all have to pre-
sent"
He had taken three slips of paper
from his pocket and placed them
consecutively upon the glass slab that
covered the presidents desk. My
curious glance swept them rapidly
three of the ordinary checks OF the
bank.
BLANK" spoke the president, turn
ing them over, inspecting them and
then tossing them carelessly aside as
If the presentation was too paltry to
consider.
"As you see them," replied the
teller. 81 have thought it adj out, sir,
and I feel that you will deride me,
but those three checks represent the
shortage Of $4,000"
1glre president did not speak, 1t
was so clearly riddle that only the
individual who presented it could give
an elucidation, and he waited for it.
'aTo be as brief and clear as I can, !"
proceeded Agnew. DAY before yes
terday when I gathered up tho odd
thousand checks had spindled during
the day, I found about the middle of
the heap one of those blank checks.
/ wondered what mishap had placed it
there. where it had come from. |
tossed it aside When I came to
count up my cash I was $1,000 short.
was summing up the checks again to
find the error when the vault cart
came along, and I had to turn in my
trays. l have often run across false
first tally, so I went home intending
to check off again in the morning. But
yesterday, as you know, was the first
day of the month and pay roll day.
1t was not until late in the afternoon
that I had a chance to go over my
affairs. Again the blank check-two
of them, and there are the three.
was fairly sick, sir, when found that
/ was short $2,700 additional, in all
$4,000. l went home, but not to sleep.