The Monmouth inquirer., 1918-02-21


never been fooled.
"1 am a good judge of character,
she answered quickly, You need not
trouble to tell me what you think.
am satisfied that l am correct as
usual, when 1 do a thing of this kind.
Anyway, tits done
ga tempting large amount?
asked, to avoid putting more direct
question.
"One hundred and sixty-hve dol
lars. He offered to tell me what for,
but / told him only cared to know
that he would deal honorably with
me. / am to take five a week off,
"'And he gets fifteen a week, Ell?
II turned and walked out. Even
with my back to her l could feel that
she was watching me anxiously.
"At the door l met Mr.. Merrick.
"Miss Susie, | heard him say,
Give Mr.. Goode weeks salary in ad-
vance, if he calls. He asked for
weeks vacation this morning and as
he has been doing such good work |
told him to call and get his nexts
weeks salary in advance
'But-but-' Miss Susie stammer-
ed. 4 let him have more than that.
/ advanced him one hundred and
sixty-fye dollars. -
Whe-e-youl whistled Mr.. Mer-
rick. Isn't that taking a good deal in
your own hands, Miss Susie? We
have given you authority to help the
boys with limited amounts, if you
think they are worthy, but am afraid
you have done it to brown this
time
"He ran his hand through his hair
meditatiyely.
"Oh, we'll, never mind he added
kindly, 4 don't know that you have
bungled so badly. l believe he will
rot take advantage of it"
"Goode did not call for his weeks
advance the president had so kindly
offered. He left the Office at noon.
81 could not get John Goode off my
mind for the next two or three days.
/ kept feeling that ought to look him
up. However. it was none of my
affair. 1t was Miss Susie's doings
wholly, and until she gave the word
/ had no right prying into the lives of
people she believed were honorable.
"Goode had been gone three days
when the papers told story about
detectives from another city lip the
State looking for defaulting bank
cashier in or city.
"His name was John Goode.
HE had been gone year. His
shortage and absconding had been
covered up by the bank officials all
that time, mainly that they might
hunt him down on the quiet. A bung-
ling detective had let it out.
"'So!' I thought, I was not far
wrong. That is the way with the oily
Tipped individuals. Just. the kind 70
take woman in and make her think
he is the soul of integrity. The stu
pendous confidence of the man, TO
even stick to his old namei'
'T went around to police head
quarters and had casual talk with
the detectives on the case. did not
let them know that l knew john
Goode. l still felt that our end Of the
case rested ON Miss Susie's word. l
was satisfied with what / heard. I
had not known, nor had any one else,
so far as l could learn, where John
Goode came from.
Miss Susie would not hear to CIV
ing hint of our knowledge of Goode
to the detectives. Mr.. Merrick was
called in. Miss Susie convinced him
that not a word should go out from
us. owe can do our own investigat-
ing when his weeks vacation is up
she said I am satisfied to wait till
then. He will come back
Persuasion could not move her.
Il begged and entreated Mr.. Mer-
rick, in private, to be allowed to take
up the case at once. He sent me
again to Miss Susie.
HE is getting farther and farther
away while we wait l argued.
"'He will be back declared Miss
Susie confidently. If he does not,
will take my medicine. Not until
"The next day things got blacker
around the character of John Goode.
One of our statesmen, who had just
come in, announced that he had seen
Goode, the day he started on his vaca-
tion, on a train up the State. Goode
had said gloomily that he was taking
a forced vacation. He was going to
the open air and quiet. His wife and
children were with him. Not knowing
of the banks desire to see Goode he
had not asked him where the quiet
spot would be.
"That afternoon detectives found a
Mrs. John Goode, who had just taken
rooms in a cheap hotel far down
town. She confessed that Goode had
left her several days before. She did
rot know where he had gone. He
had married her only the month
previous.
1.-TWO days later, the day before
John Goodies vacation was up, the
papers found an entirely new story
that interested the city.