Phillips County herald., 1923-07-19
Two Men of a
Kind
%. 1898. Western Newspaper unlon.)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By MORRIS SCHULTZ


HARLES WILTON was in diff
cult position. He was engaged
to marry the finest girl inithe world.
She had said yes" to him the eve
ming before. And somehow he want
ed to start the new life with clean
conscience.
Yes, but what would old King, the
bank president, say about 1t? King
was an uncertain proposition. 1t was
quite possible that he would send him
to the penitentiary. Charles had to
weigh that possibility. On the other
hand he wanted clean conscience.
He had stolen twenty thousand do-'
lars of the banks money TO play a tip
on the stock exchange. He had
heard that Amalgamated Zinc was go
ing up. And he had won hands down.
His twenty thousand had netted him
nearly quarter of a million.
No more bank jobs for Charles, of
course. He had replaced the twenty
thousand; lie had a fortune in his own
right; he was engaged to the finest
girl in the world, But-there was the
uneasy problem of conscience.
No one at the bank dreamed about
all this. No one knew that Charles
was anything but hard-up young
bank clerk with salary of forty dol
lars week. No one knew he was
leaving. t.
And it was all like dream to
Charles. A dozen times that morning
he took his bank deposit book out Of
his pocket to make sure that he
wasn't dreaming No, there stood the
figures-S233,S SIG to his credit.
Six times he changed his mind.
Six times he was just going to send in
his resignation, and six times he was
going TO make "A clean breast of 1t to
King. And in the end conscience
won. That is the funny thing about
conscience. 1t gets you when you
don't expect It, If Charles had played
and lost, and had had to make a bolt
for it, he would have found hun
dred justifications. Now, because he
had won, he felt he had to square
hlmself-for his own sake and for the
sake OF the finest girl in the world.
All that forenoon he watched the
tagging clock. Toward twelve the
cashier sai6:
Were in for run as soon as the
news gets out, Wilton" ..,sI
whats that1 asked Charles alb
sently. ...t' I
Things are in a. bad way. MS go
ing 10 be touch and go with us II
we can pull through" 80 4
Charles had heard rumors. strictly
Jrlyate. interior r,mnors OF bad In
vestments on the part of the. bank
but he had dismissed them from his
mind. as he now dismissed the cash
ier's remarks. As soon ss the hands
OF the clock touched twelve he put
on his coat and hurried to the presi-
dents office.
Old. King had Just dismissed a
client = he was sitting at his desk, hts
features tensely drawn. thinking. He
looked up quickly ms Charles came IN.
.r -lyell, wiitonT' he asked.
1--WE got something to tell you. sir.
Two weeks ago / stole twenty-thoaS
sand dollars In currency. making up
y dummy packages In place Of it" "+us
Old King was watching him sintents
ly.a Not movement or a soandses-
capped him. ~,
: ~ speculated with II. I'd had
ZIP that, Amalgamhtej Zinc wax GO
ing UP. n bought on margin. And
won. I've put back the money"
Old Kings fist went crashing down
d'on the table. "Then what do you
want 10 c0ine to me with such story
as that. fori" he roared I'D rather
have 4 clever crook than a fool-tin-
officially. at least. You're sure you
put II all baeky
Every penny OF IT, answered
Charles "And OF course I've come
10 ofer you my resignation. hope
You won't decide to prosecute"
A long silence followed Old King
was swallowing hard. lie looked up.
What did you want to come to me
forr' he asked again.
MY first dishonest deed sir. nnd
my last" answered Charles, gulplng
How much did you clear in Anal
gnmated Zlncr'
"A quarter of million dollars"
"My Godl' snid King and leaned
back in his chnir Come here" he
whispered In a moment or two. "sIt
down. My boy. ! took u filer 10
Amulgnmuted. too-the wrong way.
lost two hundred lhousnnd-of the
banks money. We're on the verge OF
bankruptcy Lend me two hundred
ihousand-on my personal 7note--snd
and The assistant cnshier's g;ins to
our lhdlwuy branch next month.
want you TO take his Dluce-,tlll I've
repaid YOU"
Test reo,h Pressure.
DR.. o. " Black. president of Chi.