Year: 1871

bank will open in half an hour, and they


will know there. If it is good, it will b


all the same to you; and if it is bad, why


as you are stranger on the island yoT


might be gone before we could get it bach


"Very we'll" said 1, "I1l leave The


things and call for them when the bani


opens and 1 get my bill changed"


This conversation took place in small


shop in the town of Nantucket, and "tht


things were some South Sea carvings


whales teeth with sailor drawings OF


them, and the like, which had been buy


ing The bill was the only one had in


my possession, and had no doubt of its


goodness, supposing l could tell just


where it came from. / did not have Sc


many twenties in my hands then as to be


at anT loss as to where had taken them


Sol strolled down the sandy Main


street, and out on the silent and grass
grown wharf, lined with decaying ware


houses, looked at the solitary New York
yacht lying at anchor in trim beauty, and
| then strolled up again Just as the town


clock on the South Church tower was
striking nine, so as to enter punctually


the bank, the only bank which the island


now maintains | handed the bill to the


cashier and asked for change. He took


it, smoothed it professionally with wave
of his hand, and was about to drop it in
the drawer, when something in it caught


his eve. He held it up to the light, eyed
me, eyed the bill again, and then, with a


shake of the head, pushed it back over
the counter. "Bad," said he, laconic-
ally.


"Badg" replied I, interrogatively.


Counterfeit" he rejoined; and then,
seeing by my blank look that was really
surprised, he kindly pointed out the
marks by which to detect the cheat. l
looked and listened, but was not much the
wiser, for, to tell the truth, another train
of thought was at work in my mind. What
was to dol


This was the situation which, as pock-
eted the bill and walked away toward the
Ocean House, came clearly before me. 1
was then Junior clerk in Boston house,
on a limited salary, and with but a trifle of
income from other sources. / was an or
phan, and had not many acquaintances
and no relations near at hand. L had come
to Nantucket on fortRight's leave, and
my time would be up the next day.


Now having been always careful about
money matters, and feeling a horror Of
debt not always shared by young clerks of
nineteen, when left home / had taken
with me Just the little balance had saved
up for my summer vacation, and had been
enjoying a well-earned leisure in various
cheap and innocent designations. l
had been sailing, fishing. and bathing,
had driven out TO" Sconset" and the South
Shore, had passed tWo rainy days in the
alcoves of the Atheneum, and had con-
graduated myself that vas keeping well
within bounds. This twenty had enter
tanned till the last. The night previous l
had settled my hotel bill, expecting to
leave that very morning in the boat, but
she had started at six to go to a wreck,
and her passengers had to choose between
some extra hours of sailing or waiting
over preferred the latter, especially as l
could so well afford it, for even then l
should get home with several dollars in
my pocket. Now, instead of the COM
Portable capitalist l seemed, was
wretched bankrupt. l went up to my
room, pulled out my pocket memorandum
of expenses, laid the unlucky bill upon
the table; and sat down TO think where l
coui11 have got it. There was just chance
that it might have been taken on the
island; only knew it wasn't. l remem-
bered but too well that had kept it in an
inner pocket ofmy porte 8aOnRGie, resolved
to go home as soon as it became necessary
to break it. But where could have got
it? My money was always paid me by our
book-keeper, and he would have almost as
soon have taken the ssfe-key to wind up
his watch with as doubtful note.


So took up the bill and stared at it, as
people do, blsnkly trying to waken
dormant memory. Then it all came to
me.


The day before left home had been
sent up State Street to make deposit.
Before started, seeing that the sum was
in los and eos, and as my own porte
n1onnaie was unpleasantly stuffed with rs
which had been saving up against Vaca-
tion-time, had taken 20 from the bank
book and put my own bills in its place.


How did 1 happen TO have so many Is?
Young men, hope of the future commercial
circles of the country, attendi Every
week l paid my board bill, which was
nine dollars (before the war, you know,
and earned every week fifteen, which |
received Saturday night, in snd a 10.
The went for various current expenses,
the 10 went to my landlady, the l l re-
ceived in change was sacredly laid by for
vacation. ThenI had my dividend which
came in July untouched, and was free to
90 where l liked. This year, too, hsd
earned something extra by doing other
fellows work for them, SO that l don't
think an easier minded guOst, had been at
the Ocean House that summer. / had
chosen Nantucket as a place where l
could do as l wanted to, where I.need not
bargain and plan for cheapness, and should
not be cheated. l had found just what l
wanted; had had the best bostman,
good teams, and no young gentleman of
great expectations could have got more
enjoyment out of his money than 1 out
of mine. 1t had been splendid financial
success up to this last disagreeGble
episode.


But what was to be done now? There
would be another days board at the Ocean
House; there was the fare to Boston;
things ordered at the Curiosity Shop"
which I felt ought to take-and coun
terfeit bill Whether this bill was my loss
or not, could not quite tell.


I inclined to think that Penrose, our
book keeper would put it on to me, saying
that if l had deposited the bills was sent
with, it would have been detected at the
counter of the bank.


However, that was not the question. l
could stand the loss of the 20-though
before the war, to a junior clerk of nine
teen, twenty dollars was not q trife-but
how to get homel True, could walk on
board the boat, but they might refuse to
let me land at Ryannis, and the railroad
conductor would assuredly put me off be-
fore l got even to Sandwich; SO what
better should be then? Suppose wrote
to Boston, whom could 1 write tof / did
not know q soul to whom dared apply.
Beside that, writing would do no good,
for 1 must leave the island the next
day. Mr.. Ellis, the second partner in
our house, was to sail for Europe on
1 had been specially charged
before l could get my leave, that Fri
day night at eight o'clock l was to be
his house TO take charge of some papers
of importance for the firm. l was sure
that my situation would be gone if l
failed.


Something must be done went down
stairs and asked for the landlord. He had
gone to New Bedford, and would not be
back till next dsy. took the clerk into
my confidence, and tried to get loan of
hin. Ee had no money of his own, and
could not, in the absence of his boss"
take the funds of the hotel. Besides, he
did not think my little vslise adequate Sc