University of Virginia Library

17. CHAPTER XVII.
THE CASHIER.

Mr. Morley, the cashier, entered the inner room, and Finney, who had
opened it to admit him, closed the door.

`Mr. Weldon I have a few words to say to you in private,' said Mr.
Morley, looking fully at James, whose face still glowed with the pleasurable
confusion Mr. Weldon's words and produced.

`If it is only on business, Mr. Morley,' said the merchant, who looked
surprise at the cashier's excited manner, `Mr. Daily need not retire. It is
my intention to take him into the firm in a few days?'

`Take him into the firm! Take Mr. Daily into the firm!' repeated the
cashier, as if appalled. And then laying his hand impressively upon the
merchant's arm, he said, in a low, energetic tone,

`It is of the utmost importance that you give me a strictly private interview?'

Mr. Weldon looked surprised, and James was startled at the strange astonishment
Mr. Morley evinced on learning he was about to be taken into
the firm. He knew the cashier well, and from him, first of all, expected the
warmest congratulations on his advancement. This very opposite conduct
confounded him.

`You may retire, James,' said Mr. Weldon, mildly.

James rose and left the counting-room. As he closed the door Mr. Morley
remarked,

`There is no danger of his escaping, for I brought an officer with me! He
is below at the foot of the stairs!'

`An officer below! Escaping! Are you speaking of custom-house officers
or police officers, Mr. Morley?'

`Of police, to be sure! Who would have suspected such a thing? And
you about to take him into the firm, and, if report says true, marry your
daughter to him!'

`Mr. Morley, your words and strange conduct require explanation. What
has occurred?'

`I will tell you, sir. But is it possible you have no suspicion of the
truth?'

`Of what truth?'

`He has been artful indeed! And so perfectly in your confidence!'

`Who has been artful? To whom do you allude, Mr. Morley?'

`The gentleman who just left us,' answered the cashier, significantly.
`But he is the last person I should have suspected. I always looked upon
him as one of the most promising young men in the city! But you are impatient!
Pardon me! The discovery I have just made has surprised and
confused me!'

`It would appear that something has confused you, sir,' said Mr. Weldon,
almost angrily. `Are these hints and allusions made in reference to my
head clerk, Mr. Daily?'

`Yes sir! He has, without question, been carrying on a deep game!
How long it is since he —'

`Sir, you are mistaken in ascribing to James Daily any thing unworthy
the purest character of man! What have you heard? Be assured that
if any thing has occurred implicating him by suspicion, that he is innocent!'

`I trust it will prove so, my dear Mr. Weldon; but the evidences are so
strong and conclusive!'

`Let me hear what you have to bring forward,' said Mr. Weldon, calmly;
but his cheek paled with sympathy for his young friend, that even the shadow
of an evil act should for an instant pass across the bright mirror of his good
name. `Let me hear what has brought you to see me, and disturbed you so
singularly. I am ready to listen!'

`If I had only my word to sustain my charge, I should hesitate to bring
it forward in the face of your confidence in him, and of his established reputation

for uprightness; but I have papers that will be to your mind, as well
as to mine, conclusive evidence of his guilt!'

Mr. Weldon sighed, and his heart sunk within him as he saw Mr. Morley
take from his pocket two or three papers, and prepare to open them.

`What is he supposed to be guilty of?'

`Forgery!' answered the cashier, with grave severity.

`Forgery!' exclaimed the merchant.

`I am not surprised at your emotion and astonishment, Mr. Weldon. If
you will give me your attention I will prove this to you.'

`Well, sir,' answered Mr. Weldon, scarcely able to speak in an audible
manner.

`You have been in the habit of depositing large amounts in our bank.'

`Yes.'

`Three weeks since, as our books show, you had deposited seventeen
thousand dollars.'

`Well, sir!'

`The next day you drew out twelve thousand!'

`I believe I did; Mr. Daily will satisfy you.'

`I fear not! You had then five thousand remaining. Four days after,
on the 18th, you drew for eight thousand.'

`No, sir. I have made but one other large draft on your bank, and that
was for the five thousand the day before yesterday; though I have deposited
sums and drawn checks on you for lesser amounts.'

`True. But on the sixteenth you drew for eight thousand. At least a
check was presented for that sum. You had on deposit but five thousand.
But I paid the check, at the same time notifying you that you had no funds.'

`To whom did you pay it?'

`To a lad who presented it — one of your clerks, I believe. At least he
said he was. But the check was regularly numbered, and the signature
genuine, as it seemed, and I should have paid it to a perfect stranger.'

`And you did pay it?'

`I did, sir!'

`And notified me. By whom?'

`The young man.'

`I have heard nothing of it. But go on.'

`The next day you deposited four thousand dollars. Two days after, on
the nineteenth, you deposited one thousand,' continued the cashier, reading
from a slip of paper on which he had made some minutes, `and on the
twenty-first you drew three thousand, leaving to your credit two thousand
dollars. The very next hour came your check for five thousand dollars
more! This surprised me. But I paid it, notifying you that you had overdrawn
three thousand.'

`Who presented the first check for two thousand?'

`Mr. Daily.'

`That is correct. I recollect it. Did he present the second one the hour
after?' asked Mr. Weldon, very earnestly.

`No. The same lad who had offered the one for eight thousand. After
the money had been paid I reflected that it was singular you should twice
in one week overdraw, knowing your correct mode of transacting business,
and it occurred to me that I would drop you a line, or call and see you, to
ascertain if it was all right. I felt, too, a responsibility in paying so much
over, if you were getting so loose in your banking business operations; and

I had taken my hat to come and see you, when the lad returned, saying that
you were not aware that you had overdrawn, and deposited the three thousand
again in the bank. Of course, I thought no more of it.'

`This is a most extraordinary relation! These transactions of this lad's are
new to me! Look through this glass door into the outer room. All of my
clerks are visible, each at his post. Which of them was it?' And he drew
aside the curtain.

`Neither of those, though one who greatly resembles the lad with the
light hair!' answered the cashier, after taking a survey of the group.

`Was it he?'

`No. Yet that is the boy I took it to be. Yet it is not the same, for the
lad who presented the draft had a hair lip.'

`Of this you are sure?'

`Yes.'

`Then it was not Charles, thank God! That lad is my son! And you
have relieved my mind of a fearful suspicion!'

`He was the size, and had much the air and appearance, sufficiently so to
deceive me, who had not particularly noticed your son.

`It was none of the others, you are sure?'

`No.'

`Then it was none of my clerks. You have been deceived by some bold
act.'

`Of that there is no question. After the boy had paid back the overdrawn
sum I thought no more of the matter until yesterday.'

`And what yesterday?'

`You drew yesterday, did you not, for twenty-two hundred dollars?'

`Yes.'

`Mr. Daily presented the draft?'

`Yes.'

`Did you draw a second time?'

`No, sir!'

`Yet a second draft was presented for precisely the balance remaining to
your credit — eleven hundred dollars!'

`By whom?' asked Mr. Weldon, as calmly as he could put the inquiry.

`The same lad!'

`And you paid it!'

`Without question!'

`What more?'

`Four hours after, the boy returned and deposited one thousand dollars to
your credit!'

`To my credit?'

`Yes, precisely.'

`This is becoming more and more intricate!'

`I will soon furnish you the key — at least with some light. This morning,
soon after the bank opened, Mr. Finney, your book-keeper, deposited
eight hundred dollars.'

`That was correct. I sent him to the bank with it. It was left in the
counting-room by Captain Evans, who wished it to be sent there at once. I
gave him a receipt for it, and had it placed to my credit, by his wish.'

`So Mr. Finney said at the time. You had now in the bank just eighteen
hundred dollars, including the eight hundred deposited by Mr. Finney. One
thousand of it was your own, paid in again by the lad who had drawn out

the eleven hundred. An hour ago came a check for twenty-five hundred
dollars!'

`I wrote no such check. An hour ago I sent Mr. Daily to the bank to
draw out one thousand of the eleven hundred I supposed I had there, for
the purpose of paying a balance on some shipments. The first check by the
lad, I know nothing about. The check which I drew Mr. Daily took to the
bank.'

`It was for how much?'

`One thousand dollars.'

`This Mr. Daily presented, and I paid.'

`What then is to come of it? This was as it should be.'

`Yes, sir, but not twenty minutes after, the same lad comes in with a note
from you, penned and signed by Mr. Daily, enclosing a check for twenty-five
hundred dollars, with the request I would pay it!'

`Is this credible?'

`Here is both the note and the check. I did not pay it, resolved first to
come and see you as soon as I could leave the bank, for I began to suspect,
I knew not what! I feared for your credit; its tone was so begging! It
was, too, so unlike you, or any man of business! Here is the note brought
by the lad, in which the check was enclosed!'

As the cashier spoke, he handed to Mr. Weldon a note to the following
purport:—

When Mr. Weldon had ended the perusal of this extraordinary note, he
raised his eyes and looked the cashier in the face with an expression difficult
to analyze. Surprise, anger, grief, amazement, were all blended in his
countenance.

`The check now!' he repeated hoarsely. `Let me see that.' His cheek
was ghastly, and his voice shook as he asked for it.

`There it is, sir,' said the cashier, in a low tone of sympathy.

Mr. Weldon fixed his eyes upon it steadily for at least a full minute. He
then caught by the edge of the table, and sunk into a chair. He covered
his face a moment or two, and groaned heavily.

`It is Mr. Daily's writing; is it not?' asked Mr. Morley.

`It is!' he scarcely articulated.

`The check is a forgery, is it not, sir?'

`Yes! There is no doubt — no doubt — of guilt — some — somewhere.
But James! Oh, no! I can never believe James guilty!' he gasped forth.
`Oh, God! this is — this is heavier than I can bear!'