University of Virginia Library

18. CHAPTER XVIII.
THE DEVELOPMENT.

Mr. Morley stood silently by, waiting until the merchant should recover
from the shock this painful development produced upon his feelings. He
knew that Mr. Weldon was deeply attached to his head clerk, and that he
placed the most unbounded confidence in his honor and integrity; and that
the blow he received, on making this discovery of his probable guilt, must be
in proportion to his interest in him.

It would be impossible to describe Mr. Weldon's emotions. The intricated
narrative of deposits and cheeks, dollars and drafts, had prepared him
for a development of criminality in some one; but not until the very last,
nothing had been revealed to implicate James. Mr. Weldon had listened
closely to his account, and in all James had been as yet clear. Some other
agent was the mover in this system of checks, of which the lad was the
offerer. James, so far as he saw, had nothing to do with it; and he was
about to ask Mr. Morley why he had at the outset connected James's name
with forgery, when, by his own confession, James had only offered the regular
checks of the house. But when the note was produced, which at once
linked James with all the foregoing mysterious checking and depositing, and
made him a party with the lad, the whole force of his probable guilt rushed
upon him. The hand-writing of the note was James's — the check which
the note held was a forged one! The note was even sealed with the counting-room
stamp!

This was evidence enough for a father to suspect his only son — the son
in whose honor he placed the most perfect confidence! It had its irresistible
effect upon Mr. Weldon's mind, reluctant as his heart was to suspect
him. But with the note in one hand, and the forged check held in the other,
it was impossible to close his eyes to the conviction, that his favorite was a
hypocrite of the most artful description. Grief, rather than anger, filled his
soul at this reflection. Yet his faith in him was too strong to be wholly
overthrown even by this evidence.

`This has a dark appearance, Mr. Morley,' he said, in a hollow voice; `it
looks very, very bad for poor James! But I must have stronger proof.
What know you more? You were about to speak. You must know something
further to charge him with forgery, as you did when you came in!
What led you to suspect him? You had this note, it is true; but what
proof had you that it was not written by my order? You have this check,
it is true. What proof had you that I did not draw it, and send it to the
bank?'

`I have proof, sir, which I will proceed to show you. After I had read
the note, and was wondering at its character, coming from you, for I did not
doubt but that the clerk was your own, and that the check was all right;
while I was revolving in my mind what to do, whether to cash it or not —
for to cash from courtesy, voluntarily, when a depositor overdraws, and to
cash, as a favor, by request, are two very different matters, as you can
easily perceive — while I was deliberating, the lad quietly disappeared; for
I suppose he discovered, by the hesitation in my looks, that it would not be
paid, at least without scrutiny. Having decided not to pay it till I saw you,

and get some sort of security — for, I must confess, your late mode of doing
your banking-business had awakened my watchfulness — I turned to tell the
lad I would call and see you, when I found he was gone. He had stolen
from the saloon, and taken himself off. This looked suspicious; and I then
began to scrutinize the note more closely, and then the check. The latter,
on comparison with others which I knew to be genuine, appeared good; and
the number was correct; the one Mr. Daily offered in person, a little while
before, being 414, and this, as you see, is 415.'

`But how, then, came you to suspect it to be a forgery?' asked Mr. Weldon,
with impatience.

`While I was wondering at the departure of the boy, and had made up
my mind to communicate with you, a ragged negro man came in, and inquired
for me. I approached the desk, and spoke to him. He handed me
a note, and left. Here is the note, which will explain itself, Mr. Weldon,'
added the cashier, handing to him the letter. The merchant read as follows:

`Now, sir, you have in your hand the proofs on which I so boldly charged
James Daily with forgery,' said Mr. Morley, fixing his eyes upon the
merchant.

Mr. Weldon made no answer. He stood still looking upon the last sentence
of the letter, with a face pale but thoughtful. All along in reading, he seemed
to be passing judgment, as he progressed, upon the statement. At length he
lifted his eyes to those of the cashier, and said calmly,

`This letter proves too much. It is impossible for me to believe all that
is here charged against Mr. Daily; therefore I can believe nothing.'

`Do not believe it, sir! Is it possible that your predilections for this
young man can lead you to throw aside such testimony of his guilt?'

`It is incredible, sir. It would render him the most finished villain in
the land!'

`And so I fear he is, sir.'

`I cannot, cannot believe that this is true,' said the merchant, with strong
emotion visible in his countenance. `The letter is written by some enemy.'

`If he has a woman who is his enemy, this fact is enough to show he
has not kept the pure society he should have done. Besides, Mr. Weldon,
who should know all these occurrences which took place, unless it was one
intimately associated with him? How should she know he was about to
offer me a check for twenty-five hundred dollars?'

`It is true. This is a most unaccountable affair!'

`The letter bears the impress of truth in every line. You see she hopes
that I shall get her note in time to prevent paying the money for the check.
This is honest, if anything is a proof of honesty; for if the check had been
paid, doubtless she would have been the sharer of the spoils, as she hints;
for, in all probability, she is or has been his mistress!'

`Impossible. Such finished depravity I cannot comprehend!'

`You see how natural her solicitude for her brother! This is natural.
She informs the bank, that she may save him from the ignominy and ruin
which she foresaw would sooner or later overtake Daily and those associated
with him! You see the female hand — the feminine tone! If it is
written by an enemy, having such a female an enemy shows what his private
habits have been.'

`I will say no more. Let him answer for himself. Shall I call him in?
Or shall I at once call the officer, and surrender him to the laws?'

Mr. Weldon spoke in a voice sorrowful and stern. The lines of his face
were rigid. The expression of his eye severe, yet full of pity.

`I knew your regard for this unhappy young man. I was aware of his
intimacy in your domestic circle, Mr. Weldon. I therefore resolved to keep
the matter in my own breast until I should see you upon the subject.'

`Sir, you were infinitely kind to think of my feelings.'

`I therefore took the check, note, and letter, put them in my pocket,
called on Clapp, the police captain, got him to follow me, and describing
Daily's appearance, bade him stop him if he should see him pass out; for I
did not know but that, on seeing me here, he would suspect my business,
and try to effect his escape.'

`But he did not?'

`No. He sat very coolly, as if trying to face it out; though I observed
he colored deeply as I came in.'

`That was owing to a remark of my own, which I made to him just as you
happened to come in: for I saw the blush overspread his face.'

`You are still disposed to hope he is innocent.'

`I do hope he is innocent, sir. But let him speak for himself.'

`As I was about to say, Mr. Weldon, I have kept the matter secret so
far; and if you desire it, so long as the bank has lost nothing — at least but
one hundred dollars — I am willing that he should be examined privately.'

`You are very thoughtful and very kind, sir. I should prefer this course
for many reasons. He may prove innocent.'

The cashier drew the corners of his eye-brows down, and then arched
them, slightly twisted his mouth awry, and smiled incredulously.

`I have not such faith. Adam was a better man than James Daily, and
yet he fell! None of us are infallible till we are nailed fairly up in our
coffins.

Mr. Weldon could not do otherwise than smile at these queer allusions;
but it was but a transient emotion. His features instantly resumed a sterner
gravity.

`If you please, Mr. Morley, I will examine James alone, at my house. I
do not feel able to do it now. `There, sir,' he added, taking a one hundred
dollar note from his pocket-book, and laying it before the banker, `there is
the amount unreplaced which was checked for. As the forged name was
my own, and the bank is, happily, no loser, if you will allow the affair to be
in my hands, you will do me a favor, sir.'

`Certainly, most certainly, sir,' answered Mr. Morley, delicately folding
up the bank-note.

`Be assured I shall investigate the painful business as closely as you could
wish. If the accused is guilty, I shall not fail to surrender him to the law;
for if he is as guilty as these papers would make him, he deserves hanging!
I will retain the two written notes, and the check, if you please.'

`They are yours, Mr. Weldon.'

`You will oblige me by keeping this unhappy affair secret for the present.'

`I have no wish to speak of it. You are aware I should not be sustained
in my full payments of over-drawn checks by the directors, if the affair
should come out. I would rather it should be kept as quiet as possible.
Besides, even if he is guilty, he is a young man, and may yet be saved.'

`If he is guilty,' answered Mr. Weldon, with severe emphasis, `it would
be an imposition upon society to let him loose upon it; if he is guilty, I
shall prosecute him for forgery, sir, were he my own son!'

Mr. Morley looked in the firm countenance of the merchant with a stare
of surprise at the impressive decision in his tones, and then bade him `good
morning,' took up his hat, and bowed himself out.

James, on seeing the cashier pass out, and go down stairs, rose from a
desk where he had seated himself in the outer counting-room, to complete the
writing he was engaged upon, and returned to the inner room. He had not
seen Carlton Ellery, who had departed, forgetting his bills of lading, as soon
as he saw that the cashier was admitted into Mr. Weldon's private room.