UNDER SUSPICION
One thing struck Dick as singular.
As the bell rang that summoned him to the carpet in the cashier's office
it seemed as though the eye of everyone of his associates was raised
from the work that had employed their attention and was focussed upon
him.
He even thought he could detect something akin to pity in these looks.
He walked steadily over to the door, pushed it open and entered the
small compartment of the head official of the bank, under the president.
"Please close the door again, Richard," said Mr. Goodwyn, solemnly.
Why, it sounded like a funeral, and the cashier looked as though he
might be taken for the chief mourner; as for Mr. Graylock, he sat there
apparently wrought up to a high pitch of excitement, and drumming with
his fingers on the table.
Dick gulped something down that seemed to be inclined to half strangle
him, and then set his teeth together, resolved to put a brave face on
it, no matter what difficulty might arise.
"Sit down here, Richard, where I can talk with you," continued Mr.
Goodwyn.
The boy did as he was told, and looked calmly into the face of the
cashier; if the other had anticipated discovering anything shifty in his
manner he certainly received as great a surprise as at any time in his
life.
"Richard, do you remember the day Mr. Graylock was in here, and I called
you to ask about that Classon matter, which you explained quite
satisfactorily--let me see, what day was it?" he said, turning to the
eager merchant, who was devouring Dick with his eyes, and looking
actually savage.
"Thursday of last week. I made a note of it naturally in my memorandum
book, for I might wish to substantiate the occasion when I called for
the securities again," replied the merchant, grimly.
Then it was about that packet after all; Dick had suspected something of
the kind ever since he knew that Mr. Graylock seemed to be aroused over
something, and had mentioned the word while standing in the doorway.
"Yes, sir, I remember," he replied, calmly, even while his heart was
fluttering with an unknown dread.
"You also recall the fact that I handed you a packet, a buff envelope in
fact, secured with a rubber band and requested you to immediately place
it in the vault?"
"Yes, sir, I do," answered the boy, respectfully.
"Was this the package I gave you?" holding up the bulky envelope.
"It looks very much like it, sir."
"Take hold of it, Richard; tell me does it seem quite as full as when I
first placed it in your hands?"
"I do not notice any difference, sir, though of course I paid little
attention to the fact at the time," replied Dick.
"You went straight into the vault, because I can remember seeing you.
Then my attention being attracted by something this gentleman was saying
I turned my head away, and did not think of you again. Just how long do
you think you were in there on that occasion, Richard?" continued the
cashier, enunciating plainly, as if he wished to impress the seriousness
of the occasion upon the consciousness of the one he addressed.
"I think not more than a few seconds, sir; only long enough to put the
packet on the shelf where Mr. Payson would be sure to see it as soon as
he came in, and place it in the inner safe."
"Yes, I remember, I explained to you that anything placed on that
particular shelf was intended to be lodged in the fireproof safe when
Mr. Winslow had it open. A few seconds, you say, Richard. I wish I could
make sure of that, my boy," and he looked severely at the messenger.
"Did you see that packet again after that?" asked Mr. Graylock, taking a
hand in the examination.
"No, sir. When I carried the books in at the close of business the shelf
was empty, so I guessed Mr. Payson had put it away as soon as he
returned from lunch."
"Oh! you noticed that, did you? Take pains to stick a pin in that, Mr.
Goodwyn, please; the boy was enough interested in that particular packet
to look and see if it was still there! Now, tell me just why you thought
anything about it, boy?" exclaimed Mr. Graylock, scowling as he bent
forward the better to stare into the face of the one under suspicion.
"I don't know why I should, but just happened to remember having placed
it there. The books fit in a rack under that shelf. I suppose it was
only natural for me to remember the incident, and give one look up
there."
"Just so," said the cashier, slowly, as if trying to grasp the tangled
ends to the mystery with which he so unexpectedly found himself
confronted; "you appear to be wondering what all this means, and I will
tell you. That buff envelope contained negotiable securities worth fully
one hundred thousand dollars. I saw them with my own eyes and even
handled them, putting them back with the other papers myself just before
you were called in. I have taken this envelope out of the safe just now,
and when Mr. Graylock scattered the contents on my table the securities
were missing!"
So, that was what had happened, was it? and suspicion had already
pointed its finger in the direction of the bank boy, simply because he
had held the buff envelope in his hands a brief time!
Somehow, now that the worst was known, Dick did not feel anything like a
tremor pass through his frame.
Strong in the consciousness of his own innocence he could not see where
he had been at all to blame; they could certainly not accuse him of a
misdemeanor on the strength of mere suspicion in the mind of Mr.
Graylock, who had shown so plainly the strange and unreasonable dislike
he bore Dick.
"I am sorry to hear that, sir; but I assure you that I know absolutely
nothing about the matter. I placed the packet on the shelf; someone put
it away a short time later, and I have not touched it since. That is all
I can say, Mr. Goodwyn," he went on, with an expression on his young
face that might either mean sincerity or brazen boldness, according to
the way one chose to look at it.
"But no one saw you come out of the safe that day. You may have been
there a full minute; that would be long enough to open the envelope,
extract part of the contents and put the rest away--that is, if you were
so minded," said Mr. Graylock, vindictively.
Dick grew very white, and a burning answer trembled on his tongue at
this direct accusation, but he wisely held himself in restraint,
remembering that under the circumstances the distracted merchant could
hardly be blamed for what he was saying.
"Stop and look at the matter a minute, sir. It hardly seems reasonable
that a green boy at the business should know all about negotiable
securities, and take only such out of the envelope, leaving all others.
In what way could I attempt to dispose of such things, since I have
never been out of Riverview in all my life? If these papers have been
stolen and are being offered for sale somewhere, it looks to me as
though some pretty clever man must have done the stealing, instead of a
bank boy."
The cashier looked interested at what he said.
"At least the boy talks sense, Graylock. If there is a leak in this bank
we are bound to discover it in short order. You need not worry about it,
sir, since you are protected by our assurance that we will do all in our
power to recover your securities; and if it can be proven conclusively
that any one in our employ took them the bank is bound to remunerate
you, even though its resources be badly crippled in so doing. Mr. Gibbs
is unfortunately away to-day, but I shall wire to him immediately. Until
he comes nothing more can be done," he remarked, positively.
"And about this boy--what will you do?" asked the merchant, turning to
frown at Dick, as though in spite of all he either could not or would
not allow himself to get rid of the idea that the messenger knew
something about the missing papers.
"Nothing just now. There is really no tangible evidence that he took the
securities, sir; you must admit that it is only suspicion as yet with
you?" returned the cashier, gloomily, gnawing at his upper lip
nervously, and playing with his pencil by tapping it on the table.
"But he handled the packet, you admit?" declared Mr. Graylock,
stubbornly.
"So did Mr. Payson, who declares he put it away on that day as soon as
he returned from lunch; so did I right here before your eyes. I have
been trying to recall the exact circumstances of that day, but I seem to
be a little hazy, which, however, is not to be wondered at under the
circumstances, for this thing has given me a terrible shock, sir. It
will be your duty to have some one find the man who offered one of the
stolen securities to your friend, and in that way discover the identity
of the guilty person. I shall be sorry for him when found; Mr. Gibbs is
a martinet when it comes to duty, and the one who took those papers will
undoubtedly have occasion to repent behind the bars."
He looked at Dick as he said those last words, but the boy did not quail
in the least, his calm eyes meeting those of the nervous cashier
steadily.
"Innocent, or hardened, which," was what was passing through the mind
of Mr. Goodwyn, as he noted this unflinching behavior of the suspected
youth.
"Do you wish to ask me anything more, sir?"
"Are you in the habit of corresponding with anyone in Boston, Richard?"
"Not until a week ago, when a friend of mine who was in Florida the last
time I heard from him wrote me from Boston. He addressed his letter to
the bank because he said he understood from another fellow in Riverview
he corresponded with that I was now employed here."
"Have you this letter?" continued the cashier, quietly.
Dick put his hand to his pocket and drew out an envelope, which he
started to open, and then turned scarlet with mortification.
"I remember now that I was reading his letter again this morning while
down near the river on an errand, a sudden gust of wind carried it out
of my hand and over the fence. I had no time to hunt for it, and besides
concluded it had blown into the river. But I kept the envelope to
remember his address," he said.
Mr. Graylock laughed scornfully, almost triumphantly, Dick thought.
"Let me see that envelope, young man," he snarled, and having fairly
snatched it out of Dick's hand he gave one glance and then held it up.
"Just what I thought! Look at that, will you, Mr. Goodwyn; up in the
corner is this firm address: 'Cassidy and Prime, Stock Brokers,
Boston!'"
The cashier took the envelope, and then said huskily:
"This begins to appear like a serious thing for you, Morrison. I really
feel sorry for your mother. Sit down again; I am not yet through with
you!"