THE INVESTIGATION
When Dick arrived at the bank on the following morning at his usual hour
he found that a sense of gloom had descended upon the inmates of the
institution.
Every one seemed to be depressed.
In answer to his pleasant greeting the tellers and bookkeeper nodded and
went on with the work that held their attention, as though endeavoring
to catch up with a press of business.
At first Dick wondered whether there could have been any further
developments linking his name with the mysterious disappearance of the
securities; then he wisely came to the conclusion that all of his fellow
employees were simply nervous over the coming interview with the head of
the establishment, who might find some cause to suspect that the guilt
lay with one of them.
He went about his duties as quietly as though nothing had happened, and
Mr. Winslow, looking over the top of his desk allowed himself to give a
little nod of appreciation when he saw how determined Dick was not to
look like a guilty person.
"That boy has grit, all right," he said to his associate, when they came
together in getting out the cash to begin the day's business; "most lads
in his condition would be scared half to death, and ready to break down.
Dick is a chap after my own heart. Here comes Mr. Gibbs, and the cashier
is with him. I believe he must have met him at the station, and has told
the whole story on the way here. Now for it, Payson. This is a nasty
piece of bad luck for us all, and I only hope we get out of it
decently."
The two gentlemen were in the president's room for some time before any
one was called; then one of the tellers was summoned and remained there
for about five minutes, after which the other went in, followed by the
bookkeeper.
"Now it is my turn," said Dick to himself as he saw this last gentleman
come out again, and beckon to him to enter.
He found Mr. Gibbs looking very grave indeed.
If the bank finally had to stand the loss it would make a big hole in
the resources of the institution; as the securities had simply been
placed in the safe of the bank for security, at the risk of the
department store keeper, of course they could not be held accountable
for their loss unless it was proven that some one in their employ had
taken them--Mr. Graylock assumed the chances of fire or any ordinary
burglary up to the time he actually gave them in charge of the bank and
accepted a loan on the papers, when the risk would be transferred to
the institution.
Still it reflected upon the good name of his bank, even though Mr. Gibbs
might never be compelled by law to redeem their value to the owner.
Of course, Mr. Gibbs had heard all about the letter from the brokers in
Boston, and that matter was easily disposed of, for the cashier had been
in touch with a member of the firm by long distance phone, and learned
that they neither knew of a customer by the name of Morrison, nor had
they ever handled any of the listed missing securities.
Mr. Gibbs was desirous of learning all about the events of that day when
Dick put the packet on the shelf in the vault.
Evidently the cashier had not yet been able to distinctly recall every
little incident that had happened on that occasion, and Mr. Gibbs laid
particular stress upon the fact that besides Mr. Goodwyn, Dick and the
merchant, there had been no one in the bank while the transaction was
going on.
"You are quite positive about that, Richard--you three were the only
ones in the building during that noon half-hour, you say--not another
soul about?" he continued to say, watching the boy keenly.
"Except Mr. Hollister, sir," replied Dick.
The cashier started as if he had been shot, and turned red; he had
apparently quite forgotten that little point, which, after all, might
have some bearing on the explanation of the puzzle.
"Mr. Hollister, you say--one of our best customers, and a man of
unimpeachable honesty; in fact, a director in this bank; surely we
cannot imagine for a moment that he could have anything to do with the
disappearance of these securities!" exclaimed the president, frowning at
Dick.
"Oh! I did not mean that, sir, indeed, I had no thought of such a thing.
Only you asked me if there was any other person in the building during
that half hour when the rest were out to lunch. Mr. Hollister did not
come back of the railing; he only wanted to get change for a large bill,
I believe, sir," returned Dick.
Mr. Gibbs glanced toward the cashier, who immediately nodded.
"The boy is right, though I had really forgotten the circumstance. As I
was the only one present to wait on him I made him the change. It only
took me half a minute, sir," replied Mr. Goodwyn, hastily.
"H'm, at the time he came in you were seated with Mr. Graylock in your
room. I understand?" said the president.
"Yes, sir."
"With the securities still on the table?"
"Done up in this buff envelope, just as you see them here, sir," replied
the cashier.
The president looked at him as though he may have had a sudden
inspiration; but remembering that another was present he refrained from
saying what was on his mind.
Turning to Dick he continued to question him.
"Richard, you understand that while circumstances may put you under a
cloud for a brief time, if you are innocent of wrong doing, as I firmly
believe, you have nothing to fear. Such a bold crime cannot be committed
without the thief leaving some trace of his identity behind him. I shall
doubtless find it necessary to send to the city for an officer to come
up here and take up the investigation. You will not hesitate to tell him
everything he wishes to know, will you?"
"I have nothing to hide, Mr. Gibbs. Some one certainly took those
securities, and I would give a great deal to be the one to find them. I
have told my mother all about this trouble, sir. Of course, she believes
that it would be impossible for me to take anything that did not belong
to me, and especially such valuable papers as these were; but she is my
mother, you know, sir."
"Yes, I understand that, Richard. Of course the only temptation that
might urge a boy, brought up as you have been, to do something of this
sort would be the desire to place his mother beyond want. I have no
doubt the officer will lay considerable stress upon the fact that you
have found yourselves in straightened circumstances of late, and that
you could not bear to see her suffer."
"That is all ended, sir," said Dick, smiling, for he knew what a bolt he
was about to launch in another moment.
"How do you mean, Richard?" asked the president, curiously.
"We have come into some money, left by a relative in Boston so far
removed that my mother hardly remembered her name, sir."
"What! come into some money? Indeed!" and the president, just as Dick
expected, shot an alarmed glance across at Mr. Goodwyn, who also looked
very serious.
"Yes, sir, and you can well believe that it was welcome, too," Dick went
on.
"About how much did this sudden and surprising inheritance amount to,
Richard?" coldly.
"We do not know yet, but it will bring something like a thousand dollars
a year, which is enough to support us handsomely, sir," returned the
boy, smiling now at the mysterious looks exchanged between the two
gentlemen.
"Interest at four per cent, on about twenty-five thousand dollars. That
is quite a lucky windfall, Richard; but, my boy, don't you realize what
a terribly significant fact it would appear in the eyes of any one bent
upon investigating the mysterious disappearance of these valuable
documents?" and he laid a trembling hand on Dick's shoulder as he
spoke.
"Yes, sir; I thought of that," replied the boy, cheerfully.
"So that I sincerely trust you are in a position to show us some
evidence that bears you out in your remarkable assertion. Fortunes do
sometimes come to people, but seldom under such conditions as surround
you at present."
"That was just what I was telling mother, Mr. Gibbs."
"Yes, and what did she say?"
"She declared that my month in the bank was making me a shrewd business
man, just because I suggested that she let me take the letter from the
Boston lawyer, and bring it down here to show you when I told of our
good luck, sir!"
"A letter--you have a letter from a lawyer then, and with you?"
exclaimed the president, his face lighting up suddenly.
Dick put his hand in his pocket and drew the letter out.
"Here it is, sir; just as it was received yesterday by my mother."
Mr. Gibbs immediately glued his face to the pages, type written, and
filled with legal phrases, but perfectly intelligible to his trained
mind.
When he had finished he only said one word, "wonderful!" but kept
repeating it as he watched the cashier devouring the contents of the
letter.
"Did you ever hear of such a marvelous coincidence in your life,
Goodwyn? Here, just after these papers are lost, and suspicion is turned
upon Richard, he and his mother fall heir to a neat little sum of money.
My boy, I want to beg your pardon for suspecting that this incident only
added to the weight of circumstantial evidence against you. You have
proven entirely innocent in so far as this money is concerned. We will
forget all about that now, and answer me a few more questions, if you
please, about that fatal day when this deplorable accident came about
that threatens to cause us so much trouble. Depend upon it we shall
straighten it out, and no matter who is guilty they will be punished."
Still, when Mr. Gibbs said this, he did not frown and look at Dick as
though the threat was meant for him at all; no matter what the cashier
thought, the head of the establishment seemed to be ready to pin his
faith on the messenger boy, as though his ability to read character told
him there could be no guile in those clear eyes that looked straight
into his own.
After a little while Dick was allowed to go.
He had answered every question to the best of his ability, and he
wondered if after all the suspicions of the president could have been
directed in the same quarter as his own.
All that day he held his counsel, and said nothing to any one about what
was passing in his mind.
Matters went on just as usual in the bank, for not a whisper about the
missing securities had gotten out; though this immunity could not be
expected to continue long; for Mr. Graylock would have to explain to his
creditors, who were gathering like a flock of buzzards about the carcass
of a dead cow, how it came he could not raise the large sum of money he
had promised to have ready to liquidate a proportion of their claims,
and then the public must know what had happened.
Dick wondered also if he would be able to hold his head just as erect
when he fancied people on the street were pointing at him and whispering
significantly.