CONCLUSION
Mr. Graylock half rose from his chair, and bent low over the table to
stare at the documents; then as if unable to believe that his sight told
him the truth he dug his knuckles into his eyes and stared again.
Every eye was fastened upon him, and he seemed to realize that his sin
had indeed found him out, for finally with a groan that welled up from
the depths of his tortured heart he fell back into his chair.
Then he heard the clear voice of the president saying:
"We all deserve to be congratulated, Mr. Graylock--the bank, at the
recovery of the valuable papers entrusted to its care; and you, sir,
because your good name has been saved, and your creditors will receive
all that your estate will produce. It is a great thing to be able to
look your friends and neighbors in the face, Mr. Graylock, when such a
misfortune overtakes a man in business, although every one may not think
so."
Surely this was gall and wormwood to the defeated trickster, who had
been caught trying to defraud those who had trusted him.
He writhed and twisted in his chair, until a shred of his former
assurance came back to him; when he managed to look up with a sickly
smile, and almost whispered:
"Yes, it is a great thing. I suppose I ought to thank you, Gibbs, for
saving me the added humiliation of exposure. And the strange discovery
of the securities, where they must have been placed during a temporary
fit of absent mindedness, will, of course, clear the air, so that no one
now need be suspected of any criminal intent."
It was a bold bid for secrecy, and while Mr. Gibbs might feel a contempt
for the wretched man now before him, at the same time he believed it
would be policy to keep the story quiet for a short time.
"How long before you leave Riverview, Mr. Graylock?" he asked, quietly.
"I think I can say in three days more; yes, by Monday evening I shall
have departed," replied the other, eagerly, catching at a straw.
"Very well, then, for three days those of us in the secret will agree
not to whisper one word of this sad affair. After you have departed the
promise holds no longer. There will be no prosecution, Mr. Graylock,
though perhaps I am doing wrong to promise that; but I shall walk over
with these securities in half an hour, and hand them to the assignee
with the simple remark that they have been found. I think there is
nothing further to say, sir."
It was a polite way of telling Mr. Graylock that they could dispense
with his company, and getting unsteadily to his feet he made for the
door.
Before going out he had the decency to turn his face toward them, and
say:
"I thank you all, gentlemen; you have been more considerate with me than
I deserve. Good-day."
Mr. Gibbs turned to Dick.
"Now Richard, you can go, and please remember that while the finding of
the securities may be announced, not one word to a living soul about the
truth until after Mr. Graylock has left town for good. He does not
deserve it, but we will spare him that added humiliation. Just now I
presume he is the most wretched man in the State. And Richard, please
ask Mr. Winslow to step in here for a minute, since I believe he knows
what Mr. Cheever intended doing."
The teller obeyed the summons with alacrity, and doubtless heard all
about the outcome of the little game he and Dick had planned; at the
same time being bound to secrecy until the limited time had passed.
Of course there was great rejoicing among the creditors of the defunct
firm when the fact was made known that the missing securities had come
to light, and that there would be another hundred thousand dollars
divided up among them; but no matter how curious they might be they were
unable to learn where the papers had been hidden; though some who knew
Mr. Graylock best had their suspicions.
And three days later, as he had said, Mr. Graylock vanished from
Riverview, with his wife and son, going to Boston; nor did any of them
ever show their faces again in the town where for years the merchant had
held his head so high.
The story soon became common property, and for a long time his name was
held up to ridicule and execration by those he had swindled.
Some years later Dick learned that the Graylocks had gone South, and
with some money advanced by a relative purchased a few acres of land in
Florida, where they devoted their attention to raising celery for the
northern market; but just how successful they were, or what progress
Ferd was making toward overcoming his faults, he never knew.
They had passed out of the life of the little river town; and after a
time the name of Graylock was seldom mentioned; for another firm had
taken up the big store, and was making it a success by honest dealing.
Some years have passed since the events narrated in this story occurred.
Most of those with whom we have come in contact still remain in
Riverview, and the town has prospered quite in proportion to others in
the State.
Mrs. Morrison still lives happily in her rose embowered cottage, which
of course has been enlarged and vastly improved; for the legacy came to
hand in due time, and Dick had his den, while she enjoyed the luxury of
a fine bathroom.
She has never dreamed of marrying again.
Two or three times old Hezekiah Cheatham drove around that way to drop
in and chat with the buxom widow, whose charms he could now appreciate
since she had fallen heir to a neat little fortune; but Dick took him
gently aside and gave him plainly to understand that his mother disliked
his attentions very much; and that as for himself he was averse to
having a step-father; so the old bachelor ceased his pilgrimages in that
quarter.
Mr. Gibbs is still the head of the bank, and his right hand man is Ross
Goodwyn, the clever cashier, who will soon step into the position of his
employer, when the latter retires.
Mr. Payson is the paying teller, but Mr. Winslow finding his health
failing him, and being warned by his physician that he had better seek a
climate that was dry, intends leaving for Colorado in another month.
It is pretty generally understood that he will be succeeded by Richard
Morrison, who has been acting as his under-study for some time.
Dick is a tall, manly looking fellow now, the pride of his mother's
heart; and prosperity has not changed his genial, straight-forward
nature a particle.
One of his best friends is Mr. Cartwright, the old miller, and
frequently they sit and chat of the days long since gone by when Dick
found his first job in the employ of the other.
Occasionally Dick has found an opportunity, on holidays, to go out to
the dear old fishing hole, and interview a few of his friends, the bass;
his ability to capture the wily finny denizens of the river still holds
good, and usually he returns home with a full string.
He never visits the old place without thinking of that day when he heard
Bessie Gibbs raising her voice in laments over the impending fate of her
darling Angora kitten, and the memory always brings a smile to Dick's
face.
Bessie is now finishing her schooling at a college; but she and Dick
correspond faithfully, and during vacation times they seem inseparable.
He still thinks her the prettiest and sweetest of her sex, and as for
Bessie--well, it hardly seems fair to peep into the sacred recesses of a
young girl's heart, but she is never one half so happy as when with
Dick, and whenever she looks at the little scar on the back of his left
hand she shudders, remembering that fearful day when he burst in upon
them just in the nick of time, and in his usual energetic way quickly
extinguished what might have been a serious conflagration.
Mr. Gibbs, of course, has his eyes about him and understands what this
intimacy is bound to end in eventually; but he seems perfectly satisfied
that it should be so.
He cannot expect to keep his darling child with him always, and since
these things must be he is content with the way events have come about.
The wise man who could read boy character as well as he did on that
never-to-be-forgotten day when he sent Dick, still resting under
suspicion in connection with the missing securities, out to his home to
bring back a valuable packet, feels confident that he has made no
mistake, and that he can trust the happiness of Bessie to his keeping.
Mr. Gibbs always declares that he never made an investment in his whole
life that brought him in such quick and magnificent returns as his
decision that day to put a boy upon his honor; and he hardly dares
picture what might have happened had he failed to read the truth lying
back of those clear eyes of Dick, the Bank Boy.
THE END.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 15, "ofter" changed to "often". (I've often heard)
Page 17, "down" changed to "done". (always done since)
Page 31, "women" changed to "woman". (get a woman to).
Page 37, "endeaver" changed to "endeavor". (endeavor to change)
Page 45, "dilipidated" changed to "dilapidated". (and dilapidated
vehicle)
Page 79, "seldoms" changed to "seldom". (He seldom interferes)
Page 95, duplicated word "as" removed. (just as you say)
Page 104, "imposible" changed to "impossible". (It is impossible,
incredible,)
Page 129, "furtune" changed to "fortune". (glorious good fortune)
Page 151, "Winlow" changed to "Winslow". (Winslow thinks possible)
Page 156, "hear" changed to "heard". (he heard the vehicle)
Page 157, "unbrellas" changed to "umbrellas". (with umbrellas over)
Page 166, duplicated word "down" removed. (down in the drawing)
Page 173, "forunate" changed to "fortunate". (was fortunate enough)
Page 191, "neecssary" changed to "necessary". (necessary. Hark!)
Page 202, "physican" changed to physician". (his physician that)
Page 202, "Colordo" changed to "Colorado". (for Colorado in)