LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1728, 3 September 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THH SCOTTISH BANKER’S DILEMMA.

[From 44 Chambers’ Journal,”] (Continued.') It seemed an age, although in reality barely a mouth had passed, before a note from Mr Tait, the chief inspector (Mr Duff’s son-in-law) set the matter at rest. ‘ In consideration,’ the note ran, 4 of the admirable mode in which the business of tho branch at Tollkirk has hitherto been conducted, the directors have agreed to wipe off the deficiency in cash, which it may be hoped will yet turn np and be re-credited ; but in doing so it must be firmly kept in view that the directors by no means establish the present case as a precedent, and mnst remind the gentleman who has charge of tho bank’s cash at Tollkirk that at no future time will tho directors be disposed to relieve'him ot the]responsibility attaching to his office.’ 4 There, Jamie, take that to your mother,’ said Mr Duff kindly, handing the official note to Hamilton. 4 1 thought Peter would manage it (referring to his son-in-law, the inspector) ; 4 but we maun ca’ canny,’ said the banker, relapsing into broad Scotch, to put the reproof, if such it might bo called, In the gentlest form, to spare the lad’s ingsThere were tears of relief In Hamilton a eyes as he read the note, 4 That Is generous treatment, sir. I was afraid they would roup [sell by auction] me and my old mother out of Tollkirk.” 4 Voup yep I couldn’t spare ye, lad.’ Then the youth went home to his mother jubilant, a burden lifted from him. But on tho next evening after business hours, Hamilton’s face was whiter than ever. His hands were trembling as he fumbled over his cash, and ’cast’ and 4 re-oast’ the long columns of figures in his cash-hook. It

was market day, a busy day, and large sums had passed into and out of his hands. To his horror he found his cash three hundred pounds short! lie had not the courage on this occasion to go to Mr Duff’s room with his plaint. But the banker saw at once as ho passed through the office on his way upstairs that something was wrong. 1 You are late, Mr Hamilton.’ Mr Duff never in a general way called James ‘ Mr.’ Hia doing so now implied misgivings. ‘Yes, sir; but I think I won’t belong;’ his lips felt parched from excitement. ‘Arc ye ready to lock up the safe with me ?’

‘ Not quite. If you are in no hurrry, sir, perhaps we can lock up when you come down,’ ‘Terywell.’ Mr Duff went upstairs ; but on this occasion he did not linger over his meal. When he came down half an hour later, Hamilton was not ready to lock the safe. He was sitting looking into space, his head resting on his hands.

‘ Have you balanced your cash now ?’ Mr Duff asked, with just a perceptible edge of annoyance in his tone.

‘ No, sir. I differ three hundred pound,’ ‘ Over or short ?’ ‘Short, sir.’ ‘Mercy on us! This will not do. You must bestir yourself and—and find it. I have to go out to a meeting to-night.’ The banker spoke sternly. Hamilton once more, under Mr Duff’s eye, nervously went over his figures and counted his cash. The deficiency could in no way be accounted for.

‘ This is terribly awkward, James.’ There were tears in the youth’s voice as as he uttered : ‘Yes sir; and it will drive me mad.’

When Mr Duff returned from his meeting at eleven o’clock, Hamilton was as far from peace as ever. The younger clerks had gone away. Again the banker and Hamilton went ever each item together—in vain. ‘We can’t report this to the head office, whatever happens,’ quoth. Mr Duff grimly, ‘ What is to be done, sir V ‘Find it?’

They looked blackly in each other’s faces. Both men went to bed with heavy hearts ; nor did the search next day throw any light on the mysterious transaction. Mr Duff could not bring himself to report this second deficiency to his head office ; and the only alternative left was to refund the amount from his own private means. This, as may be imagined, he did very reluctantly ; and far the first time in his experience he watched the younger men, and perhaps his trusted teller too, with Just a, faint and irrepressible glimmering of suspicion, A mistake of this sort might happen once; but to happen a second time at so short an interval, made him uneasy on other matter*, than mere loss of money. He had a framework of mahogany and glass made for Hamilton’s desk, so that no one could come near the cash in future but Hamilton himself. And so, with what grace he could summon, and with many grave warnings, Mr Duff paid the ‘ short’ money, having, as he said, to ‘ grin and bear it.’

For a week or so things worked well nnder the new arrangement; but for the third time Mr Duff was destined to see Hamilton poring over his books long after bank hours, this time to hear on inquiry that the luckless lad was short by no less on amount that five hundred pounds 1 Had the shrewd, quickwitted James Hamilton, after ten years of faithful service, become suddenly dolt? ‘ This is beyond endurance/ the banker said sharply, as the fact was communicated to him.

‘lt is most strange,’ replied the helpless teller, feeling that the Fates were against him.

‘ It is impossible you can have paid the money away,’ ‘lt is gone sir.’ * Then you must find it. I can no longer be responsible for your blunders. Here is no less a sum than nine hundred pounds in less than six weeks to be accounted for. Many a one has been sent across the sea for less. ’

The youth put his hands over his face and fairly burst into tears. ‘ I must give it up, sir. I can’t stand this. I must leave the place.’ Mr Duff was looking at him with very keen eyes as this was sobbed out. Leave Tollkirk ? Understand, Mr Hamilton, that you dare not leave Tollkirk before this matter is cleared up.’

For the greater part of the night the men tat up searching; but when the morning camejthey were as far from the mark as ever. Mr Duff, much to the surprise of customers of the bank, next day 4 took over' the cash himself, and, rather awkwa dly from want of practice, became his own cashier. Hamilton was degraded to subordinate duties. His spirit, poor fellow, was fairly broken. No trace of the missing money could be found. Of course Mr Duff could not long continue acting as teller. The work interfered with even more important duties.

A son of Mr Traill, the parish minister, who was employed at the Aberdeen branch of the same Bank, at this time visited Tollkirk, and being of the same craft, spent a good deal of time in Mr Duff’s company. The subject of the missing money was broached and discussed between them. It so happened that George Traill was engaged to be married to Mary Duff; and the banker having lost confidence in Hamilton, and feeling sorely in need of capable help, proposed that George should apply to tho directors of the Bank for the appointment of joint-agent or partner with with himself in the management of the Tollkirk branch. Bo it came about that in a short time George Traill, a shrewd, practical business man, relieved Mr Duff at the telling-table, in order to familiarise himself with the faces of the Bank’s customers. For some days all went well. Then came market-day. At close of the day Mr Traill’s cash was five hundred pounds short 1 Chapter 11. Dismay fell on the qniet little Bank in Tollkirk. The former uneasiness became in the office a panic. Hamilton had been made ill by the anxiety of his position, and was In bed on the day that Mr_-Trail’s deficiency occurred. After closely scrutinising every entry in the books, Traill came to the conclusion that he had not paid the money in excess to anyone, and that tho notes must have been stolen by someone on the premises, The Bank’s safe was duly examined ; bat the locks bore no marks of being tampered with. The windows and doors of tbe office were unaffected ; and Mr Duff’s domestics—who swept out the office—had been his servants and were known to him for years. The matter was on this occasion reported to the Band’s head office ; but thence came the cold intimation that no further deficiency could be made good, and referring the Bank agents to their recent letter to that effect of such and such a date.

Mr Duff began to think the place was haunted. Wherever the money was gone, it had to be paid up ; raising the total losses made in this mysterious way to the unpalatable anm of fourteen hundred pounds in less than three months. The mystery was all the deeper that during the day of the difference in Traill’s cash it had happened there had not been a single cash payment amonnting to five hundred pounds. Then there came vague rumours—such as the police, had the matter passed into their hands, would certainly have made use of — that there was an itinerant locksmith, a gipsy, in the neighbourhood to whom popular rumour attributed almost miraculous power In the manipulation of locks. Yet It would take a very clever locksmith indeed to open the Central Bank’s safe unheard in the house, and to close it again without leaving traces of his work. The safe had a foundation of eight feet of stone, and was coated on the floor, wall, and roof with a two-inch plate of solid iron. The doors were, of course, of iron, and each—there were four doors—had two keys and separate locks. T 1 r >ugh the lock of the outer iron door an iron bolt was each evening shot down from Mr Duff’s bedroom above, and while that bolt was down no key in the world could open the door. It was necessary to be in Mr Duff’ bedroom before the bolt could be drawn or dropped. It was extremely improbable that there were any in Tollkirk who could, even with the necessary keys in their hands, find their way into the strong-room unaided. No longer was Mr Duff able to leave the Bank with an easy mind for a two-o’clock luncheon —with forty winks to follow —as had 'been his custom these twenty years. He was closely on the watch. Yet there was no visible cause for suspicion. Bankers and clerks were fast becoming demoralised — in the military sense—from sheer fright, accelerated by mystery, and a sense of utter helplessness in face of it. Mr Duff might

far better be losing his fortune on the Stock Exchange, or throwing his money away on turf speculations ; in these there would bo some remote chance of profit, if not satisfaction in losing his property. His bark had up to this time sailed in smooth seas, had even, hitherto, floated in a sheltered bay, unexposed to financial tempests or breakers ; but now a leakcf a dangerous Sort had sprung, as likely he imagined, to ingulf him at his anchorage as any buffeting of waves in open sea.

(To he continued.)