The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

288 ‘Well, so long as it was Wheelock’s, there’s nothing to worry about. He may go up in the air a bit about it. Probably Meyer mislaid it. It ‘ll turn up. If it doesn’t, it isn’t as if it had been some depositor who might take advantage of it and declare he hadn’t cashed a check at all.” But Mercer did not know that the money had been for Evans. Bruce de- cided that the head-bookkeeper was not in the plot. Mercer chattered on: ‘“ George! It would take more than a lost check to worry me. You ought to be in my boat. I had five hundred shares _of Tubular Brass and let go of them at forty-eight. And now—have you seen the paper?” ‘“ No,” Bruce answered because he felt obliged to say something. “ Fifty - six! Fif-ty - s-i-x!” Mercer mourned. ‘‘ What do you know. about that?” Before Bruce could even think about it, Wheelock had come in. gether what was left of him. “Mr. Wheelock,” he spoke hoarsely, “ can I speak to you a minute?” “Sure thing,” the cashier replied breezily, leading the way into his office. There he turned, smiling. The smile became a puzzled look of half alarm. ‘“‘ Weil!” he exclaimed. “ I’ve heard but never believed in people dying of joy. You certainly take a little money harder than any man I ever saw.” “Tt isn’t that,” Bruce told him. The nian’s geniality was beginning to disarm his fears in spite of himself. ‘‘ That check you gave me-yesterday—Adams and I couldn’t find it last night.” “ Couldn’t, find it?’? Wheelock repeated after him. “‘ Why not?” “JT don’t know. I put it on the file— it was the first check, of course. When we started to go through them with the machine last night it wasn’t there. We hunted—”’ ‘““Somebody’s getting damned careless around here,” Wheelock broke in sharply. “ First it’s the key; now it’s the check. He pulled to- THE ARGOSY. Lucky it wasn’t a check of some of the depositors. Who brought the checks in from the cage?” ‘“T don’t know.” ‘‘ Well—I guess the best thing is to make out a duplicate. We won’t say anything about it; only, you might tell Adams that I’m going to have some watch- ing done outside. If the other check turns up, give me this one back.” He had got out his big check-book, was writing a check! Bruce felt himself sway- ing unsteadily, held the back of a chair for support. The danger was over! been any danger! The reaction made him faint. For an iustant he thought he was going to serve There had never as a complete example of dying for joy. . Only it was not joy. The relief was so great that it hurt. CHAPTER VIII. CHANGED VIEWS. “"PHANK you,’ Bruce croaked, as Wheelock handed over the duplicate check. He drew on all his will-power for the purpose of hurrying out to the coat-room or somewhere he could be alone. He was afraid he was going to break down and weep. But Wheelock stopped him. ‘‘ And now, if I were you, I’d get down to Kent’s and get rid of that Tubular Brass. This jump has been so sudden I’m scared at it. You can tell Mercer I’m sending you up to the Providence. The boys all understand that I’ve concluded to get you outdoors whenever it’s possible for your health’s sake.” Wheelock half winked. — - ‘And don’t forget that you’re going with me to-morrow afternoon to White Plains Manor. You might bring along your boating togs. I’ve a little boat out on the Sound, and, if Sunday’s nice, we’ll have a cruise.” At any other time this would have brought alarm. Now Bruce barely heard COMICOOOKS CO