Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

NOT SUFFICIENT FUNDS. put the check, now decorated also with Frank’s indorsement, in her purse bag. ‘“ Miss Levy,” she called through the doorway into the connecting office, “ tell Mr. Gilchrist that I’m going out for about half an hour.” Tell Mr. Gilchrist, eh! Well, that was like the independent young baggage. Slip- ping out, as if she were the owner, nght in the middle of the morning. But she was old Gilchrist’s pet. She could get away with murder! That indeed was about what she intend- ed to get away with, as she strode up to the desk at the Streeter Hotel. “Mr. Covert, please!” she snapped to the clerk. ““ Why—er—good morning, Mrs. Hath- away,” said that functionary, who remem- bered her name quite well, ‘“‘ Mr. Covert is in. the dining room. I'll call him.” “You needn’t. I'll call him myself,” an- swered the young woman, marching rapidly toward the restaurant. “And call him good and hard, too,” she added under her breath. Covert looked up from his newspaper, and saw her coming too late to duck. She flashed the check from her purse. He made a grab at it. “Oh, no, you don’t, you crook! But it’s no good! ‘Not sufficient funds.’ When are you going to make it good? [I'll give you just time to get to the bank.” Covert recovered his dignity. A very pleasing idea eccurred to him. “My dear Mrs. Hathaway,” he said, rising with elaborate politeness, ‘“ excuse my rudeness. You are perfectly welcome to keep that check as an interesting sou- venir. You must realize that it was given in an illegal transaction. Of course, you cannot expect to cash it.” “Well, you’re certainly a—’ began Florence. Then she suddenly decided that it was no use trying to tell him what he was. It was a task too great for the ex- pressive vocabulary of the modern flapper, even if she was also a business woman. She hurried out, but she could not re- strain the impulse to look back, and almost experienced the fate of Lot’s wife. Covert was leaning back in his chair and laughing 275 so hard that the tears were running down his face. Florence did not return directly to the store. She went to the bank and seated herself beside the cashier’s desk. ‘“ Mr. Curtis,” she began, “do you re-— member some six months ago when I talked to you about a check of my husband’s?” “Yes, indeed, Mrs. Hathaway. You’re not trying to stop another one, are you?” “No, I want you to pay another one— this one.” . The cashier inspected the check with the violet scar across its face. Then he looked inquiringly at Florence, who went on: ‘““ Now, Mr. Curtis, I realize it’s a little irregular, but I want you to tell me, con- fidentially, what Mr. Covert’s balance is.” The cashier liked Florence on her own account as a capable young business wom- an. Furthermore, she was a_ responsible fiscal employee of one of the bank’s largest depositors. He hesitated a moment, then telephoned upstairs. Pencil in hand, he made a note on the back of an envelope and turned it so that Florence could see the figures, $2,345.22. “You see,” he said, “he wasn’t shy such an enormous amount. Probably an honest enough mistake, though not the kind that you or I would make. No doubt the check will be made good right away.” “Yes, no doubt,” said Florence, rising. “Thank you, Mr. Curtis.” She went straight back to the savings department and drew from her account the sum of four hundred and five dollars, men- tally figuring, as she did so, that she was going to lose about eight dollars in interest. That certainly went against her Scotch grain! Taking the four one-hundred-dollar bills and the one five-dollar bill to the cen- ter table, she made out duplicate deposit slips in the name of E. M. Covert, and then stepped to the deposit window. The teller whisked the bills into his little com- partments and stamped her duplicate slip. Florence ‘then took her place in the line before the paying teller’s window. “Good morning, Mrs. Hathaway,” said that brisk young man. They all knew her in the bank. She presented Covert’s check for its second appearance at that window. EOPMIC OO KS (E@)