Show rl ik i k 1 I H A FLAW IN THE PLAN by G F FERRIS i r 4 4 F the decision to steal came to lo davis iia as the result of months of reflection redaction it could not be said to be the result of impulse there was not the slightest extenuation calmly and method icalla davis made up tip his mind to take the live five orsia thousand dollars worth of bills which would pass through his hands on the following saturday the money was taken out of the bank on saturday morning and placed la in the sale safe during the morning davis and harvey the cashier made out ailt the envelopes harvey handed davis the bills to place in each envelope harvey was shortsighted short sighted and there was a card index box between them nothing would be easier than for davis to place the empty envelope in tho safe and slip the bills into his pockets the salaries would be paid between four and five davis theft would remain undetected from oue one when he went out to lunch till tour four davis was not a bad man but his mind was warped he believed himself to be the victim of social injustice he had laid his plans with the utmost assurance at one he would leave the office at he would sall sail on board the boadicea tor for buenos aires with the last penny of his savings he had engaged a passage tor for england on board the laodicea which left at three he had lingered just long enough in the steamship office and asked just enough questions to impress his identity upon the clerk and raise L lingering interest which raight under circumstances um stances become an ail active suspicion davis was twentynine twenty nine and he had been with the corporation seven years waiting patiently for his chance cohen the present manager had told davis in strict confidence that he was leaving he had had a better offer say davis know why old krebs turned you down before he asked spruce up old man don dont t be a got gat a fifty dollar suit and tickle the old mans pride and say ever notice that your cuffs are frayed tickle the old man make him think lies hes paying you filie fi lie wages it if you want to get on his right side davis repulsed cohens confidences H he e was too bitter biller just then to think of flattering krebs besides he had already begun to formulate his scheme he bought the new suit auit however that was part of the game they chaffed chaffee him on his spruce appearance at the office on the saturday morning but davis said nothing lie he hung bung up his coat put on the old office one and set to work ho he was in high good humor and possessed by a sort of reckless audacity which made the carrying out of the plan easy he almost laughed as he adroitly slipped the bills into his pockets under harveys very eyes and placed the empty envelopes in the safe by noon when the cashier went out to his lunch he had amassed nearly five thousand dollars lie ile waited till harvey returned then he went out of if the cage into the presidents room 1 I am thinking of leaving you shortly mr air krebs said davis all right said krebs davis was taken aback krebs drobs irad had scored there davis stood looking at him uneasily 1 I wish I 1 could stay sir air he be continued but I 1 have the offer of 0 a position in cuba to manage an estate and it la Is too good to refuse krebs seemed to wake up at that his eyes began to bulge he looked at davis as it if he wondered at the transformation in the slovenly clerks appearance krebs hated losing men walt wait a minute he said see here young man it if you go to cuba get malaria and yellow fever and die I 1 fas was thinking of making you an offer mr air cohen Is leaving us next month I 1 was counting on you to fill his place how much la is your new position worth im not at liberty to say said daris is im sorry sir that I 1 cant reconsider the matter krebs reddened and glared at him what do you mean you cant reconsider he growled mr air cohen Is getting twenty five hundred how would that sum appeal to you it appeal at all said davis datig enjoying his triumph youve ground me down tor for years yeara and paid me a dogs wages you are an internal infernal old skinflint and I 1 work tor for you tor for twice that money davis withdrew he knew that krebs would be gnawing his nails with rage that night when he di discovered the amount ot of the loss he had recovered his good humor by the time he was in the street lie he made his way direct to the wharf picked up his suitcase suit case en route Q and boarded the boadicea five minutes before she sailed he stood beside the rail looking back at the receding panorama of new york he lit a cigar ill take a deck chair steward he said bald one dollar please said the steward davis felt in his pockets he fished up a dime and a nickel H he felt tor for a bill his pockets were empty ho he had left the coat with the bills la in the office in the cashiers cage copyright 1916 1915 by mcclure mcclur Newa pape syndicate |