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Show A FLAW IN THE PUN X ' jjj By G. F. FERRIS. J I Tho decision to steal camo to DaviB as the result of months of reflection. It could not bo said to bo tho result of impulse. Thero was not tho slightest slight-est extenuation. Calmly and methodically method-ically Davis made up his mind to take tho flvo or six thousand dollars' worth of bills which would pass through his hands on tho following Saturday. Tho money was taken out of the bank on Saturday morning nnd placed In tho safe. During the morning Davis Da-vis and Harvey, tho cashier, mado out tho envelopes. Harvoy handed Davis tho bills to place In each envelope. Harvey was short-sighted, and thero was a card Index box between them. Nothing would bo castor than for Davis Da-vis to placo tho ompty envelope lu tho safo and slip tho bills Into his pockets. pock-ets. Tho salaries would bo paid between be-tween four and flvo. Davis' theft would remain undetoctcd from ono, when ho went out to lunch, till four. Davis was not a bad man, but his mind woks warped. Ho-believed himself him-self to be the victim of social Injustice. In-justice. Ho had laid his plans with tho utmost assurance. At one ho would leave the offlco, at 2:30 ho would Ball on board the Boadlcea for Buenos Bu-enos AlrcB. With tho last penny of his Bavings ho had engaged a passago for England on board tho Laodlcea, which left at threo. He had lingered Just long enough in the steamship office, of-fice, and asked just enough questions to Impress his Identity upon the clerk, and raise a lingering Interest which might, under circumstances, become an active suspicion. Davis was twenty-nlno, and he had been with tho corporation seven years, waiting patiently for his chance. Cohen, the present manager, had told Davis In strict confldenco that ho was leaving; he had had a better offer. "Say, Davis, know why old Kreba turned you down before?" ho asked. "Spruce up, old man. Don't bo a sloven. slov-en. Got a fifty-dollar suit and tlcklo tho old man's prldo. And, say! Ever notice that your cuffs aro frayed? Ticklo tho old man, mako htm think ho's paying you fine wages, It you want to got on his right side " Davis repulsed Cohen's confidences. Ho was too bitter just then to think of flattering Krebs. Besides, ho had already al-ready begun to formulate bis scheme. Ho bought the new suit, however. That was part of tho game. Thoy chaffed him on his spruco appearance at tho offlco on the Saturday morning, but Davis said nothing. He hung up his coat, put on tho old offlco one, and sot to work. Ho was In high good-humor, and possessed pos-sessed by a sort of reckless audacity which mado the carrying out of the plan easy. He almost laughed as ho adroitly slipped tho bills Into his pockets under Harvey's very oyes, and placed tho ompty envelopes In tho safe. By noon, when tho cashier went out to his lunch, ho had amassed nearly near-ly flvo thousand dollars. He waited till Harvoy returned; then ho wont out of tho cage Into the president's room. "I am thinking of leaving you shortly, short-ly, Mr. Krebs," said Davis. "All right," said Krebs. Davis was taken aback. Krebs had scored thoro. Davis stood looking at him uneasily. "I wish I could stay, sir," ho con- itminfl MHif T hnvn iVin nfffti- et n nrv. a..uwi, www a UH V HV wv. V - - sitlon in Cuba, to manage an estate,, and It is too good to refuse" Krobs scorned to wake up at that. His oyes began to bulgo. He looked at Davis as If ho wondored at tho transformation In the slovenly clerk's appearance Krobs hated losing men. "Walt a minute!" ho said. "Soo here, young man. If you co to Cuba you'll got malaria and yellow fevor, and dlo. I was thinking of making you an offer. Mr. Cohen Is leaving us next mouth. I was counting on you to All his placo. How much Is your now position worth?" "I'm r.ot at llborty to say," said Davis, Da-vis, "I'm sorry, sir, that I can't reconsider recon-sider tho matter." Krobs reddened and glared at him. "What do you mean, you 'can't reconsider'?" recon-sider'?" ho growled. "Mr. Cohen is getting twenty-five hundred. How would that sum appeal to you?" "It wouldn't appeal at all," said Davis, Da-vis, enjoying his triumph. "You've ground mo down tor years and paid me a dog's wages. You aro an In-fornal In-fornal old skinflint, and I wouldn't work for you for twice that money." Davis withdrew. Ho knew that Krebs would bo gnawing his nails with rago that night when he discovered dis-covered tho amount of the loss. He had recovered his good humor by tho time ho was In the sfreot. Ho mado bis way direct to the wharf, picked up his suit-case on routo, and boarded tho "Boadlcea" flvo minutes before sho sailed. Ho stood besldo tho rati looking back at tho receding panorama of Now York. Ho lit a cigar. "I'll tako a deck chair, steward," ho said, "Ono dollar, pleaso," said the steward. stew-ard. Davis felt In bis pockets. Ho fished up a dime and a nickel. Ho tolt for a bill. His pockets woro empty. Ho had loft tho coat with the bills In tho offlco, In tho cashier's cago. (Copyright, 1915, by McCluro Newspaper Syndicate.) |