Show 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 T the do S iltem all bliem J ti V 0 0 e 0 0 0 by ARNOLD M ANDERSON 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 00 do copyright by dally Daily story pub co the Juke wafer bank of commerce s was nas in diffin difficulties unties overloaded over loaned or some such matter the books would A not bear inspection and the bank ex i k a miner was expected momentarily it is not to be even hinted that hat the in ution was not perfectly soun soult for indeed all its ITi investments vestments were sane and legitimate but still there was lack ing in its reserve and at a time who when n the financial world was inclined to be panicky this was a most distressing circumstance it if the shortage was detected the state banking law which eipl expressly essly stipulated that 1 I a certain perce percentage niage of the deposits must be available would undoubtedly be rigidly enforced though the bank was solvent yet an exposure of eyen a slight nonconformity to the legal re quire ments nii might glit ur under der the circum stances prove ruinous to its reputation and business 4 what was to be done the Luke water bank is a small concern whose working force consists of a president cashier bookkeeper and A a japanese janitor we the existence or nonexistence non existence of the establishment wo would U ld not perceptibly affect the progress of the world yet for all that it occupies a position of vital importance I 1 in the minds of these four officials who one day after banking hours holers had U gathered inthe fi presidents residents tiny y vate office on this occasion the big ideen green shade had b been eon pulled halt half way up oyer over the plate glass window so as to exclude the interior or from the gaze of passersby passers by only the air of mystery was lacking to give the conference a 1 dramatic tinge the the air of mystery 1 was impossible because all four knew exactly why the meeting was called namely lf jor ar the purpose of devising the ways and anal means of extricating the honorable institution from its embarrassing barr arr assing predicament it will not appear strange that hakko theJa the japanese panes e janitor was included in this company when it is learned that he by reason of his cunning attentiveness veness had come to know all the secrets of the bank and furthermore encumbered his present lowly position merely as a student of american 11 finance nance anon the ambitious youth would be recalled to the orient to assume the post of assi assistant slant secretary to the mi treasurer gentlemen began griswold the president as hi his s coll colleagues bagues were seated as you know our confounded enterprise has led us into temptation tation im surprised the bank examiner has not been here before this said clinton the cae cashier ca ahier liler dismally clinton reproved the president we are not here to shed tears but to find a way out of the difficulty I 1 am re ready ady to hear suggestions in the first place can any of you raise any cash how much have you that is not alrea already dyon on deposit here the four glanced timidly from one to another and dmd then than each I 1 fished up lip from his pockets bills and coins of varying denom denominations inactions which alto gether made up a total of hakko asked mr griswold noting the insufficient relief fund are arc you sure you a i pot of gold buried somewhere in the cel cellar larT the japs face took on ah added illumination as he replied 1 T I have bave very little cash money but I 1 can cable to my father perhaps he will make us a loan we want spot cash or gilt edged colln collateral teral we cant wait a lay day adf and besides your father would demand security 4 our becu securities ri ties are already working overtime said the cashier who wha 0 then asked why cant you r raise edse something on your real estate briswold wold my lifes real estate you meau mean but wont she concentto consent to she wont have the chance mrs airs griswold id Is the last person I 1 would trust with a business confidence jf I 1 told her of this thih affair or even hinted hat ahat I 1 needed money for any other reason there would be a run 0 on the bank tomorrow keeping secrets Is not one of my cifes virtues 1 I am not of a saving disposition it ventured denson benson the young bookkeeper and I 1 am sorry oh we know you anything interrupted the president in fact you have already overdrawn your salary I 1 believe it looks to me said the cashier as though it would be necessary for us ds to sacrifice some of our investments not in a thousand years cried griswold pounding the desak with his fist then we must borrow on our personal notes we wont give any notes either affirmed the president disdaining to give his reason what shall we do then id like to know 7 bensan said the preil president dent what would you bugge suggest st 1 I can think of only two answers and both of them are a little risky said gaid the bookkeeper meekly 4 well urged the cashier as benson hesitated take a few hundred dollars and try bribing the bank examiner or use that amount and try gambling for the stafean stake in the stock market or in a f gambling gamblin ghouse house 1 I guess theres a better show at poker than in speculating on margins ins I 1 at this reply the president and cashler cashier looked at each other quizzically then the latter announced sternly the Luke water bank is a conservative institution whatever we do must be safe an and d honest for half an hour longer one expedient after another was considered and rejected at the end of that time they were no nearer the solution of the problem than at the outset and even vie the optimistic griswold began to lose heart clinton had already done so the indifferent bookkeeper was yawning it was at this juncture that hakko who had been deep in thought suddenly exclaimed his face beaming with assurance oh no now w I 1 see what we can do then for heavens sake tell it comma commanded the despondent cashier why not draw a draft A draft sneered Cj griswold a fake draft I 1 suppose you mean you forget that we live in the age of telegraphs and the fraud could be exposed in 20 minutes not this draft assured the jap nonsense upon whom could we draw for with any safety the sultan of turkey the sultan of turkey gasped both griswold and clinton in a breath even the slee sleepy p y benson opened his eyes in wonderment it is ve very ry simple explained the complacent janitor and I 1 think it 4 would I 1 9 go th through ro ugh all right the bank eia examiner miner would never suspect anything was wrong he would not bup suppose you would draw upon the sultan without the right bubli but if lie he should ask questions you can tell him the draft was discounted by a japanese merchant of this city I 1 will get one of them to agree to the use of his name dont you know it is very common to draw on the sultan beas he is so slow to pay his debts it would be nothing stran geto the examiner the idea looks look good to me commented griswold however the officials bials interrogated hakko minutely and i discussed the scheme in its parlour aspects before they finally camo came to regard seriously the possibility of its adoption there is positively no harm barm in the idea even though it ft may be irr irregular agular 0 said the conscientious ba cashier slifer be bo bei i sides in two weeks our accounts will have a different story botell to tell no one will suffer by the innocent ruse when the sultan inquires about the obligation all we have to do is to write him that a mistake amistade had bad been made andraw in drawing upon him 64 its a cinch the bank examiner will consider it good collateral said the pre den t thus the matter was settled and the next day a satisfactory arranger arrange ment was concluded with a local japanese merchant a friend of hackos Hak kos I 1 and the 20 draft drawn on the I 1 sultan of turkey was dispatched to that mighty sovereign an hour after the paper had been mailed griswold in his private office startled a business busine ps acquaintance by bi bursting asting u out laughing in his race face tor for no apparent reason it had suddenly occurred to the president preside nf that the sending of the draft to the sultan was a piece of errant foolishness when the mere record of the transaction was all that could possibly concern the bank examiner when clinton was told the joke he felt so BO chagrined atthe at the stupidity that he lost all interest in his work for the remainder of thet day before the close of the week AM the unwelcome examiner made his call inspected the banks books and departed he was ev evidently satisfied with aff affairs airs as he found them and the royal draft if it excited his curiosity at all elicited no inquiry from him according to the ace accepted opted no notion this narrative shiuji close here or at a least rafter after hackos akios H salary had been doubled but by chance the end is not yet seven months p passed assed and the incident of the sultans draft had become lecomp almost for forgotten 9 otien history W when one day a huge crackling envelope emblazoned blazoned em with mystic oriental symbols arrived at the bank it was a communication from the minister of finance of the turkish empire with pompous surplusage of language the letter set forth that the draft for had been duly received and that after careful deliberation it was hereby lio honored nored by the sultan the epistle stated further that the arrival of the document had caused considerable consternation among the secretaries of the royal household for be it confessed in all humbleness no trace of the debt could be found on the books which fact was undoubtedly due t to carelessness on the part of 0 the sultans clerical force in closing the minister verbosely begged to suggest that in the future when the Luke water bank of commerce had dealings with the exalted potentate of the heaven blessed turkish empire it would be deemed a favor if they would kindly enclose with the draft or other legal instrument necessary to the transaction a statement showing in detail the precise nature of the obligation by so obliging he went on to explain matters would be much simpli simplified fled and the burden greatly lightened cpr the functionaries function aries whose grievous duty it was aas to keep with as much accuracy as possible the sultans intricate and eccentric private accounts |