The Rejected Bank Note

"What is the price of this dressing gown, air !" asked . sWeot faced girl, entering Rn elegant store in tlia city, wliich eball be nameless. It was a cloudy day. The olerks lounged over the counter and yawned. The man to whoui Alice Locke addressed horself was jaunty and iniddle aged. He was head clerk of the extensiva establishment, and extreniely coneequential. "This dressing gown we value at gix dollars - you Bhall have it at five." " Five dollars !" Alice looked at the dressing gown lovingly, nd the clerk looked at hor. Ho saw that her ulothee, though made and worn genteelly, wero common enough in texture, and that her face was very ranch out pf th common line. How itchanged ! now slmded, now lighted by the varied play of her emotions. The olerk oould almout havo sworn that she had no inore than that sura, five dollars, in her possession. " I thiuk," sIih iiesitated a moment, " I think JU take it," she ftid ; then seeing in the face bel'ore her an expression she did not hke, she blushed as she handed out the bill the clerk had made up his inind to take. "Jenuis!" cried Torrent, the head clerk, in a quick, pompous tono, "pass up the bank noto detootor." Up ran the boy with the deteoter, and down ran the clerk's eye trom column to column. Then he looked over with a shurp glancB and oxclaimed : "ThBt's o counterfeil bil!, Miss!" "Counterfeit! Oh, no - it cannot be ! the man wbo sent it eould not have been 60 careless; yon tnust ba mistaken, sir. ' " I am not mistaken ; I'in nover mistaken, Mies. This bill is counterfeit, I must presume, of course, that you did not know it, although so much bad money has been offered us of late that we intend to secure such persous as pass it. Who did you say gent it 'f" Mr. C , sir, of New York. He could not send me bad mouey," said the trembling, frightened girl. " Humph I" sid the clerk. Well, there's no doubt about this ; you can look for yourself. Now don't let me see you liere again until you can bring good money, for we always suspeot such persons as you that come on dark days with a well made story." " But, sir " " You need make no explanation, Miss,'' said the man insultingly. " Take your bill, and tlie next time you want to buy a dressing gown, don't try to pass your counterieit money," and as he handed it, the bill feil from his hands. Alice caught it froin the floor and ruhed into the strest. Such shock the girl had neTer receiyed. She hurried to a banking eitab lishlnent, found her wny in, and presented the note to a noble looking man with gray hair, faltering out, " Is thii bilí a bad one, gir?" The cashier and hia son happened to be the only parsons present. Both noticed her extreme youth, beauty and agitation. The cashier looked closely and handed it back, as with a polite bow and somewhat prolonged look, he sald : " It's a good bill, young lady." "I knew it was," oried Alioe, with a quivering lip - and he dared - " ' She could go no fuither, but entirely overeóme, she bent her head, and the hot tears had their way. ' I beg your pardon, hare you had any tronble with it?" asked the cashier. " Oh, sir, you will excuse me for giving way to my feelings; but you syoko so kindly, and I feit So gure that it was good. And I think, sir, such men as one of the clurks at Hunter & Warner's should be removed. He told me that it was counterfeit, and added gomethiug that I am glad my father did not hear. I knew the publigher would not send nie bad money." "Who is yonr father, young lady?" asked the caahier, becoining interested. " Mr. Bnjamin Locke, ïir." " Benjamin - Ben Looke - was ho ever a clurk in the nary department at Washington ?" " Yes, sir, we remoTed frora tbere," plied Alice. " Since then - she hesitated - " he has not been well - and we are somewhat reduced. Oh, why do I teil these things, ir '(" " Ben, IrfMjke ledoced !" murroured the cashier; "the taan who was ths making of me !" Give me hi nnmber and street my child. Your fathei was the best, perhaps tho only friend I had. I have not forgotten him. No. 4 Liberty treet. I will cali thi% evening. Moantinate let me hav the bill - let me see - I'll give tou tnother. Bince I come to look, nai'en't got a five, here'i a ten ; we'l niake it all righd." That STenlng the inmate of a sliaVby genteel houae received the cashier of th M bunk. Mr. Locke, a man of gra; hairs, thouph numbering but fifty yearf rose from his arm cliair, and muoh a) fected, greeted the familiar face. Th gon of the cashior aocompauied bim, aut white the eldert talked together, Alico nd the yóüag man giew quite fiiciully. " Yes, sir, I have been unfortuuato," said Mr. Locku in a low; tone. " I havo just recovered, as you sec, trom rhoumatic t'ever, caueed by undue exortion, nd had ií höt bsen for that sweet daughter ót' mine, I know not what i should haVe done. She, by giving lessona in inusic and Frencli, and by writing i'or periodicals, has kept mo, so tar, abovo want." - You slia.ll BOt fraíit, ttiy óld friend, ' said tho cashier. " It was a kiñd providonce that sent your daughter to me. There is a vacancy in the bank jast made by the flhwtfc ?' a aí'iablo tilcrk and It 3 at your disposal. It ia my gift, and valued tit three thousand a yutir." Pen cannot describe the joy with which this kind offer was aocepted. Tho day of deliverunce had come. On the ïollowing morning the öashier entered the store of Hunter fe Warner, and inquired lor the hoad clerk. Ile camo obsuouioüslv. " Sil-," suid the oa?!íier sternly, " ie that (i bad hnte 't" "I - 1 tbink not, sir," starnineringly rephed t!o clerk. ïhe cashier went to ths door. From bis carriage stepped a young girl and her tather. " Did you not tell this young lady that tbc libïö Was BOUbterfeití And did you not so far forget self-respect and the interest ot your einployers as to oüur an iusult 'i" The mt.n etood confounded - he darcd not deny - ha coüUi say nothing t'or him self. " If your employers kpep you, sir, they will no longcr have rny Cüsto'fií" suid the cashier, sternly. " You deserve to be horseWbipped, sir.'1 The íinn parted wHh their unworthy olerk that very day, and he left tha store disgraced, but puuiáhed justly. Alice Locke becftme thn dattghteí of the good c-ashier. All of whieh greW oüt of cttlling a genuine bilí couutert'cit.