"Draw a check for five thousand dollars," commanded Captain Hallam,
"payable 'to the King of Holland or Bearer'. Mind, I say 'bearer,' _not_
'order.' Then draw another check for one hundred dollars, payable to
yourself."

Not another word was said. No explanation of the gift to the cashier was
offered or asked. The cashier understood. He drew the checks and his
employer signed them. The smaller one he handed to his subordinate. The
vastly larger one he thrust into his vest pocket, as he moved around a
corner of the piazza to set his little girls swinging in a new
contrivance which he had purchased for their use.

Presently he returned to his secretary and said:

"Telegraph Mr. Kingsbury to make out an application in proper form for a
military permit to ship five thousand bales of cotton to New York. Tell
him to have it ready for me at two o'clock at the main office."

Two hours later Captain Hallam found the application ready for him on
his office desk. After looking it over he signed and carefully folded it
after the fashion required for military documents, but as he did so he
slipped into it the check for five thousand dollars, payable to the
"King of Holland or Bearer."

No mention of the check was made in the document. If the proceeding
should be resented at headquarters, the enclosure could be excused on
the plea of accident.

Then the man of business bade his secretary envelop the package and send
it by messenger to military headquarters.

It came back promptly with this endorsement on it:

"Application denied. The proposed shipment is larger than this office
regards as proper _under existing circumstances_."

The last three words were heavily and suggestively underscored. Captain
Hallam thought he understood. He was in the habit of understanding
quickly. He called the cashier, handed him the check, first tearing it
into four pieces, and bade him cancel the stub and draw a new check for
ten thousand dollars, payable as before, to "the King of Holland _or
Bearer_."

Then he endorsed the application with the sentence:

"As conditions have somewhat changed since this application was
rejected, I venture to ask a reconsideration."

Half an hour later Captain Hallam was duly and officially notified that
his application for permission to ship five thousand bales of cotton was
granted.

The check--without endorsement--was cashed next day--the bank teller
would never say by whom. But in the meanwhile Ca