ing teller shouted for the fourth teller.
The latter was in the basement--but not for long. Two "C" men had him
by the collar and were bringing him up the cellar steps in jumps.

"We're sick of late clearings," said Marks, the "husky guy with the
small ankles," as he was called.

"Any more of this monkey-doodle business," rejoined Cantel, "and we'll
distribute you around the coal basement."

"Aw, shut up," growled the fourth teller; "you'd think your clearing
amounted to something."

Ten minutes later the two current-account ledger-keepers were howling
for "more stuff." They looked like a couple of hungry wolves, and kept
up their yowling as persistently as those wild rovers.

"See here," bawled Marks, "you guys got to wait till we get it. What
in ---- do you think we are--jugglers or magicians? It's rather hard
to balance it, you know, Brower, till we get it out of the envelopes.
Get me?"

"No, but I will get you," retorted Brower, "if you don't grease that
adding machine."

Cantel grinned, and kicked his desk-mate, Marks.

"Say, Ankles," he said, "we'll get him in the basement at noon and I'll
suggest gloves, eh?"

He with the tapering figure made no reply; he was chasing nine cents up
and down a long adding-machine strip.

"They must have a brilliant bunch over at the S----," he said, grinding
his teeth; "I never knew one of their slips to balance."

Key had done so much checking in his day he looked upon the calling of
the cash book as a morning recreation. The rest of the day he had
little time to talk, so he got a large number of stray sentences into
the totals that made up the cash book.

"Debit nine eighty-five drafts issued," he called--"tell Banfield to
come over here--get it?--credit head office branch account six hundred
even--how long has he been here?--I called that once--exchange on money
orders fifteen cents--Well, Mr.--er--No! I said fifteen. What's the
matter with you, Watson, were you drunk again last night?"

And so on. Key suggested to Nelson that he wander around the office
during the forenoon and get a general idea of the way things were done.
"You'll find it a new business altogether from country banking," he
said, not very much to the new man's encouragement.

Following Key's advice Evan endeavored to learn a few generalities.
About the only thing he learned, however, was that every man had a post
that kept him busy every minute, and did not want to be interrupted.
One