The Project Gutenberg EBook of Halsey & Co., by H. K. Shackleford
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Title: Halsey & Co.
or, The Young Bankers and Speculators
Author: H. K. Shackleford
Release Date: June 29, 2007 [EBook #21963]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HALSEY & CO. ***
Produced by Richard Halsey
HALSEY & Co.;
OR, THE YOUNG BANKERS AND SPECULATORS
By H. K. SHACKLEFORD
CHAPTER I.--"I'll Shoot!"
Mr. Barron, the rich banker in Broad street, was seated at his desk in
his private office one day when the door was opened by the porter, who
said:
"There's a newsboy out here who says he must see you, sir."
"Go and tell him to let you know what he wants. If it's a situation,
tell him we have none vacant."
The porter went back to the outer office. In a minute or two the door
opened again and the newsboy entered and closed the door behind him. The
banker recognized him as the boy who had brought him the afternoon
papers daily for a year back.
"The bouncer told me to go away, sir," the boy said, doffing his hat as
he spoke, "but I knew my business better than he does. There's a couple
of men putting up a big job on your bank, and I knew if I didn't tell
you about it they'd scoop you for a big pile."
The banker wheeled his chair around so as to face the boy, and laid his
gold glasses on the desk.
"Who are they, and how did you find out about it?" he asked.
"I don't know who they are, but I found it out by overhearing their
talk."
"What is their plan?"
"A forged check."
"Whose name is forged?"
"I don't know, sir. They had a genuine check and were comparing it to
the forged one. They said it was perfect and would be paid if presented
when the cashier was busy."
"Ah! I see. That means a little before three o'clock. Now, my boy, do
you think you could point them out to a detective when they come up to
the cashier's window?"
"Yes, sir."
"Not afraid of them, eh?"
"No, sir. I am not afraid of anybody."
The banker smiled, reached over on his desk and tapped a small bell. The
door opened and a messenger appeared.
"Tell Caruth to come here," the banker said to him.
The messenge
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