of
Atkinson, and the surrounding country, indicated a thrifty, well-to-do
population.

Having roamed about to my satisfaction, I spent the latter part of the
afternoon at the hotel, where I met a number of the professional men of
the county. I found that the hotel was occupied by many of the best
families during the winter and spring, and I soon formed the
acquaintance of several of the gentlemen. They greeted me with
characteristic Southern hospitality, and I was pleased to see that my
_role_ as a Scotch speculator was quite an easy one to play; at least,
no one ever appeared to suspect my real object in visiting Atkinson.

At the appointed hour I went to the bank, and was met outside by Mr.
McGregor, to whom I had been introduced during the day. He took me in
through the private entrance, and we were joined in a few minutes by
Alexander Bannatine, president, and Peter A. Gordon, vice-president, of
the bank. Mr. Bannatine was about fifty years of age, but he looked much
older, owing to his continuous and exhausting labors as a lawyer, during
the early part of his life. Having made a large fortune by successful
practice and judicious investments, he had retired from the active
pursuit of his profession, and had joined several old friends in the
banking business. Mr. Gordon was, also, about fifty years old. He had
become wealthy by inheritance, and had increased his fortune by twenty
years of careful attention to business. He was unmarried, and George
Gordon, the murdered bank-teller, had stood in the relation of a son to
his uncle; hence, there was an additional reason for the capture and
conviction of the murderers. The recovery of the large sum of money
stolen, would, alone, have been an important consideration, but Mr.
Gordon was willing to spend a very extravagant amount in the detection
of the criminals, even though the money might never be discovered.

We seated ourselves at a table in the cashier's room, and I prepared to
take notes of all the facts then known by the gentlemen present.

"Now, Mr. Bannatine," I said, "please tell me everything connected with
the case, which may be of service to me."

"Well, Mr. Pinkerton, I have not been connected with the bank so long,
or so closely as Mr. McGregor," said Mr. Bannatine, "and perhaps he had
better give a short sketch of young Gordon's connection with the bank
first."

"George Gordon was taken into our employ about five years ago," said Mr.
McGregor. "He had