Part 23 (1/2)
”I see!” returned the notary, amiably, showing no surprise. He called a cheery ”Good night!” when he left them at the tavern door.
Landlord Files gave them a room with two beds. Without making any bones of the thing, Examiner Starr pushed his bed across the door and then turned in and snored with the abandon of one who had relieved himself of the responsibility of keeping vigil.
CHAPTER XVI
LOOKED AT SQUARELY
The bank examiner and the cas.h.i.+er were down early to breakfast.
Starr had slept well and was vigorously alert. Vaniman was haggard and visibly worried. Both of them were reticent.
Vaniman felt that he had nothing to say, as matters stood.
Starr was thinking, rather than talking. He snapped up Files when the landlord meekly inquired whether there were any clews. Files retreated in a panic.
”Vaniman,” said the examiner, when they pulled on their coats under the alligator's gaping espionage, ”this is going to be my busy day and I hope you feel like pitching into this thing with me, helping to your utmost.”
”You can depend on me, Mr. Starr.”
”I don't intend to bother you with any questions at present except to ask about the routine business of the bank. So you can have your mind free on that point.”
They went to the bank and relieved Britt.
”Go get your breakfast and come back here as soon as you can,” Starr commanded, plunging into matters with the air of the sole captain of the craft. ”And call a meeting of the directors.”
The examiner had brought a brief-case along with him from the tavern.
He pulled out a card. Britt winced when he saw what was printed on the card.
THIS BANK CLOSED
pending examination of resources and liabilities and
auditing of accounts. Per order STATE BANK EXAMINERS.
Mr. Starr ordered Britt to tack that card on the outer door.
”Isn't there any other way but this?” asked the president.
”There's nothing else to be done--certainly not! I'm afraid the inst.i.tution is in a bad way, Britt. You say you have been calling regular loans in order to build up a cash reserve--and your cash isn't in sight. I reckon it means that the stockholders will be a.s.sessed the full hundred per cent of liability.”
He bolted the bank door behind the president.
”Now, Vaniman, did you find out anything sensible about those books, as far as you got last evening?”
”Only that the accounts seem to have been willfully tangled up.”
”Then we'll let that part of the thing hang. Get out letters to depositors, calling in all pa.s.s books.”
After Vaniman had set himself down to that task, Starr went about his business briskly. He prepared telegrams and sent his charioteer to put them on the wire at Levant. Those messages were intended to set in operation the state police, a firm of licensed auditors, the security company which had bonded the bank's officials, the insurance corporation which guaranteed the Egypt Trust Company against loss by burglars. Then Starr proceeded with the usual routine of examination as conducted when banks are going concerns.