“And is Mr. Belham doing better?” Charlie asked.
“He is. I’m happy to say the stroke was only a minor one, and I expect a full recovery.”
“That is good news. We won’t keep you, then. Have a good evening, Dr. Scott.”
“And you and your father also,” the man replied before heading out.
Charlie and his father reclaimed their seats as the waiter arrived with their soup and coffee. Charlie placed the napkin on his lap.
“I’ll say grace, if you like.” His father nodded.
Charlie offered a short prayer aloud, adding additional words in silence that God might allow his father to enjoy his trip to Cheyenne and understand Charlie’s heart about teaching.
Father was already sampling the onion soup by the time Charlie picked up his spoon. He seemed pleased by the taste and gave a nod.
“Quite good. Better than I figured on getting.”
“Belham’s is the best. At least in my opinion. I don’t eat out very often, but this is my first choice.”
Father gave a quick glance around the large room. “As I mentioned, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. Jacob had given me insight into the town and the people, but he admitted the place was growing so rapidly that it would no doubt have changed a great deal by the time I arrived.”
“They’re pushing for this area to become a separate territory and, in time, a state. I believe given the railroad’s actions in making Cheyenne their regional headquarters, there’s a good chance Cheyenne will become the capital. After all, it is the main town for hundreds of miles around.”
“It has been interesting to see the renewed push west after the war,” Father declared. “As you know, it was your brother’s idea to be a part of the westward expansion. Jacob believes there is a lot of money to be had, but I suppose henow realizes there’s a lot to be lost as well. Why don’t you tell me what happened? Start at the beginning.”
Charlie had hoped to put off the discussion of the bank, but seeing his father was determined to know everything, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, you already know that Jacob left Jefferson Lane in charge of the bank when he returned to Chicago. When I arrived, I found Mr. Lane to be rather pretentious and self-serving. He clearly felt he should remain in charge and wasn’t overly happy to see me. As I began to familiarize myself with the bank’s records, I soon learned why. Jefferson had managed to embezzle nearly six hundred dollars. He took only a few dollars here and there, mostly from the wealthier depositors, knowing they would be less likely to worry over their totals being off by such small amounts. If anyone did question it, Jefferson must have either made it right and found another account to steal from or convinced the customer they were wrong.”
“And this was going on from the time he was first employed?”
“As far as I can tell, yes. I confronted him about it, and he suggested Jacob had taken the money. I knew better and reminded Jefferson that Jacob had been gone for months and yet the embezzlement had continued. He had nothing to say. I fired him and told him I wouldn’t press charges but expected him to return the money.”
“You should have brought the officials into the matter immediately,” his father said in a stern tone. “Criminals such as Mr. Lane have no conscience and will never endeavor to make such things right.”
Charlie nodded and ate some of his soup. Finally, he put his spoon aside, sampled the coffee, and then continued. “Mybiggest mistake was in forgetting that Jefferson had keys to the bank. I just didn’t think of it, and when he left in a huff, my mind was on other things.”
He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “I am sorry, Father. I’ve never felt that I was called to be a banker, but this incident has made that even more clear to me. However, I want you to know that if Jefferson Lane and the money are not recovered, I will use some of my own inheritance to cover the loss. You aren’t to blame for this tragedy.”
His father finished his soup before speaking. “You have always been good about accepting responsibility for your mistakes, Charles. I have to say you do not disappoint regarding that matter. You never have.”
He gave Charlie a look that could only be termed endearing. His reaction left Charlie momentarily speechless. He had expected his father to be quite disapproving and ready to point out all of Charlie’s failings.
“You’ve also always been quite good at judging character. I’m impressed that you immediately sensed problems with Mr. Lane.”
“His nature was off-putting, but I don’t know that I would have thought him to be an embezzler had I not taken it upon myself to study the bank records. I thought that because the savings and loan was so new, reading back through the beginning transactions would help me to familiarize myself with the nature of the business done. I hadn’t expected to find embezzlement.”
“Nevertheless, you did a good job. The savings and loan here was always only an experiment in Jacob’s interests with the West. I was never all that supportive, but the board felt it was worth checking into.”
“I believe it is, if you are interested in my opinion,” Charlie said. “Cheyenne is destined to grow, and here’s why.”
Just then, the waiter came to take away their soup. Without any delay, he returned with two large plates of food. He placed the dishes in front of the men and asked if they cared for anything else. Both men declined, and the waiter left.
Charlie picked up his knife and fork. The steak looked delicious, as did the potatoes and succotash. He decided to dig right in.
“You were going to share your opinion,” his father said.
Pausing before cutting into the steak, Charlie nodded. “Just as I said. I believe the West is worth the interest. With the railroad connecting the eastern part of the nation with the western, people are going to be more inclined to settle the middle of the country. With the ending of the war, more and more people just long for peace of mind. Moving away from the battlefields and reminders of death and destruction has brought an influx of people that few could have expected.
