nk, and ascertained that a
week's notice would be necessary before the whole account could be
withdrawn.

The clerk filled an order for twenty dollars, and pushed it over to
Sam.

"Sign that," he said.

Sam hastily signed the name of "Henry Martin," and passed it back.

The clerk went to a large book, and compared the signature with the
one recorded therein. Now, there was a considerable difference between
Sam's and Henry's handwriting, and he detected it at once.

"You are not Henry Martin," he said, on his return.

Sam was astonished at this discovery, but was too much alarmed to deny
it.

"No, sir," he said.

"What is your name?"

"Sam Barker."

"What made you sign the name of Henry Martin?" asked the bank officer,
suspiciously.

"He is my roommate."

"Did he ask you to draw this money for him?"

"Yes," answered Sam.

"He ought to have known that we would not pay it except upon his
written order."

"He thought it would do just as well if I signed his name," said Sam,
growing bolder.

"Then, he was mistaken."

"Can't you give me the money, then?"

"No, he must come himself."

"All right!" said Sam. "I'll tell him."

He spoke so naturally that the clerk was inclined to think his
suspicions were needless, and that Sam was really an authorized agent
of the real depositor. But when he got into the street, Sam's vexation
found vent.

"Everything goes against me," he grumbled. "It hasn't done me a bit of
good taking this book. I shall only have the trouble of putting it
back again. I can't do it now, for I must go back to the store,
without my lunch, too."

He counted upon replacing the book before it was missed; but Henry
reached home first, and discovered his loss, as related in the
preceding chapter.

CHAPTER XV.

SAM IS FOUND OUT.

Henry was not a little disturbed at the disappearance of his
bank-book. He felt confident that he had laid it away in his trunk,
and in that case it must have been stolen. But who possessed a key to
the trunk? Could it be Sam? Henry recalled Sam's application for a
loan, and he feared that it was really he. He determined to make
inquiries as soon as his roommate came home.

He had scarcely formed this determination when Sam entered.

"You are home early, Henry," he said.

"No; it is you who are late."

"I didn't get out quite as soon as usual."

"I wonder whether he has missed the bankbook," thought Sam. "If he'd
only go out, I'd put it back