The Silent Gift by Michael Jr. Landon

Author:Michael Jr. Landon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030
ISBN: 9781441204912
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2009-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-three

THE TEMPERATURE WAS FLIRTING WITH the freezing mark when Mary and Jack stepped through the double doors into the First National Bank of Chicago. Close to noon on Monday, it was only the third time Mary had set foot in the bank, the other two times being with Agnes. Opening an account last spring, then making a substantial deposit with their first month’s donations—and now.

Her conversation with the pastor along with the accusations Eldon Smith had made had planted a tiny seed of doubt about Agnes that wouldn’t go away. Mary spent the rest of her Sunday trying to ignore the nagging thoughts—through Agnes’s polite questions about church, through the meatloaf they had for supper, and even through The Jack Benny Program on the radio. But after tossing and turning much of the night, she had finally decided there was only one way to put the doubts to rest.

Agnes had looked a little confused when Mary had told the woman she had some errands to run, but hadn’t asked any questions other than if she wanted some company.

“No thanks,” Mary told her. “We’ll be fine.”

“All right, dear,” Agnes said. “Maybe I’ll use the time to catch up on my knitting. I’m thinking of chicken and dumplings for dinner— sound good?”

Mary was feeling guilty and more than a little foolish by the time she and Jack had entered the bank, passed the security guard, and got in line at the teller’s window. She’s making chicken and dumplings for dinner! She’s not a swindler. She’s Agnes!

When it was her turn at the teller’s window, Mary produced the bank book that Agnes kept in the drawer in the kitchen.

“I’d like to check the balance in my account, please,” she said. “This is the account number.” She pushed the bank book into the small dip in the counter below the barred window and into the teller’s hands.

The woman smiled at her. “Certainly, ma’am. One moment, please.”

It only took a minute, maybe less, for the teller to look at the ledger and write a figure down on a slip of paper. She tucked it inside the passbook and slid it back under the bars. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Mrs. Meriwether?”

“Oh no—sorry. I’m Miss Godwin. Mrs. Meriwether’s name is on the account also because we needed for her to be able to make deposits—”

“Oh, my mistake, Miss Godwin. Is there anything else?”

“No,” Mary said as she opened the passbook and looked at the figure. Her eyes were wide when she looked up again at the teller. “There’s been some mistake,” she said. “I don’t know exactly how much money I have in my account—but I know it’s considerably more than this!”

The teller shook her head. “That’s the correct balance, ma’am.”

“But how can that be? I know I had a lot more money than this! Where’s the rest of it?”

“I can assure you, Miss Godwin, that we keep detailed records—” The teller took another look at the ledger, running her finger slowly down the column.

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