Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1892-04-07
COULDN'T DRAW HIS Money
Because His Signature Difersd From
That Whom He Was O BOY.


The conversation turned upon early
struggles in life. All of them had
had hard times, but each of them had
managed to start bank account IN
his first days of earning money, and
to add to it from time to time.
"And the only time in my life,"
SAID one Of them, 'that / had money
and yet did not have it, was when /
had worked long enough and hard
enough to feel that / was justified In
making what to me was considerable
OF an investment. Years before this
had begun modest little account
in the - Saving Bank. When /
first made my deposits they were not
big, and they were not frequent, but
kept on making them month by
month, and year by year, and in time
they began to count for something.
II had never allowed myself the
luxury of withdrawing a single cent
from that bank, not even when / felt
that would be one of the keenest
pleasures in the world to swagger up,
and draw from a big bank some of my
own money and spend it. / had
reached the limit which l had set for
myself in that bank and had ceased
to deposit there. | was perfectly con-
tent to let my money remain there.
"But the time came when / was to
make my Investment / looked over
all my assets, got ready to turn them
into cash and found that / should
have to go to my first savings bank.
l hated to do it then. But marched
down and presented myself at the
window. ! hadn't been there for a
long time. / had grown up. l had
added to my face beard, and I was
as far from being the boy who had
formerly been there as a man well
could be. The first thing l was
asked to do was to write my sigma
ture. | wrote it as had learned to
write it in the recent years, with
slapdash rush.
THE teller looked at me scrutiniz-
again. l dashed off another. He
went off second time and came
back with a little deprecating smile.
The signatures are not the same
he said.
"'But, great Scott! I'm the same
l said.
"'But how do I know that?' he
said, with his provoking smile.
"'You don't expect, do you,' l
jerxed out impatlently, for 1 wanted
that money and wanted it quickly,
that I'd write the same hand now as
l did when was a IA years old, and
made my first deposit?'
mo, he said, still smiling
@'Well, I'm in a hurry for that
money said CURLY. I've got to
use it right away, and I'd like it right
away
'I'm very sure, he said, that you
are the man, fIom the story you tell,
but how do | know it? l can't let a
man have money when l do not know
him, and when his signature does
not agree with the one we have
"'What in the world am l to do?'
l said.
"'You will have to be identified
"'But haven't time.
"'You will have to make it or else
sign like your old slgnature-your old
one" he added with smile, lis a
good deal better than the one you
write now
''But l had to hurry out and find
some one who could identify me be.
fore | could draw the money which /
myself had deposited. When l had
drawn it my boyish signature wai
shown to me. 1t was round and clear,
but little trembling, and when !
looked at 1t for the first time in a
good many years, a rush memories
came over me, and l recalled how !
had felt on the first day that had
ever gone into bank to open an &C.
count for myself. New York Tri.
bune.
ft,a r<~nr Ua