The morning call., 1892-01-02
COULDN'T DRAW HIS OWN MONEY.
His Signature Was in the Bank, but Ii
Was in Boys Writing.

His Signature Was in the Bank, but 1t
Was in Boys Writing.
The conversation turned upon early strug-
giles in life. All of them had had hard times,
but each of them had managed 20 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 l had money aud yet did
not have it, was when l had worked long
enough and hard enough to feel that was
Justified in making what to me was con-
siderable OF an investment. Years before
this l had begun modest little account In
the - Savings Bank. When first made
my deposits they were not big and they
were not frequent, but L kept on max ing
them month by month and year by year.
and in time they began to count for some
thing.
IL mad never allowed myself the luxury
of withdrawing a single cent from that
bank, not even when | felt that it would be
one of the keeneSt pleasures in the world TO
swagger up and draw from big bank some
of my money and spend ii. | had reached
the limit which had set for myself in that
bank and had ceased to deposit there. L
was perfectly content TO let my money re-
main there.
But tile time came when / was to make
my investment | looked over all my as
sets, got ready TO turn them into cash,
and found that | should have to 90 to
my first savings bank. | hated to do it then.
But marched down and presented myself
at the window. / hadn't been there for
long time | had grown up. l had added
t. my face a beard and | was as far from
being the boy who had formerly been there
| as man well could be. The first thing
was asked to do, was to write my signature.
wrote it as | had learned to write it in the
recent years. with slap-dash rush.
The teller looked at me scrutinizingly,
and then asked me to write 1T again. |
dashed off another. He went off second
time and came back with little deprecat-
Ing smile.
1.-The signatures are not the same he
said.
"'But, Pm the same said.
but how do | know thatP he said, with
his provoking smile.
"'You don't expect, do you,' l jerked out
impatiently, for | wanted that money and
wanted it quickly, that I'd write the same
hand now as i did when was ii years old,
and made my first deposit?
No. he said, still smiling
Well I'm in hurry for that money L
said curtly. 'Ive got to use it right away,
and I'd like it right away
"I'm very sure he said, that you are
the man, from the story you tell. but how do
! know it? i can't let a man have money
when do not know him. and when his sig
nature does not agree with the one We
have
"'What in the world am / to do? | said.
Y ou will have to be identified
"'But / haven't time
"'Y OF will have TO make it or else sign
like your old signature-yODr old one he
added with SMILE is good deal better
than the one you write now
But had to hurry out and find some one
who could identify me before | could draw
the money which | myself had deposited.
When / had drawn it my bOyish
signature was shown to me. 1t was
round and clear, but little tremb-
ling, and when / looked at it for the
first time in good many years, a rush of
memories came over me. and | recalled how
had felt on the first day that had ever
gone into a bank to open an account for
mySelf"-N. I. Tribune