Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-11-23
BY c. B. LEWIS
} Copy tight, 1908, by r. b. Mcclure
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

at the village, but after a little Aunt
Judy began TO worry about 1t. She
was assured that the bank was as
sound as the hills, but she shook her
head and replied:
II dunno, james, dunno. OF course,
It's your money now, but I'm sorry |
didn't see the banker before you gave
It to him. / think I'll have you drive
me 10 town some day, so that can get
q look al him"
But SCOTS bank has been here for
twenty years, persisted the brother
Yes, s'pose it has but out In Iowa
they caught a man stealing pumpkins
who'd lived an honest life for sixty
years. ] wouldn't like to see you lose
your money, and If anything happened
to Clara's $500 I'd have a fit. She's
got to make a bridal tower to Niagara
falls or l won't see her married. Folks
have told me that more water runs
over the falls in day than would run
mill dam for a week and that there's
roar going on just like half a dozen
bulls bellerin' in the distance. | want
to get look at that banker. | can tell
In a minute whether he's honest or
not"
A few days later she was driven to
the village and an errand made to the
bank.
James" Aunt Judy said while they
were driving home, do you know that
woman knows forty times as much
as MANI"
Il hadn't heard of It," was the reply.
WAL, you hear of II now That
banker hain't an honest man. 1t won't
be a year before he'll bust up and
leave you all in the lurch"
Pooh. Pooh, Mr.. Scott has the
confidence of hundreds of people, and
1 don't worry over my money any
more than as II 1t was buried in the
cellar. You mustn't get such notions
into your head"
Its no notion, James Out In Iowa
we had three different hired men on
the farm who turned out to be thieves,
and each Of them looked like that
banker. | never in the world would
buy thing OF a tin peddler until had
looked al his eyes There's something
in them | always can tell | wish that
money Of Clara's was out of his hands"
Come now. Judy; don't be silly. I'd
trust Mr.. Scott the same as my own
brother"
"All right Well say no more about
II. Only if Clara Is disappointed in
seeing Niagara falls | shan't be the
same woman | was, They say that
when you stand and look at all that
water pouring over the chills 20 up your
back and you don't feel knee high to
grasshopper. Isn't there any way to
catch that water in rain barrels and
store it up ngin a drought"
might be-" replied the brother, who
had very hazy opinion of things out
side his own township
At intervals of every two weeks dur
ing the next eight months Aunt Judy
came back to the subject of the bank
er. and her worry never ceased. 1t
was treated as motion" and not TAX
en- seriously.
In due time Clara's beau popped the
question and was accepted and the day
set, and Aunt Judy was so busy sew
ing that there were times when she al
most forgot her fears. 1t lacked but
two weeks or the marriage day when
the brother drove to the village on an
errand. He came back looking as white
as dead man. Aunt Judy, who was
the first to see him, gave him a long
look and said:
"Waal, didn't tell you so?"
"Scotts bank has bustedr' he groan-
ed as he sat down.
"Of course 1t has knew It would.
How much you lost"
About 500"
And Clara's 5000 is gone with Il!
Only two weeks before she Is to set
out on her bridal tower, and how is
she going to see Niagara fallsI"
II feel like hanging myself" groan-
I'd the brother.
$50 will n heap Of others. Next time
some OF you may believe what an old
woman from Iowa les, to say. What
did you hear about the BANK"
Scott took all the money last night
and ran away
''Humph. Waal. you can sit here and
sigh and groan, and Hannah and Clara
can go upstairs and cry over 1t. I've
got to keep outdoors and walk around
or bust I'll 90 down lords the woods
where nObody'l hear me gritting my
teeth"
Aunt Judy went down through the
barnyard and across meadow and
presently found herself at the fringe
of the cool green woods She was
much put out and was using as hard
words as an old woman ever does,
when she caught sight of a blackberry
bush loaded with ripe fruit The spirit
OF thrift came to the surface at once.
We've got to have supper if dozen
banks bust" she said to herself, land
these blackberries are what we want
for sass. It's funny that no one has
said anything about them"
She united her sunbonnet and began
to strip off the berries She went from
bush to bush and was gradually led
deeper into the woods. She had picked
enough and was making ready to re-
turn to the house when she reached for
the last few berries and suddenly