The Holbrook news., 1910-04-29
BILLY, IRE TRAITOR
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There was only one taint of disloy- atty about Billy Houck-he kept his money in the Sarvis Point bank.
 Round Buckeye Bridge the quest tion of loyalty had nothing to do with ones willingness to die for his coun- try or stand up for the flag. or with ones enthusiasm for Grand Old Mis- souri, but was solely a matter of working hard for Buckeye Bridge and pulling back on Sarvis Point
 Buckeye Bridge was the county seat. but seventeen miles farther from the railroad than it wanted to be; Sar- wis Point was on the railroad. but sev- enteen miles farther from the county seat than it liked.
 It certainly galled the Bridge people to know that Billy Houck was not de posting his money in the home bank His fertile four hundred acres. stretch ing along the bottom just over the creek from town, was the finest farm in the community. and the leads of hogs and droves of cattle he sold spring and fall certainly brought in lot of money. And this was deposited in Sarvis Point
 "Oh, yes''-Latimcr. the dentist. raised his voice little as Billy ap- prcached-"Buckeye Bridge will boom now. If few more of our farmers will just take all their money over to Sarvis Point, it won't be any time un- tii we have water works. electric light and street cars-at Sarvis Point.
 Funny. isn't it. he continued. bit terly. for he had a little stock in the home bank, how the very fellow you would expect to stand by a home in stituticn is the first one always to turn traitor?"
 Billy" asked Graham. the horse doctor, as the farmer looked at a blow in Newton's hardware store, "how's the Rock of Gibraltar over at the Point these days?"
 Billy squinted his eye at the blow and did not reply.
 Its all right to buy things when you can get them handy" remarked Graham to a bystander. "but when it comes to depositing your money. you can't expect a fellow to have any confidence in a little old town like this-no. siree! Got to take it to the railroad. where the bank is as strong as Gibraltar"
 Many other gi5es and criticisms. both direct and obliqUe. were flung at Billy. Some of them were good-na- tured. some caustic. but he merely squinted his left eye inscrutably and vent his way without a word
 The fact was. Billy had had trouble with Henry Simmons. the banker or as nearly trouble as he ever had. lie thought the banker had wronged him in a business transaction. Billy stated the case briefly. but Simmons insisted the bank was right. Billy his funds and transferred them to Sarvis Point. The banker of- fered the public no information con- corning the difficulty. and of course Billy offered none. for he lived up to the advice which he often gave Windy" Jim Davis: If you are done with a. fellow. quit instead Of blowing about it; if you aren't. shut up and go on"
 One evening in the autumn two years later Mrs. Houck remarked at supper:
 q reckon it's a good thing you took your money out of that bank; they say it's about break
 "What?" Billy looked up quickly from his plate. 70 pshawI" he said. That's all stuff and nonsense. Henry Simmons is good for it'
 T guess it's so." persisted Mrs. Houck "Leastwise. nearly everybody thinks so. and nearly all of them were getting their money out when I was over to town this afternoon"
 Billy finished his supper rather hur- riedly. took his white slouch hat from its nail by the kitchen door. and said he was going to town for a little while
 Well, what did you hear?" asked his wife when he returned. an hour later.
 "Hear?" He sat down in the nick ory rocker and crossed his legs. Its what you don't hear that counts" He sat for long time. his eye squinted at the fire.
 Yes, the securities were good-he knew most of the big loans. The de positors would not lose. finally. even if the bank failad-but the stockhold-