Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-03-03


of the private office of the assistant
cashier of the Fourth National bank
of Springfield. Ill. Barely eleven years
old, Bobby Lane considered 1t the
rarest treat Of his life TO be allowed
q chance to invade this usually busy
Office and to play at being banker
The large office had two entrances.
one leading into the hall of the large
building and another leading into the
tiled Enclosure in which was being
built a spacious new vault In the
middle of the room was large ma
hogany desk Near the hall door and
close to the wall was u small mahoga.
ny writing table. Three or four COM
Portable chairs were scattered about
the room.
On the glass of the hall door, glazed
halfway to the top. was the inscrip-
ton in trim black letters. Lee Ran
dali, Assistant Cashier"
And SO it was with Lee Randall.
alias Jimmy Valentine. thit Bobby
Lane, the bankers little son, was fond
of romping away his (Bobby'sI idle
hours and with whom he frequently
enacted the role of an austere. uncom.
promising banker.
Very much the same Jimmy Valen-
tine in appearance and manner. Mr..
Randall had scored signal success
as assistant cashier, and neither Mr..
Lane nor any other official or director
had found in the three years occasion
for the slightest adverse criticism Of
the new employee. In fact. he was
deemed to be most valuable acquisi-
ton to the executive staff OF the bank
and had evidenced unusual capacity as
| detector OF counterfeit notes AND or
forged signatures on negotiable instrH-
ments. Yes. the assistant cashier was
man with future Of promise in
store for him. and the Fourth National
of Springfield had but month before
offered him the position Of cashier.
with a thousand dollars q year IN
crease over his present salary. Not
one official of the Fourth National could
give a satisfactory reason for his re-
fusal of the offer "Fery remarkable
young man. very" WAS the comment
of the president Of the Fourth National
when notified of the episode.
"Hurrah! Nobody in the officer ex-
claimed Bobby to his sister Kitty. who
followed him into the room.
The children. prime favorites with
the assistant cashier. were accustomed
to do ~ery much as they pleased with
him or with his office at this late hour
In the day, when business with the
public had practically concluded. Al
most the only remaining thing for him
to do was to attend to certain routine
matters connected with the closing of
the banks business for the day.
Come on; let US play something
challenged the sprightly Kitty. who.
in her short skirted white linen dress
and with her delicate features. much
like those Of her sister Rose. appear
cd more like a Christmas doll than
future inheritor of fortune and of an
imposing. dictatorial social position.
AT Bobbys suggestion the children
decided to play at being banker"
and after a lengthy. spirited dispute
Bobby impersonated the role OF Mr.
Randall, while Kitty was forced to be
content with the character Of Hady
borrower"
Bobby perched himself on the as
sistant cashiers chair and assumed as
stern an expression as his childish
features and mischievous rowing eyes
would permit.
"Now, understand you wish a
loan" began Bobby.
81 don't, either" retorted Kitty. sit
ting herself on a chair in front OF the
desk.
"Oh. come on and play. When ! say
4 understand you wish loan.' you
say Yes"
"But you won't give me any money"
"If your security is good enough l
will. Now" imperiously, II under
stand you wish a loan"
How much can get?'
mo. no! You say lot at first;
that's business Now, how much:
Fifty thousand dollars"
"That's fine" He paused, judiciously
pickering his brows. "That's consid-
cradle money"
"Tbat's the most could think Of"
decisively.
Don't talk that way" Instructed
Bobby. "You would be put out for
making breaks like that Just don't
say anything when they find fault
Now, that's considerable money. but
of course you have security" He
paused. "Well. say Yes"
YES"
"Well, I thought so-what"
"WhatY
"What have you got in the way OF
security" he asked.
"a farm"
GLOW large a farm"
"Ten million acres"
"Well, that's good Now, wnat
grows on this farm?"
She hesitated. then said: "Fru,t-
peaches and apples"
That's good. What else" he pro-
nounced.
"Pears."
"Any bananas?" Kitty shook her
head every sorry" the lad went on.
'but we have all the fruit You have