The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-01-08

SeINlC " tHC
house of Wey-
mouth as chattel, servitor and friend.
OF the color of the mahogany bank
furniture was Uncle Bushrod-thus
dark was he externally; white as the
J uninked pages of the bank ledgers was
his soul. Eminently pleasing to Uncle
IBushrod would the comparison have
been, for to him the only institution
in existence worth considering was the
Weymouth bank, of which he was
something between porter and general
issimo in charge.
Weymouth lay, dreamy and UNI
brageous, among the low foothills
along the brow of a southern valley.
Three banks there were in Weymouth
vile. Two were hopeless, misguided
enterprises, lacking the presence and
prestige of a Weymouth to give them
glory. The third was the bank, man
aged by the Weymouths-and Uncle
Bushrod.
In the old Weymouth homestead
the red brick, white pOrticoed mansion,
the first to your right as you crossed
Elder creek coming into town-liyed
Mr.. Robert Weymouth, the president
of the bank; his widowed daughter,
Mrs. Vesey, called Miss Lefty" by ev-
cry one, and her two children, Nan
and Guy. There also, in a cottage on
! the grounds, resided Uncle Bushrod
and Aunt Malindy, his wife. Mr.. VIII
liam Weymouth, the cashier of the
bank, lived in a modern, fine house on
the principal avenue.
Mr.. Robert was a large, stout man,
sixty-two years of age, with a smooth,
plump face, long iron gray hair and
fiery blue eyes. He was high temper
ed, kind and generous, with a youth
full smile and a formidable, stern voice
that did not always mean what it
sounded like. Mr.. William was a mild
er man, correct in department and alb
sorbed in business. The Weymouths
formed the family of Weymouthville
and were looked up to, as was their
right of heritage.
Uncle Bushrod was the banks trust
ed porter, messenger, vassal and guar
dian. He carried a key to the vault,
just as Mr.. Robert and Mr.. William
did. Sometimes there was ten, fifteen
or twenty thousand dollars i'll sacked
silver stacked on the vault floor. 1t
was safe with Uncle Bushrod. He
was a Weymouth in heart, honesty
and pride.
OF late Uncle Bushrod had not been
without worry. 1t was on account of
Marse Robert. For nearly a year Mr..
Robert had been known to indulge in
too much drink. Not enough, under
stand, TO become tipsy, but the habit
was getting a hold upon him, and ev-
cry one was beginning to notice it.
Half a dozen times a day he would
leave the bank and step around to the
Merchants and Planters hotel to take
q drink. Mr.. Roberts unusual keen
judgment and business capacity be-
came a little impaired. Mr.. William, a
Weymouth, but not so rich in expert
ence, tried to dam the inevitable back
flow of the tide, but with incomplete
success. The deposits in the Wey-
mouth bank dropped from six figures
to five. Past due paper began to ac-
emulate, owing to injudicious loans.
No one cared to address Mr.. Robert on
the subject of temperance. Many of
his friends said that the cause of it had
beer the death of his wife some two
years before. Others hesitated on ac-
count of Mr.. Roberts quick temper,
4 which was extremely apt to resent per-
sonal interference of such a nature.
Miss Lefty and the children noticed
the change and grieved about it. I'm
Gle Bushrod also worried. but he was
one of those who would not have dared
to demonstrate. though he and Marse
Robert had been raised almost as COM
panions. But there was a heavier
shock coming to Uncle Bushrod than
that caused by the bank presidents
toddies and juleps.
Mr.. Robert had a passion for fishing,
which he usually INDUCED whenever
the season and business permitted
One day, when reports had been com.
ing In relating to the bass and perch,
he announced his intention of making
q two or three days visit to the lakes.
He was going down, he said, to Reedy
lake with Judge Archinard, an old
friend.