Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-10-17

streets today. They are trying to
put the town over In q week." as they
say, and a friend Of mine told me that
/ had been set down by the committee
for SO. 900 worth Of bonds! That VIII.
ruin me. Think Of the difference be-
tween ~ per cent and at least z per
cent! And a great deal Of the time l
manage to get ~ per cent.
Sept. 20. This Is Sunday, but ! I'm
staying away from uptown. The Loan
Committee is working. They have no
respect for the Sabbath or for the
man of property. it seems. l am try
ing to figure out a way to pull the
wool over the eyes of the committee.
The trouble Is that l am known as q
money-lender. but that Is no reason
why l should loan my money to the
government. It's mine, amt lit
Haven't | schemed and plugged for
years to get hold Of it? And what has
the country ever done for me. except
to make me pay taxes when l couldn't
fool the assessor into making the right
kind of an assessment?
Sept. so. l have bought a bond. That
makes two In the family now l think
I will wear my wife's bond button and
my own, too. The buttons are the
same, whether you take a bond for
$50 or one for $1,000. l bought this
bond Of mine from a Boy Scout-that
is. | pledged myself for it-and now !
hope l will be left alone. The Boy
Scout didn't seem to want me to sign
up for a bond OF that size. l found my
'wife's bond button a while ago and
have II with mine on the lapel Of my
coat. think everything will be all
right now. but | don't feel quite sure.
Becoming Serious.
Oct. 1. This thing is getting more
| serious. | explained today to every
body that | had bought my bond, but
they a. listened sort of silently. Then
they walked away. The bank I,resi-
dent stopped when he saw me coming
up the street and turned his back to
me as | passed. Some Of the other
directors passed me without speaking
though / spoke just as ! always do
People began to are at me today in
u way that / have never noticed be
fore. found a card pinned on the
seal OF my car this afternoon, with
the word Stacker" printed or it In
yellow paint. And somebody had paint
ed the same thing or the back of the
car, and | never noticed It till / got
home, My wife is very silent and
gloomy. too. She didn't say anything
about my wearing her button. What's
the matter with this country. anyway
It is interfering with business--witl
my business.
Oct. 2. This morning l found Il let
ter in my mail. 1t was from the banl
and stated that my resignation as {
director Is desired at once" l wen
over to see about It. The presiden'
told me flat-footed that he wanted NJ
slackers on his board Of directors ant
that l was to get out quick. And 20,
might as well fill out that blank To-
$4,000 worth Of bonds II you want tt
play the part Of an American" he tolt
me. We've got your number" h
went on, "and my advice to you is Il
buy and buy quick. But that won't pu
you back on the bank board" fel
rather dRzed about 1t. But ! left m,
resignation in his hands. l had beel
proud of being on that bank board. l
gave ME standing. 1t is a funny sor
of a situation. No one but stranger
in town seem to zee me. or speak t
me. When l went into the postoffice
though, everybody stopped and stare
and then turned their backs on me.
l went into the grocery store and
we'll. Bill Simms, the grocer. refuse
to sell me a thing, not even a loaf G
bread. "You need not darken thi
door again." he told me. II don
need your trade and owe you notl
ing. but I've got a boy over in France
sHe is in a hospital, wounded. II
thought that this country was mad
up of people like you I would be sic
and sorry that he eve put on a I'm
form. You won't back him. That Blu
ton you are wearing on your coat--w
Z know about that. Now get out of her
and go wherever you please"
! Wife Goes Away.
| My wife faced me across the tabl
tonight. couldn't eat much, thong
it was a good meal. hadn't told he
anything about what happened to m
3 today. But she seemed to know abol
IL. This can't go on" she said. 9Th
: country has been good to you. Yo
: have made money and have pro
pered. People know that. Before tn
war 1t was different. People did nj
insist on everybody taking part
things. have been miserable fc
months about this bond matter. Yo
are plenty able to buy the amount
t bonds that they want yanto buy. Yo
J. had better do 1t the first thing .omo
row. l can't stand the way things al
0 going any longer"
! ~Wonder--well. will see II l can
l find a way out Of this tomorrow. TIE
y thousand dollars! And those fat nor
E cages waiting for me II | can Eold {
to the money.
Oct. 8. Something about a man
the Bible came into my head tn
morning and has been running in n
mind all day. 1t is about somebot
r named Ishmael, and every man
n hand was against him." My wife to
me this morning that she was gotf
8 away, to visit her sister. She dfdn
say when she would be back. toe
y her to an early train. Everybody {
It the station platform was wearing son