The Little River news., 1921-01-01

zling over 1t, when the banker graspeO his hand. The banker shaking hands with him.! This was his day!
 "May I have the money on thisT
 "Why, my dear boy" the banker an. swered, laughing, and skipping him on the shoulder, "there isn't that much cash in the bank"
 That was new one on the Pearl. hunter. He had supposed bank had in it's vaults unlimited loads of money
 "What will do?''.
 "You can draw part of 1t, and de posit the rest to your credit"
 All of which was foreign language to the Pearlhunter.
 "T didn't >want to use any of the money" he finally managed to say. q don't expect to spend a cent of 1t fol you know-small matters. expeeI to leave 1t right here till I can spend 1t for something-well-big. l just wanted to show 1t to a-fr1end."
 'You. might show yopr-friend the check" The banker stole glance al Solomon gloating openly over the gem now that the deal was closed. "No,' he continued, there's a better"- safer, he was about to say, but didn't -''way than that Why not deposit the check and take out draftr'
 "Draft? Whats thatr'
 The old banker reached his fingers up through his hair and studied the man before him. Sitting down at his desk. he wrote rapidly for moment.
 'This is a drart," he said. handing over the slip he had been writing on and taking the check in exchange. "It is as good as gold anywhere, at any bank, any time. Show 1t to your friend, and suggest that you after ward bring 1t back to the bank and deposit 1t. will then give you 6 check book and show you how to ust it."
 The Pearlhunter read the paper over with curious interest, put it fir the big. formidable envelope the bank CT gave him for the purpose, and but toned it away in an inside pocket o1 his blouse.
 The little Jew had by this time put the Blue Moon back in the plush case put the case In his vest pocket, and pinned up the pocket.
 "Himmel!" he grunted, turning away from the table. "You pearl fish CTS iss all crazy. I'd giff 1t to you 6 t'ousan' more."
 'I got my price"
 "Undt dots more as anybody got it yet from Louie Solomon"
 He chuckled all the way to the door A small crowd waited outside. No body knows how news leaks out in 6 small town. Not man but kneN how much the pearl had brought. One ot the crowd, lanky, one-eyed fisher. man, sidled up to the Pearihunter.
 "Y'u got 1t, didn't y'u?"
 The Pearlhunter was too slow. and the little Jew answered for him.
 Course he got 1t. What chance a pore devil pearl buyer got nit d'e whole town against imp
 That statement, or one like 1t, was what the crowd had been waiting for The tension was over The finding and selling of the famous gem, the most valuable pearl ever 'histed" along the Wabash, was now history-Flatwoods history. The one-eyed fisherman chucked his hat up in the air and yelled-a lusty cheer, in which the crowd joined. One would have thought that each man there had sold a Blue Moon-or found one.
 The Pearlhunter felt a good deal as the crowd seemed to feel-a loosening of the tension. For that matter, the fat little buyer seemed to feel some thing of the same relief. Caught up in the crowd, both buyer and seller were swept across the road and into the ex. pectant door of the Mud Hen.
 The Pearhunter had just twenty-five dollars and twenty-seven cents in his pocket. He had counted it that morn ing while waiting for Louie Solomon to come. IL was the last cent after pay Ing his mothers funeral expenses. He threw a pocket-worn twenty-dollar bill on the bar and motioned to the crowd.
 Make it good whisky" he said. "No squirrel goes this round"
 He couldn't have made better speech for the occasion. The crowd cheered. The little Jew said some