Therefore I hope that he will never be deceived; because, on its being explained to him, he did not seem altogether easy in his mind. He had been rather of the opinion that his actual money always reposed in the vaults he had seen in the cities.
As to Liberty Bonds for the winning of the war, Tom had been solicited by an employee prior to my arrival.
“I’ll match you buying bonds, when the boss comes.”
“Match me?” inquired Tom, not grasping the idea.
“Yes—every dollar you spend, I’ll match you.”
“Dollar for dollar,” said Tom, “one dollar, me; one dollar, you?”
“That’s the game.”
“Well,” said Tommie, who always played as safely as he could, “I don’t know these games; but you get your check-book ready.” [[236]]
He patiently waited through my talk to the curious but not over eager crowd, and then he came forward.
“This man, Leaming,” he announced, indicating the employee,—a gentleman who has nominated himself in a number of campaigns for the mayoralty of Polacca, and invariably lost to the water-witch,—“this man wants to match me in buying bonds. I don’t know about that. I haven’t any cash to spare to-day,—but will you take him?” The “him” was a piece of paper. “If you take him, all right with me.”