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know him. He is a very good man. Very honest. Why, he handles all of this bank’s investment capital.” The teller was obviously not as interested as he had been, now that he knew the bank would not be getting the gentleman’s money and therefore knew as well that he would not be getting a pat on the back from Mr. Bonner for bringing new business in. But he was agreeable. He always liked to help folks, that being simple Christian duty and he being a Christian.
    Ederle looked puzzled. “What d’you mean he handles the bank’s money? Doesn’t the bank handle its own money?”
    The teller laughed. But then so few lay people really understood banks and banking. “Banks don’t just take in money and let it sit in vaults, you know. Money has to be put to work if you want it to grow. Banks make loans. To farmers for seed, to businesses for goods, to cattlemen for improved stock, to all manner of people for all manner of needs. The people who receive those loans return the money with interest. So a bank’s capital is constantly moving in and out. It isn’t allowed to just sit. And if there is a surplus of deposits, which we are proud to say we have, the excess is put to work elsewhere. That is what Mr. Hahn does for us. He takes our excess capital and invests it on our behalf.” He laughed. “Or I should say on behalf of the depositors who entrusted us with it to begin with.”
    â€œI’ll be damned,” Ederle exclaimed. “I never knew all that. So this Hahn fellow handles all of your . . . excess, did you call it?”
    â€œThat’s right.” The teller smiled.
    â€œThank you.” Ederle turned. The teller called him back.
    â€œIf you contact Mr. Hahn about taking you on as aclient, would you mind mentioning that I recommended him to you? My name is Adams.” He pointed to a small plaque placed over his window. “Carl Adams. Mr. Hahn knows me.”
    Erv smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll sure do that, Carl.”
    Erv was feeling very good when he exited Thom’s Valley’s bank.
    Just think. That little man handled all of the bank’s money. What did Carl say? All of the “excess” money. My, oh my. Erv grinned to himself as he walked down the block to where he had left his horse.
    And he had a kid. Pretty little wife—Erv had seen her this morning when she left the house to go shopping— yes, sir, a kid and a pretty wife. And all that money. Now, wasn’t that just a combination to warm a fellow’s heart?
    Erv laughed out loud. Warm his heart or, more to the point, his purse strings.
    Yes, sir, this whole thing was coming together just fine.

Chapter 3
    John Taylor laid a penny on the counter, lifted off the lid of the big apothecary jar, and withdrew two red-and-white-striped peppermint sticks.
    â€œFor Loozy?” the storekeeper said.
    â€œOne of ’em,” Taylor said with a wink and a grin. He slipped one of the candies into his shirt pocket. The other he popped into his mouth, biting down until the peppermint stick crunched and crumbled.
    â€œYou’re supposed to suck on those things, you know,” Edmund Jewett observed.
    Taylor’s grin flashed again. “Was I you, Mr. Jewett, I’d encourage folks to bite them. They don’t last so long and you’re likely to sell more.”
    Jewett chuckled. “If you say so, John.” He wiped his hands on his apron and reached for a feather duster.
    Taylor took another bite of his candy and asked, “I don’t suppose you’d have any work you need done, do you?”
    â€œNot right now but you know I’ll keep you in mind when I do need something. You always do a good job. Don’t overcharge neither like some folks I know. Not that I’m saying anything about who, you understand.” Jewett began dusting the shelves behind him.
    â€œNo, sir, I wouldn’t expect you to.” John stuck what was