Vaniman was cashier, receiving teller, paying teller, swept out, tended
the furnace, and kept the books of the bank until Britt hired Vona
Harnden for that job. Vona had been teaching school to help out her
folks, in the prevailing Egyptian famine in finance.

But folks stopped paying taxes, and the town orders by the school
committee on the treasurer were not honored; therefore, Vona gratefully
took a place in the bank when Mr. Britt called her into his office one
day and offered the job to her. He said that the work was getting to
be too much for Frank. That consideration for hired help impressed Miss
Harnden and she smiled very sweetly indeed, and Mr. Britt beamed back at
her in a fashion that entirely disarranged for the rest of the day
the set look that he creased into his features before his mirror every
morning. Several clients took advantage of his blandness and renewed
notes without paying the premium that Britt exacted when he loaned his
own money as a private venture.

President Britt entered the door, but he did not go into the bank at
once. He marched along the corridor and unlocked his office and toasted
himself over the furnace register while he finished his cigar; Vaniman
was a good fireman and was always down early. Mr. Britt kept his ear
cocked; he knew well the tap of certain brisk boot heels that sounded in
the corridor every morning and he timed his movements accordingly.

By being on the alert for sounds, he heard what did not comport with the
comfort of his office. Prophet Elias was engaged in his regular
morning tour of duty, picketing T. Britt's domains, giving an hour to
deliverance of taunting texts before going abroad through the town on
his mission to the people with texts of comfort; the Prophet carried
plenty of penetrating, textual ammunition, but he carried poultices for