Show The Fiction TERRY THE fOX Richard H. H By I Corner j j You CANT CAN'T FOOL an old fox J like Terry Oakes Anse was saying Not even if youre you're the smartest bank robber and gangster in the country He chuckled reflecting on the story he be was about to tell Glenville was p pre pretty r e t t y well wrought up that summer In June government agents came through warning all the small town banks in the countryside to be on the lookout lookout look look- out and advising what to do Duke and a couple of his henchmen henchmen henchmen hench hench- men d driven r i v e n from their Minute haunts in the thefil fil Fiction large cities by bya a concentrated effort of local and federal agents who were dead set on bringing an end to the current current cur cur- rent wave of crime were hiding out in the sticks and whiling the time away by staging spectacular daylight ups hold-ups of small town banks The trouble was that no one knew where the varmints would strike next Duke was smart lie TIe understood small towns because he was brought up in one and he chose as the object of his pilfering banks that were pretty well isolated and unprotected June passed and part of at July Gradually the fear of Glenville citizens citi elti- zens began to subside Only one other small town bank had been i held up and that more than miles away The depositors who had withdrawn their accounts reestablished reestablished re reo re- re established them Terry Oakes the trust company compan- president didn't gloat He was an timer old-timer at the game and he understood understood un un- un human nature Early inJune InJune in inJune June hed he'd had some signs printed and hung around the lobby of the bank Such things as Save for Your Old Age Deposit with Us Usand Usand Usand and Your Money Will Be Safe Sale The citizens smiled a little Terry was trying to reassure them One other sign was printed and inserted behind the glass in the front door This too amused them but it didn't annoy them anyOn anyOn anyOn any On July 15 the quietude of Glenville's Glenville's Glen- Glen villes ville's main street was abruptly and harshly interrupted A pow high ered black sedan suddenly appeared appeared ap ap- at the towns town's south entrance entrance en en- trance roared down on the bank and came to an abrupt halt Loungers Loung Loung- ers in front of the General Store jerked erect Three men had leaped from the car Two of at them one carrying a machine gun ran toward toward toward to to- ward the bank banle The third stayed on the curb a second machine gun nestling in his arm The loungers pop-eyed pop and frightened watched in stupid fascination To their utter astonishment astonishment as as- they saw the two bandits turn at the bank door without entering rush back to the car pile into it and drive away ITT TT IT ALL happened within sec sec- 1 For a moment or two the loungers sat transfixed Then of one accord they leaped up raced across the street and entered the bank Terry Oakes was talking on the telephone He hung up and smiled at them Two to one he said calmly Sheriff Sherif Irons picks up Duke and his gang at Jepson Corners I just phoned him He looked from one pop-eyed pop citizen to another No harm done boys They didn't even get in But why didn't they IB happened t t. t Terry grinned broadly D knows mows small towns I Iwas was a town small boy him hima That's why he be picked this hoi hour heli do his hold Right ti if ft lunch U where 1 i fooled M hr Terry paused to chuckle and gUs glia toward the thc front door Its Ju hi luc Duke knows small small towns O Oto wise he might not have taken taken a astock stock in my sign t. t The bewildered citizens tu toward it and read They little dazed and not quick to un d stand The sign read Bank Clo Oos Out to Lunch Return In C 0 Hour |