Chapter 14

Well, I decided I needed some more money. I had gotten a trifle crazy with my bank account. In 1956 the interest rate on savings was a little more than five percent but I'd managed to make a hole in my principal. I knew about Bill Buffat in Nebraska. I also knew he was going to go into business for himself very soon.

I called ... and actually spoke to the man, "Mr. Buffat ... I have a million dollars I'd like to invest in you."

"David Austin, sir."

"I'm 14."

"Kentucky Derby, sir."

"Last year ... Superfecta ... with the time."

"No sir ... my grandmother placed the bet for me."

"My life's savings. One hundred dollars."

"I split 31 million with my grandmother."

I started laughing ... when I quit I told him I'd rather bet on him than something as chancy as a horse race. He said he appreciated that ... and did I know who was going to win the Series. I confessed that I'd like to bet but no book in town would let me ... and Grannie died this past spring.

"Well ... my crystal ball has told me that it's three games to three going into the seventh ... with the Yankees winning the last one. Yes, sir."

"Brooklyn and New York ... who else?"

"Yes, sir. I do. Brooklyn wins the first two ... New York three in a row and Brooklyn the sixth game."

"The Yankees score 9 ... Brooklyn nothing."

"No sir. I don't have that in my mind."

"I've kept a log of my dreams ... my dad is a lawyer. He's notarized each prediction before the fact."

"No sir ... he won't bet."

"I'll wire you a thousand dollars ... you bet it on the series ... I'll split the winnings."

"Wanna bet the Rose Bowl?"

I started laughing... "I'll get my dad."

I left the room ... ten or fifteen minutes later, my dad came out with an envelope for me to take to the bank. That's all he did ... never spoke a word ... just handed it to me. It said, Chief Teller: Clinton National Bank.

I walked down town to the bank and handed in the note.

The teller opened the note ... read it and looked at me.

"How do you know Bill Buffat?"

"Read about him in the Journal."

He was typing and writing and doing magical things with ledgers and like that. I didn't have a clue.

"I'll be right back."

He took some papers up the stairs. He was up there quite awhile. When he came back down, he sat back down at his desk and started writing again. He closed his big book with a resounding slap, picked up the phone, made two very short calls and walked over to the podium at the swing gate.

He wrote an attachment and stapled it to Daddy's note ... the Notary came out of her office, affixed a gold wafer to the note and used her squeeze stamp. The President came out of his office ... read both pages and initialed them ... They pulled one of the customers from the line and she initialed both sheets ... They sealed the envelope with write on tape and initialed across the tape.

"Take this back to your Dad."

"Thanks."

"You don't have a clue, do you David?"

"No Sir."

"Don't worry about it ... take it home and give it to your dad."

AAARRRGGGHHH!! I positively ITCHED to tear the tape and read what it said.

Daddy put it in the safe and never said a word.