And volunteering went on steadily here and there among young blood which, having drawn a low number in the draft, was too impatient for active service to wait its turn.
Gustavus Howes, bookkeeper at the bank, was one example.

Captain Sam told Jed about it on one of his calls.
"Yep," he said, "Gus has gone, cleared out yesterday afternoon.
Goin' to one of the trainin' camps to try to learn to be an officer.

Eh?
What did I say to him?
Why, I couldn't say nothin', could I, but 'Hurrah' and 'God bless you'?
But it's leavin' a bad hole in the bank just the same." Jed asked if the bank had any one in view to fill that hole.
Captain Sam looked doubtful.
"Well," he replied, "we've got somebody in view that would like to try and fill it.

Barzilla Small was in to see me yesterday afternoon and he's sartin that his boy Luther--Lute, everybody calls him--is just the one for the place.

He's been to work up in Fall River in a bank, so Barzilla says; that would mean he must have had some experience.