page 324 of DEVIL MAKE A THIRD: She began to pack the money back into the bag, feverishly, counting bundles as she packed.

"I know what let's do," she said between counts, "Lets - "

"Wait a minute," he interrupted. "You'll do all right without that- and so will all the others." His voice dropped lower and his words came fomr slowly. "This is for something else - kind of a crutch till I can get my hands fastened where they belong."

Lota jerked her hand away from the money and her face was suddenly frightened and pained.

"Not money, Buck?" 

He touched her jaw with a gentle fist.

"Not just money, but nearly everything, good or bad, costs money. This will easy build something that a lot of folks have been wanting around home."

Lota's eyes widened and she caught at his knee with strong fingers.

He nodded. "Unh-hunh. The opera house."

She pulled herself closer and higher until her forehead would rub hard against his chest and the satchel fell on the floor. Some of the money spilled out, unnoticed.

"You didn't need to change," she said with her voice muffled. She pulled herself higher against him. "Buck, Buck, Buck. I'm so proud, it's like excitement." She pulled away to look at him, "Mostly because you thought of it."

(Buck Baker got in the opera house business years before he led the City of Dothan to build the opera house that stands today on North St. Andrews Street ~ clipping from the March 7, 1908 DOTHAN EAGLE)