Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-20
CATCHING OLD cRusTY.
a Miser who Knew How to Be Charitable
without Ostentation.

a Miser who Knew How to Be Charitable
without Ostentation.
There lived in the town of b an
old and apparently friendless man
known to many persons as ''old Crusty,
and the name seemed to fit him well,
and to describe his bearing toward his
neighbors. 1t was rumored that he was
a miser, and this did not add to the lit
tie respect people seemed 10 have for
him. He lived in one or two rooms OF
an old house in the outskirts of the
town, while he rented the rest of the
mouse to any one SO poor as to be forced
to occupy such undesirable rooms.
His tenants one winter were a poor
widow and her five children. The two
oldest one a boy of twelve years named
Walter, the other, Bryce, a year
younger-two sturdy little fellows-did
what they could to assist their mother,
which was not enough to keep them
from being very poor.
They moved into the house with a
marked distrust of Old Crusty. They
had heard much against him, and their
impression of the old man when they
saw him confirmed what they had heard.
He was in his own rooms most of the
time, however, and manifested some de-
sire to be friendly when he met the
boys, but they would have none of him.
Il despise a miser," said Bryce,
stoutly, ''and don't want any thing to
do with one"
Soon after they moved into the house
the widow scraped enough money to-
gether to buy half ton of coal at once.
The coal was put into the shed side by
side with Old Crustys coal, only board
partition separating the two bins.
''You don't s'pose he would take any
of our coal, do you?" asked Walter of
his mother.
NO" she replied. 81 never suspect
persons of doing wrong things until
have cause"
Don't you think our coal goes pretty
fast?" asked Bryce one cold day a week
or two later
YES" replied his mother, "but it has
been SO very cold we have had to use a
great deal of it."
''It's my honest opinion that Old
Crusty helps himself to hodful of our
coal once in awhile" said Bryce to
Walter day or two later.
81 shouldn't wonder. Misers will do
any thing rather than spend money.
What makes you think he takes our
coal?"
'.Well, he's out there so often, and
yearly every night hear him there aft
er dark shoveling coal. He knows very
well that we could see him in the day
lime, because there's window right in
'front.' of our bin"
The result of their confidence was
that the boys decided to watch Old
Crusty The very next night, just be-
fore they went to bed, they heard their
landlord leave his room and go out.
Then they heard also his coal-hod strike
against the wall as he walked along.
4'He's after more of our coal. I'm sure
of it," whispered Walter to Bryce.
Their mother had just gone TO bed, and
the boys slipped out unobserved. 1t
was clear, moonlight night. and they
:ould distinctly see Old Crusty through
the cracks in the building. They
watched him steadily until he left the
roal-shed.
When they came into the house their
mother called out: where have you
been, boys?"
''oh, just out to the coal-shed!' re.
piled Walter, in strangely subdued
tone.
What were you doing out there at
this time of the night?"
''Oh, we werewolf, we we're watch
ing Old Crusty," said Walter, who al
ways told the simple truth.
''What was he doing?"
well, he-he-the fact is, mother,
he was shoveling coal from his bin into |
ours, that's what he was doing-the
generous old fellow! don't see what |
makes people tell such yarns abouthiml
After this I'm not going to believe all
hear. Youths Companion.