The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-28
a GENTLEMAN OF HIS WORD.
Twelve Years Not Too Long For One
Man to Rem ember a Promise
IL

Twelve Years Not Too Long For One
Man to Remember a Promise.
From the Netc York Tribune.
What makes some men the soul of
honor" asked the story-teller. Every one
of us has had some experience In life to
prove to US that there are men of unim-
peachable honor. l think the most honors
able gentleman whom l ever met was a
man of absolutely Internal luck. l first saw
him in frontier town. He had been a
cwboy, but he had got caught in a terrible
winter back on the plains. and at the time
first saw him he was only a wreck of a
man, with legs misshapen and weak, and
eyes that were nearly blind. He seemed to
be Just cinging to life in that little Colorado
town, doing what little he could in bar
rooms or going slow errands. until fate
should be kind enough to take him away
from his misery.
He stopped me on the street one night
win you lend me $40? he said roughly,
am in bad way and need it,
Now $40 was good deal Of money to
me at that minute, for in my western ex-
perience l had my ups and downs, and at
that time was having my downs
wouldn't dollar do you? l asked, for
the fellow looked so bad that wanted to do
something for him, but | knew that should
never see my money again.
No. he said doggedly, it won't. l
want to go to Denver. | am about crazy
with pain and want to get there and see il
can't find some relief. | haven't a cent in
the world There were good many men
In that little town who were in the same
predicament1
But can't spare S1O,' I answered, Il
need it,
"'You don't need it so much as do be
said fiercely. 4 tell you. man, that the
he'll that l am suffering would kill you.
nd 1T to me. rll pay it back to you
tive me your name and address. I'll find
you-if live.'
Well, gave him the 80. 1 told him
That he need not worry about paying it back
expected to get out of my troubles some
Gay and then should not feel the need of
1t.
No. he said, Il won't touch it on any
other condition. Iwant to pay it back with
interest, II per cent year, Money was
worth something out there.)
so l wrote out my name for him, giving
MIN as my permanent address the home of
my family in the east. The next day he
went to Denver. Shortly afterward l
chmed into a saddle and rode away to punch
cows l punched them with varying sue
cess all over the Colorado grazing fields for
nine years. Having had enough of cattle
raising by that time and my ideas of great
fortunes having been considerably modified,
Isold out my cattle and came back to Gods
own country.
"Of course, after the first few months
following my loan of $40 to the cripple he
never came into my thoughts, though there
were times when that $40 would have been
a. good friend, but completely forgot about
IT, had been east for three years, had
married, and was the proud father OF the
Two handsomest children in New York,
when letter was forwarded to me from
my fathers home in Massachusetts. 1t was
rom the cripple. In it was postofice Or
Ger for my $40 and interest on it for twelve
Years, at per cent a month. There was
no word in the letter except thanks for my
Mndness and the assurance that he was now
dong pretty we'll for him. l call that
man gentleman and l told him so when
wrote him, and also told him something
~ the letter which l hoped would please
him-that on that dav had made the first
oank deposit for my baby son and that the
amount was $24 40 his loan aud the inter
est, and that though the interest for the boy
would not be anything like II per cent, the
deposit ought to bring him good luck.
ARAts all there Is to this story"