Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-05-28

I. straight backed bluff fellow, who had
a reputation for turning pretty sharp
corners on the street, evidently had
no idea of the admiration he had ex-
cited in his friend, Mr.. Cattermole.
When he was asked about him, he
laughed, and said he was a queer old
duner, who told first rate story with
a nib" in it.
'He lives across the street from me.
Il live up in the Dalton, you know, and
old Cnttermole is in tho Merlin, Just
opposite. He comes over and smokes
a cigar with me now and then, and ]
return the visit and smoke one of his
old pipes, when l am down on my luck,
and need pulling out You don't mind
his deafness after you get used to it.
He tells a capital story" And Mack
ley laughed at the stray memory of
some one, showing all his big white
teeth. He had had his mustache
shaved lately. John Mackley was al
ways very much in the mode.
The first premium was paid in cash,
and when the second one came around
we had n letter from Mr.. Cattermole,
lnclosing II check. He had been away
for some months, travelling about, and
didn't know when he would be Mt
home. The letter was from Philadel-
phia, and the check was paid in due
course.
Next spring Mr.. Cnttermole wrote
| the insurance company letter, say
ing that he wanted to make some ar
rangement by which he could cut
down his policy. 1t had been an
enormous policy, all the Office had
thought; and knowing John Mackley,
and Mr.. Cattermole's slight acqualnt-
ance with him, we had regarded it as
almost ridiculous that the old man
should spend what must have been the
major part of his income that that
ovcrgrown young fellow might have a
fortune some time or other.
Good Lord !'the doctor said. "That
man is good for fifty years. John
Mackley will be dead first.
McCary went up to the Merlin to
see Cattermole. He found him in.
The elevator boy said he hadn't been
well for some days; that Mr.. Mackley
had been in almost every day.
Giles n mighty clever gent, Mr..
Cattermole is, the elevator boy gra-
ciously remarked
The apartment was small, and
plainly, almost poorly, furnished.
McCary looked about and thought of
all the luxuries this lonely man might
buy with the sum he annually spent
upon insurin9 his life for the benefit
of rather heartless, rather raffish
young man, who would doubtless
make ducks and brakes of the money
when it came into his possession-if
it ever did. And then McCary gave
cynical sort of a sigh for the vagaries
OF human nature.
Mackley had let McCary in.
"Mr Cattermole isn't very well to-
day." the young man said cheerfully.
81 have been trying to get him to go
to bed. He'll be out in minute. |
must be getting along down town."
and he opened the door and was gone.
Cnttermole came i'll presently, in
flannel dressing gown and a pair of
list slippers. He was hollow eyed, and
had towel around his head He said
one of his ears had developed an abb
scess, and he was almost stone deaf,
and in great pain. McCary had some
difficulty in making him understand
the obstacles to lessening his policy.
''l've lost money, sir" he said, 81
feel as though l were robbing John.
He's been like son to me; but /
must do it must do it,!
And then after McCary had gone all
over the ground again, he made up his
mind that he would not do anything
of the sort. The sacrifice seemed too
great.
McCary's people went to the noun
tains for the summer, and he went
down to the Oriental Hotel at Man
haitian Beach, and dined and bathed
and slept. Two or three times he met
Cattermole walking along the ocean
front. The walk, and the odd car
riage of the head seemed exaggerated.
The old man told McCary that he had
been i'll ever since the winter before,
that grippe had gotten the better OF
him. Then he would ask McCary if
he had seen Mackley. He often had
seen him going gayly about with some
friends; but he never saw him with
Cattermole.
He used to despise John Mackley
for an ungrateful cub. And then he
realized that Mackley had no reason
on earth to suppose that poor deaf
old Cnttermole had put him under any
particular obligation. No doubt he
; knew nothing about hepolicy. Mack
ley was like all his class.
! Cottermole said that he thought the
: sea bathing did him good He and
| Mackley had taken bath houses side by
side for the season, and often went in
/ together, he said. McCary saw Cater
v mole in the water one day and laughed
g heartily. He had tied up his poor
ears IN wads of cotton, and rubber
band, and covered almost his entire
i head with straw hat. His arms were
: covered, too, and altogether he made
a n conspicuous figure in the water. even