Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-10
STRANGE STORY.
A Man's Course OF Life Changed by the
Presentation of n Card.


Presentation Of a Card.
This play of The Fatal Card we've
been having here lately" said Wash
ington merchant. reminds me Of a
card story"
mot one of the kind OF cards that
Westinghouse are most familiar
with, is it?" inquired the reporter. try
ing to be facetious.
Hardly. But let me tell you tho
tale. When l was youngster of Is CT
less, which is now forty or fifty years
ago, hadn't as much money as have
now, nor did my parents, brc we thr.ved
well, and l got the best education that
vas to be had at the time, owing 70
the kindness OF millionaire relative
Of mine, an old chap who died when I
was about 20. We never knew the
story until he died, and then it all came
out in letter he wrote and left with
his will.
ut seems that when the old man was
about 20 he went west with a young
man of his own age, who had been
brought with him by the same people,
both being orphans. They were as
brothers. or even closer, in their affec-
lions, and when they started out to seek
their fortunes they each wrote a card
and gave it to the other. Just what the
inscription was don't know, but 1t was
enough to signify that IL one was in
need the other would honor the card
under any circumstances. and after any
lapse of time, if he were financially able
to do so.
well, they worked together for
awhile, and then, by business changes
and one way or another, they separ-
ated. For long time they kept up a
correspondence. but as the years wen.
by that dropped, for in few years ono
was very successful, while the other
man was not, and you know how things
90 under those circumstances. A quar-
ter of century went by, and by that
time my relative was millionaire
many times over, and the nastiest.
meanest. stingiest. crustiest old cuss In
ten states. He couldn't help that. per
haps, and don't know that he tried.
Anyhow. one day ragged and
starving man came into his Office and
asked to see him alone. He told him
to state his business where he was.
The man told long story Of suffering
and want, of sick and starving wife
and children and the usual concoml-
tants OF that kind of a situation, and
then handed my relative card. 1t
was yellow and worn and dirty, but 1t
was the same old card that he had
given his boyhood friend. The old man
gave the applicant dime and told him
to get out and not come back there any
more. He obeyed the cruel command
and went out silently. That evening a
policeman came to the old mans Office
with note and card. All the note
said was: Give this to my boyhood
friend, -. He will understand
"The note was unsigned. The card
which the policeman handed over had
a hole through 1t as If cut by knife.
ard there was blood about tie edges OF
the cut. The officer explained that 1t
had been found on the dead body Of a
man In an attic room in the slums, with
a knife driven through 1t and into the
man'e heart. That was all the police
man knew. l don't know what the
old mali said, or how he felt, but l do
know that from that day forward he
was q changed man.
HE gave TO every worthy person
needing help; he sought out all his poor
kin and took care of them judiciously;
educating the girls, giving the boys a
start in business, and helping their
parents, he organized charities and he
offered a reward of 81, 900 for the fam
lily of his dead friend. He never found
it, however, and fancy the friend
never had family. l guess he wasn't
any good, anyway, but. whether he was
or not, the way he took himself off was
blessing to the old man, and most en-
phatically to all OF his kin. Washing
ton Star.