Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-26
THE DRUMSIER's STORY.
The One Time He Erred in Refusing q
BeHgar's Plea.

BeEgar's Plea.
From the Memphis Con mercial Appeal
1T is an old story" said the drummer, as
he took a fresh cigar, land perhaps you
have heard it before, but 1t is one of the
best on record, and firmly believe that it
is true. The first time heard 1t l was not
in nice, comfortable hotel like this, but
away out in little country town. We
were seated around huge wood fire, and d
stiff wind on the outside made us feel like
we were the most fortunate people in the
world. The wind grew In force all the
while, until at length the weather turned
bitter cold. The thoughtful and generous
landlord heaped the wood high up in the
broad fireplace, the logs cracked and the
flames roared merrily UP the chimney, bid
ding defiance to the warning elements with
out.
1.-The town was just thirty-fve miles out
from Memphis, but 1t was off the railroad
| a bit. Several of US had taken long drives
across the country that day and were
worn out. Gathered around the big fire
were a number of drummers basking in the
warm room and smoking their cigars and
pipes. Now, you know by experience
young man. that as soon as a drummer
eats his supper and lights his cigar, he
will tell story in spite of all you can do
SO, OF course. we commenced to relate our
experiences without delay. We first dis
cussed the matter of giving aims to beg
CARS and. as We were all city folks, we dis
missed the topic without much talk hay-
ing determined that 1t WAS unadyisable to
bestow money on persons indiscriminately
we all laughed and joked for a long
whiie, and the big fire had almost burned
cut. L noticed a young fellow in the crowd
who had not spoken a word all during this
time. He sat in corner near the fireplace
and seemed to be meditating, for his cigar
was between his fingers, and the ashes on
1t showed that he was not very much in
terested in the smoking proposition. He
had a queer face. 1t was the face of a
young man who was prematurely old His
eyes were bright, yet the wrinkles on his
brow and the hardened appearance ~ his
features seemed to indicate that he was
older than he appeared. He was dressed in
the usual neat attire of a drummer At
whole party as if he intended to make a
speech. 1t was growing a trif1e chilly in
the room. and the landlord had become
orowsy and was asleep on a long bench
You fellows can refuse beggar,' be-
gan the drummer, as he looked all of US
squarely in the face, but 1 never will T
want to tell you a little story. 1t was iust
such night as this and had started from
my hotel In st. Louis to walk down to the
theater. 1t was fearfully cold; the snow
was on the street several inches deep and
the dark, low clouds looked as If more
would fan before morning. buttoned my
top coat close around my throat and hur-
ried along the sidewalk. As l turned a
| corner. a sharp gust Of cold wind almost
took me of my feet While was settling
my hat back on my head again a man hob
bled up to me and asked me to give him
some money, so that he could get a place
to sleep. / dismissed him with a tart reply
and walked on. There was something pe-
culiar about that man which attracted nv
attention. He had a pair Of large blue eyes
that seemed to stare into my very soul.
walked briskly and tried to forget him, but
had not proceeded far before he oyertook
me again and pleaded with me to give him
| quarter. l was foolish in those DAYS and
did not like to get soft-hearted, SO 1 told
him that II he did not leave me at once
would call a policeman.
That night sat in the warm theater
where were gathered the best people in the
city. There were scores of pretty women
there, but somehow didn't care to look at
them. Everywhere looked 1 could see a
large pair of blue eyes staring at me pitt
fully. l went to bed. and In my sleep those
same eyes haunted me. l dreamed that
some one was under my window crying In
the cold for help. and cursed him and told
him to leave me alone.
" The next morning 1 awoke, and after
breakfast walked down the street. I had
not gone far when I saw a crowd of men
standing near the corner. There was eyi-
IDENTIFY something wrong, and out of curios-
ity I walked up to see what was going on
In the center OF the group was q figure of a
man lying stiff in the snow. Some one
turned the dead man over on his back and
when a policeman brushed the snow off the
| face of the corpse big pair of blue ewes
stared me straight in the face. 1t was the
| man had refused, and he had died of ex-
posture. Those eyes haunt me still You
fellows can refuse besgar, but never