The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-03-08
A DRUMMER's TALE.
TIE ONE TIME HE ERRED IN RE-
FUSlNG A BEGGAR'S PLEA.

Tile story is n Favoritc in tho Hotel Rotun-
dns, Hut VIII Bear Repeating-An Ex-
perlcnco Chat May or May Not Teach
Lesson in Charity.
1T is an old story" said the drum
mer, as he took fresh cigar, "and per-
haps you have heard it before, but 1t
Is one of the best on record, and l
firmly believe that it is true. The first
time l heard it l was not in a nice,
comfortable hotel like this, but away
out in little country town. We were
seated around a huge wood fire, and
stiff wind on the outside made us feel
like we were the most fortunate peo-
pie in the world. The wind grew in
force all the while, until at length the
weather turned bitter cold. The
thoughtful and generous landlord heap
ed the wood high UP in the broad fire
place, the logs cracked and the flames
roared merrily up the chimney, bidding
defiance to the warning elements with
out.
THE town was just thirty-flve miles
out from Memphis, but it was off the
railroad bit. Several of us had ta-
ken long drives across the country that
day and were worn out. Gathered
around the big fire were number of
drummers, basking in the warm room
and smoking their cigars ard pipes.
Now, you know by experience, young
man, that as soon as 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 discussed the matter of giving
aims to beggars, and as we were all
city folks, we dismissed the topic with
out much talk, having determined that
it was unadvisable to bestow money on
persons indiscriminately.
I'VE all laughed and jolled for long
while, and the big fire had almost
burned out ! noticed young fellow
in the crowd who had not spoken a
word all during this time. He sat in
a corner near the fireplace and seemed
to be meditating, for his cigar was be-
tween his fingers, and the ashes on 1t
showed that he was not very much in
terested in the smoking proposition.
He had q queer face. 1t was the face
of young man who was prematurely
old. His eyes were bright, yet
the wrinkles on his brow and
the hardened appearance of his
features seemed to indicate that
he was older than he appeared.
He was dressed in the usual
neat attire of drummer. At length
he arose and stood up before the
whole party as if he intended to make
a speech. 1t was growing trife chilly
in the room, and the landlord had be-
come drowsy and was asleep on long
bench.
You fellows can refuse beggar,'
began the drummer, as he looked all
of us squarely in the face, but l never
will. | want to tell you little story.
1t was just such night as this and I
had started from my hotel in st. Lou
is 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 fall before morning. l buttoned
my top coat close around my throat
and hurried along the sidewalk. AS |
turned a corner, sharp gust of cCid
wind almost took me off my feet.
While 1 was settling my hat back on
my head again a man hobbled up to
me and asked me to give him some
money, so that he could get place to
sleep. | dismissed him with tart re-
ply and walked on. There was some
thing peculiar about that man which
attracted my attention. He had pair
of large blue eyes that seemed to stare
into my very soul. | walked briskly
and tried to forget him, but l had not
proceeded far before he overlook me
again and pleaded with me to give him
a quarter L was foolish in those days
ard did not like TO get soft-hearted, so
| told him that If he did not leave me
at once l would call policeman.
THAT night sat in the warm the
ater where were gathered the best
people in the city. There were scores
of pretty women there, but somehow l
| didn't. care to look at them. Every
where looked l could see large pair
of blue eyes staring at me pitifully. 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 l.
cursed him and told him to leave me
| alone.
""The next morning l awoke, and
after breakfast walked down the
street. | had not gone far when saw
crowd of men standing near the cor
ner. There was evidently something
wrong, and out of curiosity l walked
up to see what was going on. In the
I center Of the group was figure of a
man lying stiff in the snow. Some one
urred the dead man over ON his back
and when a policeman brushed the
| snow off the face of the corpse a bic
pair OF blue eyes stared me straight in
the face. 1t was the man l had re-
! fused ard he had died of exposure
Those eyes haunt me still. You fel.
lows can refuse beggar, but l never
WILL"