The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-18
cHA1lruDE.s OFFERING.
Story of New York Soldier Who Wa
Sick Unto Death in q Hospital.

GRATlTUOE'S OFFERING.
Story of New York Soldier Who Wa
Sick Unto Death in Hospital.
whether l know as muoIl now as I
did many years ago l leave for my I'M
prejudiced critics to decide; but 1 know
one thing better than / used to, and that
is not to tell everything that happens
to me- ~
The speaker was so earnest in his
manner That he was encouraged to pro-
coed. He did.
Il got hard up. 1t was of the utmost
Importance that / should keep
that fact under cover. ] heard
of a. man who negotiated loans
for people in my situation.
He would lend to no one unless the APP
plicant had seen better days. He had a
theory that IL man had been success
full and afterwards failed he must have
been honest, personally or CONNER
cially, and that he would be governed
by that honesty in any obligation he
contracted. 1 told him my story, and
two days later l had sthe amount for
which 1 had asked. 1t enabled me to
make an appearance in a certain social
affair A few months later one of my
associates had a financial fall and he
came to me for advice. / told him of
the bridge that had carried me over
and he made a satisfactory negotiation.
He invested his loan on advancing
stocks and in a short time he was walk
ing on velvet. He had a friend who
was pursued by smash-up. The friend
appealed to the lucky man, who picked
up the cripple and put him on his feet
He made bee-line for the object I had
been approaching byteasy stages.
Then the war came on, not the civil
war, but this last one of ours, and l
took whirl in that direction. Some
where in the deal 1 got into the hospi-
tai. One day man and a woman came
to see me. / knew they were there, but
l did not realize who they were. l don't
know how long they remained, but
when l regained consciousness 1 was
alone. I saw a card hanging at the
head of my cot and mad just enough
strength to pull it to me. On it were
my name, the date of my enlistment,
company, regiment, etc. Underneath
were instructions about my burial. I
was to have a place in the lot of the
donor in one of the cemeteries near
New York.
Il managed to ring the bell and a
nurse responded. l showed her the card
and asked her if it had been settled
that was to die. She informed me that
l had been put on the list, but she did
not know my friend. She only knew he
came with a woman, and that the doc
tor said / was to die. / was feeling
pretty well by this time and sent for
the house physician. He knew nothing
about any such arrangement. 1t was
iris assistant who had made it. He said
he would look into the matter but / as
sured him 1t was not necessary; also as
there could be no funeral without my
consent he might couuntermand any or
ders that had been sent out for box
And your friend, whose name is on
this card?' asked the physician.
Il had never heard of the name, con-
sequently I did not know the man, and
could not understand how or why he
was interested in my case"
g Then l had better countermand his
order?' said the physician
II did not know what order had been
left, but I imagined, and said, with
some earnestness for a dying man that,
If anybody was digging hole in the
ground for me, work might be sus-
pended. OF course I got we'll quicker.
the house physician said, than any pa
tient they had ever had. The second
night after left the hospital I jumped
into cab and was driven to the house
of the friend first mentioned in the
story. He was living in high grass.
OF course 1 told him my hospital ex-
perience and showed him the card on
which was written the name of my
kind, unknown friend.
Don't you know him.? asked
the man on whom 1 was calling. And
when l replied that I did not, I was
asked if knew a Miss - whose name
of course don't give. I certainly knew
a woman of that name. And then my
friend put his hands on my knees and
said:
"'You helped me out of financial
hole once, Sam. and your information
enabled me help out friend. He was
next to suicidal despair when he came
to me. The very day he got his loan
things jumped his way, and they have
been jumping the same way ever
since. And you went to the war, Sam.
And you are a hero in the estimation
of your friends even in hers, Sam, for
she intended to bury you in her family
plot
IF I had kept my mouth shut my
friend might not have made the lucky
turn he did And if he had not his
his, and if the latter had not have done
so I'm thinking he would not have mar
ried the woman l intended to marry.
BY the way" he added, indiffer-
emily, as he pushed the button. Il was
her partner in a. dance at her friends
few evenings since. she didn't notice
that l had written opposite the num-
Der my alias, The Corpse. New
York Sun. l.,
What are you going to do with. that
silver-mounted revolver of mine?' asked