The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-30

risht duty early last June on the post
which takes in the southeast corner of
Market and Broad streets. says the New
ark ~. - Sunday Call AS he was
about TO make tour OF his post young
snan, clean and fairly well dressed ap-
preached him IN a hesitating manner ana
said:
Excuse me. officer but I'm In hard
luck aud I've come 10 you rather than
hold up ordinary citizens ( want ten
cents 10 get 70 New York. II / can reach
there L ain sure of work IN a large de-
psrtmera store where / was employed
before ] enlisted for The spauish-Amerl-
can war"
Like everyone else Nho has spent much
tirpe AZ The Market and Broad street cor
ners. Firner Nes used 10 hard luck
stories snd knew wei the various pre-
texts upon which men seek TO get money
from others. so he didn't put much faith
IN the strangers appeal
I've hear lots OF that around here"
he remarked pleasantly as ne turned 20
walk away
II suppose you DO" said the appu-
cant for ten cents.
There wsssumething n1or~ than ordinar-
ily serious IN his tone. and the policeman
turned toward the stranger agsin IN the
conversation which ensuod the latter told
Of having served the United states In the
recent war with spain and produced his
airny discharge pspers.
A IN not trading upon the fact Of haN-
ing been soldier. ne said but / want
YOU 10 know that am not an imposter.
have never had TO do anything like this
before aud II Il harder than YOU may
think ] could have asked dozens Of per-
sons on the street for money. but ! pre-
ferred TO explain matters 10 a uniformed
faL oh fr,
not a professional beggar. and ! don't
want YOU 70 give me ten cents Just
loan II 10 me untl tomorrow. In have
employmens then and I II certainly send IL
hack. reached Newark on a freight
train and don't want 10 go to New York
that way
Though the fellow seemed to be what
he claimed Firner recalled rhe many sim
liar cases he had met and, then. as
way OF letting him down easy" said TO
him:
We'll. ] might help YOU, but I haven't
any change. ] don't carry money I'm my
uniform clothes"
An right. sir I'm just as much
Obliged to you now as ii YOU gave me
the dime. because | feel certain that YOU
don't think I'm one OF the kind you
meet every night was the parting re-
mark OF the young man.
Firner was thinking hard as the fellow
gone so feet concluded that after all he
Nigh, really be IN need. Calling him
beck the policeman said TO him
rOuHE nTaH.- YOUF sTOTY may be al
right. and II may not. bat I'm going TO
AXE chance on YOU because Ia hste
10 see you get into trouble by holding
up anyone else for ten cents. and a
hate TO have you lose tho work you say
you can get for the lack OF dime
Firner called To friend borrowed ten
cents and handed II TO the fellow. Ths
latter said.
I'm going To write TO YOU tomorrow
and send you the ten cents Your mum.
her ] can see is " f.. but what is youi
name and at what staten do you be-
long?"
Firner modesty declined to tell him a
first. one Or tItg reaso were thst N
didn't even then have full faith IN tho
fellow. Another reason was embodied n
this remark, which he made in reply t'
the fellows request:
Il don't want YOU to return tho dime
II you stor1 Is true and you really nee,
tho ten cents. you are welcome 90 II. au'
ll be glad e IL is the means Of gcttiui
Nou 10 where you can find work.
But tho stranger was persistent an'
finally Firner gave him the desired In
fgrna ton. As he boarded the next troll
lev car for New York which came alon
the stranger raised his hat in farewe
salute and called out:
''You'll hear from me"
Such mn experience was little more tina
ordinary for Market snd Broad stree
policeman. but for some reason Firnc
thought q great deaf Of the we'll -dresse
intclleGent and nicely spoken young maj
Through the night and the next day
confidently expected a letter inolosinr
fine or its equivalent In postage stamp
lie didn't get u. however, and Ia a 70
DAYS he had forgotten the circumstance
sftcr remarkng to himself: Sold again.
One night last week. when he reporte
st the First Precinct station for niel
duty. he was called before The desk
tho business room by Acting Desk So
Ieant Thomas Conuell and handed ie
ter lt was addressed TO "Mr ". Fe
nell. Police officer. B y. Is William stree
Newark ~ j.. L. :. A.. Beneath q
name in quotation marks. was write
~ Real Decent Man. The pOsunsrl
and -slaInIAxL LndilaLcd- thai Lhe lslleE- J.,
travelled al the way from South Afric
Is had apparently been directed 10y son
on. accustomed To using pen, being
= clear. easy hand. Firner studied ov
Al loug time before opening it hat
could Nos guess whom il was from
when he Aid break the envelope this
what he found inside:
Cas Town. =. A.. Sept. T. 1871
Ny Dear Mr. FernelG am ready
wager any amount uf money that
don't know who The writer of this leti
i., Well ] will tell YOU. one night
the early part ~ July. 1901. YOU did
= real guod tinn I fouad myself In Ne
arb about llroClnek. after having walk
= considerable distance. without car IA
10 New york-a very bad rN for one
accustomed TO it. When J saw YOU 60
ing down tlle street patrollins your he
something seemed to tell me that 3
would help nv out asked YOU for
like man and YOU. not having 81 yO'
self borrowed IL from corner stai
keeper and gave II - me-. II was ol
trire. but how mach does somotin
dep.rd on trifes,
promised 10 nail II 90 YOU the
lowing day. hat Man proposes and u
nv dispoSs-s. ana the next day abb
81. ~. I was on bosrd % an Altar
liner bound for Cape Town. Via. Loud
After quite long trip ! reached n
three weefs ago. snd todsy have
first opportunity To thank you Tor ~
kindness.