The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-04
Past Three Score and Ten.


from his desk At his side stood a man
apparently far past the psalmist's al
lotted limit of life. The old man was
bent and his form showed feebleness.
His clothes were threadbare but clean
and his shoes were patched His nat
was of the fashion of ten years gone
by but there was al impalpable some
thing about the man himself which
made the agent rise to his feet when he
asked him to be seated.
What can 1 do for you, sir" said the
agent ... ..+ =, colon
street a fat of three rooms should
like to know what the rent is
The apartment about which the IN
quiry was made was the cheapest ana
poorest one on the long list of those OF
which the agent had control.
why, the rent there said the agent
is only s. a month. The rooms are
clean and light, but / tell you honestly
can't say much for the neighborhood
Il know about the neighborhooc,
said the old man. and l thought the
nat must be cheap l will take II; mere
are two of US, my wife and myself MY
wife is an invalid Here is the money
for one months rent. I suppose that
you will wish references2
For the first time in his life this agent
for a hundred fiat buildings said that ne
did not care for references. There was
something about the appearance of this
Octogenarian, even with his shabby
clothes, that made the man at the desk
change his rule Of a lifetime.
1t was two weeks later when, moved
by an impulse of curiosity, the nat
agent went to the apartment which his
visitor of d fortnight before had rented.
He went to the door of the first OF the
three rear rooms and knocked. He
heard a light step within and then the
door opened. The room was well llght-
ed. A woman thin to what seemed alb
8Olutely beyond the point of emaclat lOE
stood before him. He looked at her face.
Great God, what was thisi He had
never seen such face Inc features
seemed to have changed places. Inc
distortion was terrible. The eyes SEEM
ed lifted to a point midway of the fore
head and the mouth appeared to be set
in the right cheek. Strive as he woulo
the agent could not fail to show some
thing of the surprise akin to horror
which possessed him. He stammered,
Il came to see Mr.. Cathcart.'
Even while he was speaking the wo
man had drawn light veil across her
face Mr.. Cathcart will not be at home
until evening"" she said. Then the agent
went away wondering.
1t was evening. An old man toiled up
the stairs Of the fiat building He opened
the door of his apartment and called
gently, Mary"
Here I am. George" came in words
that were scarcely Ineligible from TIC
second room.
The old man went back and gently
kissed HIS wife Mary" he said, you
must be brave, but they've told me to-
day they will not let me work for them
any longer. The real reason is, Mary. l
suppose. that I am getting old, but they
did not tell me that. No matter. shall
get other work shortly and all VIII be
well.
Something like a sob shook the frail
frame that he was clasping in his arms
Three days went by and George Cath
cart could get no work There was d
little money, a dollar or two, and it was
90 lie viii fnlH 10
that he must leave early in the morning
each day because it was the better time
to look for work, and that he would get
his breakfast and lucheon down town
There was food in the house for her, but
he ate not at all save at night Then
He ate sparingly with his wife.
The money was all gone and he was
forced to confess it to Mary. But" he
said, perhaps I shall get work today
He kissed her goodby and left with
feeble steps.
He had been gone but fifteen minutes
when Mary threw herself on her knees
by the bedside and prayed. Then she
rose, yelled herself. threw on a thin old
shawl and went leaning heavily on a
cane out into the street. He is starving
himself" she muttered. and for me.
1t has been a sacrifice of himself for me
for these twenty long years. I'll do
something for him"
She reached a big, red brick buildin-
with fide halls and great rooms In II
were scores of young men. Mary Cath-
cart entered one of the larger rooms
Instantly a throng of young men was
about her Gentlemen she said. Il
Ike your offer"
There was commotion in the place NJ
once. Three or four of the young mon
left the room with a rush and then came
back as quickly with pen. ink and paper,
which were put a ia BILE before Mary
CathcaIt The old woman signed her
name. and then ten crisp bank notes
were handed to her and she passed out
of the room into the street. and this
time, actually lettering, she made her
way back to the poor home
That night George Cathc2rt reached
his wife's side with blank despair in his
face. He was a the point of fainting
He kissed his wife and fairly fell into a
chair Usually in her presence he kept
his courage, but with the loss of physi-
cal strength he had lost something of
his spirit. She knelt by his side and
kissed his hand. George" she whisper
ed, for more than 50 years we have
been married I have never deceived you
save in one thing. dear. I kept some
thing, fearing that the day would CONT
when we would be penniless Don't ask
me what I kept. dear, it might pain you
but today L disposed of it, and 1 have
500"
A light came into George Cathcart's
eyes. 1t was the light of a joy for his
wife because now he knew for a time at
least she need not suffer.
Time went on and the money was all
but exhausted and George Cathcart hEd
no work. Too DID, they had told him
time after time and likely they spoke
the truth.
Mary Cathcart failed visibly. Physi-
clans came to her willingly. for her a e
Fiction was one that baff1ed all medic I
knowledge. No such case was known
in the records of the doctors, and to her
malady they could give no name.
one morning just at sunrise George
Cathcart rose. His wife was still sleep
IL a r1r-c-
pairing the frugal breakfast Then he
went to call Mary. The sunlight was
Frightening the poor ROOM A golden
shaft fell on the pillow of the sleeping
II.