Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-01-10

Il 81
downtown asqu.ck-yas possible. The
passenger paid his iare and slipped
the 20 cents change Into biz pocket.
Caleb rather expected the % cents
back, but be wouldn't have spoken
Of it for 70 times the amount Pres
emily the passenger walked over and
took a seat by Caleb Il want your
card, he said tothe tailor
"Oh, that's nothing" said Caleb;
"got il a fix ike thaton a car myself
once"
"linsist upon hayngyouraddress,
said the stranger, and ! won't feel
comfortable unless you give tome
Caleb pulled out a rather soiled card
giving bis name and the location Of
-iiis dingy little shop. The passenger
thanked him, put it in bis pocket, but
mace no movement to return the 20
cents.
Caleb went lGnchless that day be-
cause no delinquent customer came in
to pay up. and though Caleb was a
lender he was no borrower Not a
cent came in all day He walked
home that evening. Grief, but his
wife gave it to him. Caleb was always
truthful He told the tale of his rs
cents and how he didn'tget his change
back. His wife called him an addle-
pated fool said that he'd been
swindled by a sharper, and the mean
est kind Of sharper at that, because.
he would stoop to stealing such petty
amount. Caleb was told thatno good
on earth could ever come ont If w at
he was pleased to call generosity.
Caleb fell asleep to his wife's soQld-
ings, but she was at it again the next
morning, and told him that gener-
osity, like charity, should begin at
home. Never SO long as you live"
said she, will you be able to show me
single return for your idiotIc con-
duct"
A week passed. Caleb had not
thought much about the quarter af-
fair. He was dimly conscious, how
ever, that he felt little disappoint-
ment because the stranger whose face
he had liked and whose fare he had
paid had not returned the loaned
money. 1t wasn't the quarter, but
Caleb hated to have his judgment Of
human nature % sstray. He would
have given the quartereven if the man
had had a villainous face, but this
was one instance where Caleb was
really hurt TO think that he had made
mistake in the reading Of human ma
ture. Some such thought as this was
running in his mind when the door
opened. Caleb looked up from his
goose. There stood the man whose
car fare he had paid and who had for
gotten to return the change.
Good morning, Mr.. Billings" he
said. 81 was called out Of town with
in an hour after l left the car the
other morning, and this is the first
chance I've had to see you. Here's
your 20 cents change. slipped it in
my pocket from pure force of habit
instead of giving it to you. Besides
that, | am absent minded. | under
stand, Mr.. Billings, that you were
once cutter for Lamprey & Co., the
great custom tailors. | am also told
that you were the best cutter they had.
They have always made my clothes
and those of my children. l need
large wardrobe. Winter is coming on.
You may measure me for two winter
overcoats, a driving coat and two
suits, one sack and one cutaway. |
see that double-breasted frocks are
going out, 50 I'll need a new single
breasted one. And, blythe way, need
new Tuxedo and new dress suit. l
was going to order all these Just
round the corner, so no thanks,
please. OF course, you'll need money
to get the material. Here's 5000. I'll
send my boys into be measured to-
morrow"
ThAee weeks later Caleb Billings
handed his wife $3.50, clean and le-
gitimate profit on the clothes he had
made for the family Of the man whose
car fare he had paid. Mrs. Billings
grabbed the money a bit guttonously.
Caleb" she said, when this man
came into the shop first what did he
do?D
eerr 90