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



in a little basement on Dearborn
street. Caleb Is a mark an easy
mark, his wife says, and many Of Ca
leb's customers, if they knew Of the
wife's remark, would say that she told.
the truth Caleb is the friend Of the
stray cat. the homeless dog and the
down-troddep and despised generally
whether they be man or beast. The
number Of men in Chicago who owe
Caleb for cleaning and trouser press
ing is beyond computation. Not one
of these men, however, will hesitate
Tomorrow to order a general clothes
cleaning and ask Caleb to chalk it up.
He'll doit without word, and such is
the makeup Of this little taller that
he viii act as though the man who is
to stand him off for six months and
probably will never pay at all is actu-
ally doing him favor.
Mrs. Billings, it may be said in all
sorrow, is bit Of a shrew. If Caleb
gives a dinner to hungry tramp,
which he does every time a tramp APP
plies, unless his wife be looking, Mrs.
Billings upon discovery Of the fact
will berate Caleb for hours at a
stretch.
You've no right to do these things,
Caleb Billings. Here you are giving
pork chops and potatoes to thieving
tramp when we need new chintz cur
tains in the bedroom and a new rug
for the parlor. We never have dol
Jar at a time in the house just be-
cause you are so soft-hearted and
softer headed that everyone with a
tale of woe can get your last cent.
It's got to quit. You're working all
the time for lot Of lazy loafers who
never pay you. You ought to be
ashamed Of yourself"
Caleb took every TRADE meekly.
He knew that in some ways his wife
was good deal more than half right,
but he could no more change his ma
ture than at his age, 60, he could
change his trade.
One morning just before Caleb
started to work his wife said: "There
isn't centin the house. Be ureand
bring some home this evening. We
need it for lots of things, and besides
l promised Cousin Mary that I'd 60
to the theater with her tonight. and
each Of us is going to buy her own
ticket. Now, don't give away every
thing you collect before you get back
to the house.
Caleb promised obediently to be
good and started out He slipped has
hand in his pocket and found that he
had just 30 cents, quarter and
nickel. The fact that this was all he
had in the world, excepting lot of
outstanding accounts, did not worry
Caleb much, for he wasn't built.that
way. He boarded street car-he
lived three miles from his shop-and
paid the nickel to the conductor
after dropping into a corner seat.
About five minutes after entering the
car Caleb discovered that there was
some sort of a discussion going on
near the forward end. Caleb looked
and saw faultlessly dressed man go
ing through his pockets as though
vainly searching for something. Then
the searching passenger said to the
conductor: Its no use; l haven't a
cent with me. III pay you when !
go downtown tomorrow. I'll make
il a point to take this same car.
The conductor shrugged his shout
ders. %That doesn't go" he said.
BY this time all the passengers were
interested. Every one Of them, bar
one, perhaps, looked as though he
were saying within himself: cts the
same old gag Here's man, well
dressed at that, trying to beat his fare.
The nerve of some people is monu-
mental"
81 left my pocketbook with the bills
in it at home" said the passenger,
~and by chance have no change"
AT this the passengers exchanged
g1ances and saidtothemselyes: "He's
playing the game hard"
THAT don't go, said the conduc-
tor, you'll have to get off" As the
man rose to comply Caleb, aroused to
a sense Of fha eatnation, walked for
ward ana clipped a az ne