The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-01-03
CALEB'S
NY EDWARD u. CLARK.

sNh ~
In a little basement on Dearborn
street. Caleb is a mark" an easy
mark, his wife says, and many OF Ca
leb's customers, il 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 tho
down-trodden 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 ii up.
He'll do il without a word, and such is
the makeup OF this little tailor that
he will act as though the man who is
to stand him of for six months and
probably will never pay at all is aciu-
ally doing him a favor.
Mrs. Billings, it may be ,aid in all
sorrow, is q bit Of a shrcw. II Caleb
gives a dinner TO a hungry tramp,
which he does every time a tramp APP
plies, unless his wife be looking, Mrs.
Billings upon discovery Of the fact
will bcrate 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 a thieving
tramp when we need new chintz cur
tains in the bedroom and q new rug
for the parlor. We never have a dol
lar at a time in the house Just be-
cause you are SO soft-heartcd 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 a lot OF lazy loafers who
never pay you. You ought TO be
ashamed of yourself
Caleb took every TRADE meckly.
He knew that in some ways his wife
was a 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: "Therc
isn't a cent in the house. BE sure and
bring some home this evening. w
need II for lots of things. and beside.
! promised Cousin Mary that Id g
10 the theater with her tonight. and
each Of Us is going to buy her owr
ticket. Now. don't give away every.
thing you collect before you get back
to the house.
Caleb promised obediently to b.
good and started out. lie Slipped hi,
hand in his pocket and found that h,
had just 80 cents, aquarter and q
nickel. The fact that this was all he
had in the world, excepting a lot oil
outstanding accounts, did not worry
Caleb much, for he wasn't built thai
way. He boarded a street car-h,
lived three miles from his shop-ant
paid the nickel to the conductor
after dropping into a corner seat
About five minutes after cnteringt thu
car Caleb discovered that there wa
some sort of a discussion going OF
near the forward end. Caleb locke
and saw a faultlessly dressed mar go
ing through his pockets a though
yainly searchingfo for something, Thel
the searching passenger said to til,
conductor: Its no use; | haven't
cent with me. III pay You when
go downtown tomorrow. III max,
II a point TO take this same car"
The conductor shrugged his .houl
ders. THAT doesn't co." he said.
BY this time all thepasscnger, wcr
interested. Every n Of them, ba
one, perhaps, looked as though h
were saying within himself: 'lt'sth
same old gag, Here's a mar, we.
dressed at that, trying to beat hi, farC
The nerve Of some people i. monu
mental"
81 left my pockctbook with the bill
in it at home" said the pa.senge
sand by chance | have no change"
AT this the passengers exchange
glances and said to themselves: "Hc
playing the game hard"