Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-03-28
THE Relief AND
AID COMMITTEEMAN
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[Original.1,

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s st H. IS. [Original1
In the rooms Of the relief and aid
committee to distribute funds contrib
uted to sufferers by the great Chicago
Ire Of 1871 Edward Tucker, a commit
teeman, sat writing.
'~"Can you tell me how to secure aid?"
Tucker looked up into the kindly, pa
dent face of an old woman who wore
q faded, threadbare dress that many
years before must have been costly.
Have you been burned out, mad
amp he asked.
. swell, no, not exactly, but we are
somewhat straitened in our circum-
stances. My husband was a banker.
He died many years ago and left US
without anything to live on, and (con-
1dentially) II wasn't brought up right.
take hold for myself"
t"What was your husbands name?"
"Plumber - Ralph B. Plumber of
Plumber & Chubb, bankers"
Mr. Tucker started. :
F."You knew him?"
Eyes. That is many years ago. He
was a great deal older than and rich.
l. was a poor boy then. Give me your
address, Mrs. Plumber"
She gave him an address which
Tucker noted, and the old lady with
drew. Tucker took a checkbook from
his desk and wrote a check. Then
stepping to q man who sat at another
desk he said:
Exchange check for that, please,
payable to Mrs. Ralph B. Plumber"
The check was duly made out, and
Tucker went to his room to prepare
for dinner, which he usually took at
his club. AS he entered he sighed.
No one was ever in the room but him.
self and servant 1t was a dreary
place, though it was handsomely fur
ntshed. Tucker sat down and brooded
for awhile, as he had brooded many
time before, on the fact that with all
his means for the procurement of
home he had no home. why was he
not married? There were dozen wo-
men among the wealthy people with
whom he moved who had angled for
him. Perhaps it was because they an
gled that he did not care to marry
them. Presently he arose languidly
and made his toilet. He dined alone
at his club and after dinner set out
to find Mrs. Plumber.
He was admitted by a girl of TWEEN
ty-two or twenty-three years of age,
bearing the same impress of refinement
AS her mother. She resembled her ia
Their, especially as Tucker had known
him when he was perhaps ten years
Older than the daughter was now.
''Your mother called this morning at
the relief and aid committees room.
and l have called to examine the case,"
said Tucker in a kindly tone. He was
introduced into the living room where
Mrs. Plumber received him with as
tonishment, and he sat down on q
chair with holes in the seat almost
large enough to let him through. He
asked Mrs. Plumber about her re-
sources; then, apparently satisfied that
it was a proper case for the commit
tee to relieve, took out it's check for
$500. Mrs. Plumber, to whom he
handed it, was too daZed at receiving
"a check at all to notice the amount
and turned it over to her daughter.
margaret Plumber glanced at it and
handed it back to Tucker, with the re-
mark that there must be some mis-
take. 1t was some time before he
could convince the two Of the extreme
1iberality of the committee in their
case.
Tucker called often, every time bring
ing check signed by the cashier of the
relief and aid society till the abode of
the Plumbers was painted and fur
nished and their wardrobes renewed.
He took Margaret Plumber out to
:amusements and to drive and spent
many an evening with her at her home.
One evening he brought check from
the relief and aid society which Mar
garet declined. ''There is no further oc-
scasion," she said, "for this assistance.
4 have been studying shorthand and
typewriting and have finished my stud
les and secured a situation. Now
wish, Mr.. Tucker, that you would give
me some hint as to how l may show |
you my appreciation of your kindly in:
~ NHH> e