Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
Relief and Aid Committeeman
IOriginal.l


uted to sufferers by the great Chicago
fire of 1871 Edward Tucker, commit
teeman, sat writing.
Can you tell me how to secure aid?'
Tucker looked up into the kindly, pa
tient face of an old woman who wore
a faded, threadbare dress that many
years before must have been costly.
Have you been burned out, mad
ann" he asked.
"Well, no, not exactly, but we are
somewhat straitened in our circum-
stances. My husband was banker.
He died many years ago and left us
without anything to live on. and ICON
fidcntially) 81 wasn't brought up right.
Ny father had been rich. 1 couldn't
take hold for myself"
What was your husbands Manner
plumber Ralph r. Plumber of
Plumber 81 Chubb, bankers"
Mr.. Tucker started.
"You knew him?''
Eyes. That is many years ago. He
was great deal older than 1 and rich.
was IL poor boy then. Give me your
address, Mrs. Plumber"
Tucker noted, and the old lady with
drew Tucker took a checkbOok from
his desk and wrote a check. Then
stepping to a 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
nished. 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 Il
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 dinRd alone
at his club and after dinner set out
to find Mrs. Plumber.
He was admitted by 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 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
| constituent, and he sat down on n
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 its 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
liberality of the committee in their
case.
Tucker called often, every time bring
ing a 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 ont 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-
casion," she said, "for this assistance.
1 have been studying shorthand and
typewriting and have finished my stud
les and secured a situation. Now 1
wish, Mr.. Tucker, that you would give
me some hint as to how l may show
you my appreciation of your kindly in
terest which has resulted in these
checks"
There is but one way and that
would be asking too much"
Name 1T, and promise you it shall
be DONE"
'Tf not repugnant to YOU
Nothing can do for you would be
repugnant to me-"
"You will not think me selfish?"
al am sure you could never be self
ish. Come, tell me what is this re-
turn?"
Marry me-
The girl looked at him as though she
did not understand.
Marry you?"
mo, never mind. I'm too old-and
prosaic. I've not been brought up in
the refined wav Won have / had to
scratch when very young. And, now
I'm on my shortcomings. may as well
confess that the relief and aid money
you have received did not come from
the committee at all. 1t is merely a re-
turn of money loaned me by your IA
Their when 1 was sixteen years old and
clerk in his bank. He advanced me
$500 to start with in business. l re