Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-06-03

and this will 90 i'll; besides he added,
consciously, "I'll not take you 10 any
swell place"
We lunched at little place-not
Swell" but good in lis way, and there
he let out much of his heart to me.
1t was pitlful to hear him tell. of the
miserable shifts and devices by which
he gathered together the few dollars
necdful-pltiful to me, knowing what
the mans home life was.
do you think 1 don't know well
enough what people say ef me? Yes,
they call me Dlood-sucker, and-no,
don't shake your hcad-that's not the
worst; some will tell you I'm an out
and-out scoundrcl who ought to be In
State prison. But, Mr.. -" lie laid
his hand impulsively upon my arm,
II give you my word before my God
that never in my life have done a
dishonest act Yes, I've been arrested
more times than that once you know
Of; but it was always as a scapcgoat
for some other mans rascality. Hit
him; he's got OH friends" that's the
cry around Wall and Broad streets.
What a dreadful business mine is!
I know 1t; but I can't get out of 1t;
I can't try some other more decent
God knows 1 would If I saw my way,
but I don't When mans past sixty
10 one wants him. Besides. I know
this business Of shaving third and
fourth class paper clear down to the
ground; know that and nothing else.
Now, this piece OF business; how much
do YOU suppose III net out OF it?"
1.-TWO hundred" 1 suggested, know
Ing what his commissions ought to
have been.
divide that by twenty said How
ellis coolly. "What! a iackal like me
get his full commissions; Not much;
I'm allowed for expense carfare. this
lunch and odds and ends; but before I
got the Job l had to agree to tako an
even ten. Oh. I'm not worrying; It's
the best days work I've done In six
months"
From time to time during the follow
ing summer 1 saw Howelis, always in
haste, always anxious, but his greeting
was always Il genial smile and q
hearty Good day" he never pre-
sumed upon my good offices. 1t was
lntc one afternoon the following No
vcmber that messenger brought me
n brief note from him. He was laid
up he wrote, with bad cold. and
there was little matter Of business
he wanted looked after. The papers
incloScd were all in good shape. 1t
was after business hours; but in his
calling they stay down town late.
l did what he asked willingly, col
lacted the amount, and sent it by the
messenger. A week passed, and the
same thing happened again. This time
he wrote ut considerable length. He
was very III; too Ill to be out such a
harsh day He had no one he could
trust (the word trust" underscored).
Would I mind obligins him just once
more? 1t was q besecching-almost
crlnging-lctter. lie might have known
me better. 1 did the crrand, collected
Sc, added $40, and inclosed q line say
Ing that l was glad to be Of service,
and that the ten was "at his entire
convenience" The next day q postal
came, undated, and the handwriting
trcmulous, hardly legible. 1t said
simply: 10. X. Many thanks. You'll
get it later"
About a week after that while /
WIS sitting at my desk in the office,
the door opened hastily and Howells
staggered in. My first thought was
that he had been drinking, for his
manner was wild, his eyes sunkcn
| and bloodshot, and his usual p!nched
and haggard expression intensified
tcnfold.
Excuse me for one moment, Mr..
-" he sald painting like a winde'l
dog. "Ill get my breath shortly"
When he had recovered himself he
began at once, talking very fast-there
was policy on his life, taken out more
than ten years before. Originally fol
five thousand, it would now be worth
TO his heirs upward of nine thousand.
1.-THE premium is due to-day; this is
the very last day or the policy Will
lapse. 1t mustn't lapse; that's the long
and short of it. My family would get
over nine thousand If l should die to-
morrow IL that premium is paid. II
should die tomorrow" he repeated
choking. "Ive got fifteen of it. CAM
YOU help ME out with the balance
For Gods sake try and help me
out"
1 did not keep him in doubt, bu
opened my pocketbook and counted ou
the twenty that he said was needed
Howells eyed the money as famishet
man might food. AS he clutched thu
bills, the mans Joy seemed quite I'M
spcakabl He did, however. manage
to stamno 1ut in the intervals Of q
of painful. ghing what he called hi'
deep gra, O."
you'll { his back, good friend,
he said hu.. at the door. "Neve
fear. If l through-all right; 1
not-well," and he laughed hoarsely
"all right, any way. The fact is,
slipped out. No one knew I'd left th'
flat-or, for that matter, my bed. Th
doctor said il 1 came out this raw da.
1t would be the last of Jake Howe1s
But If you knew, Mr.. -, how 1'v'
worked and scrimped and gone with
out to save that policy for Polly ant
the girls, you'd say l was rlght-dea'
right. They call me hoary old repro
bate, but I say that was right-deat
right"
About dawn the next morning How
ellis died. The grief Of the thre
: women who loved him was agonizing
If lie had been the Wzst respeetebl
citizen it could karHsy &7e been NOR
so. In due time the ydaseS was paid
Mrs. Howells sent FOR me, and CAV
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