The Topeka state journal., 1905-07-03
THE EVENING STORY
Aims and the Man.

Inc lltLie O1Q DdTTel organ Wn1nSQ
away monotonously, its squeaky droneI
all but drowned in the roar of traffic
in the street. It's three tunes followed
one another in cease1ess succession.
The jerky strains of AFTER the BALI
were Supplanted by THE Last Rose of
Summer" and this in turn gave way to
Lead, Kindly Light a rendition
which was unique in uneven breaks
and phthisicky wheezes due to compli-
cations in the internal mechanism of
the dilapidated affair.
Huddled on the bricks of the side
walk, his back resting against an iron
fence, an old man with a rusty gray
beard patiently ground the crank. In
the little tin cup beside the organ were
three pennies, and suspended from the
old mans neck was a tin sign with
the time worn announcement, 81 Am
Blind
AS Francesca West and young Hol-
lander came down the street the organ
was in the throes of Lead Kindly
Light, and the spasmodic snarls it
sent out seemed somewhat in the ma
ture of protest. Francesca caught
the young mans arm, and they halted
before the organ.
Oh, she said under her breath,
what a horrible old mani" And. fish
ing quarter from her purse, she
dropped it into the tin cup.
The old man touched his hat, grunt-
ed stereotyped Thanks, num- and
the hymn squeaked along its uneven
way. Hollander watched the proceed
ing with a grim smile.
1.-The old humbug!" he commented as
they continued their way down the
street.
why do you say that?" Francesca
asked.
We'll" said Hollander, perhaps you
noticed he suffixed his thanks with a
ing closely and saw the old codger
coyertly open the eye nearest the cup.
Rest assured he saw the quarter and
its donor as well as I did,
Anyway" she said, ''he earns the
plttance he gets. Imagine sitting there
all the morning grinding that organ
and listening to it's drone, all for three
pennies"
Don't let the pennies deceive you.".
Hollander protested. HE puts the
nickels and dimes in his pockets. 1t
would hurt business to have the tin
cup look too prosperous. BY this time
your quarter is safely salted with the
rest, and the three pennies make their
pathetic appeal to other tender hearts"
Francesca's brow wrinkled in disap-
proval.
I'D hate to look at the world through
such green goggles of cynicism,' she
said. Il always give somtehing to ev-
cry beggar in my path.
ALLOW me to take exception to that
statement" said the young man. Some
of the beggars' pleas you don't deign
| to notice"
Indeed" said the girl with 81 slight
lifting Of her pretty eyebrows. when
| have you noticed such oversight on
my part?"
There is one beggar in particular. -
said Hollander, san honest beggar, too,
whom you utterly ignore. He needs
your aims far more than your pseudo
blind organ grinders
Where is this neglected beggar ?''
she asked. when have 1 seen him ?''
He has dogged your steps for the
last five years" he said gravely. "He
has sat at your feet and held out his
little tin cup for aims. but you have
been blind to his presence and deaf
/ to his plants"
Francesca smiled maliciously.
'Is he ragged and dirty?'' she asked.
Would know he was a beggar just
to see him %
you would know he was beggar
just to hear him." he returned.
fIs it money he begs?" she inquired
sweetly.
mo- he said, 'it's not money he
wants. He has enough of that him
self. Ee begs for interest and SYM
pathy and love-
And suppose dropped some love
er--that is, sympathy, mean-in his
cup, what would he do? Would he
grind me a tune on a decrepit barrel
| organ ?''
He'd give you lifelong devotion in
return he said earnestly.
| Perhaps he's as big humbug as the
blind man." she unused. Perhaps he's
! picked the metaphorical dimes and
nickels out of his cup and slowed them
| in his pockets. and only let's me see
the three pathetic pennies"
| francesca he said in hurt surprise
She laughed rather uneasily.
Il said perhaps she reminded him
| "I see," he said, somewhat Modified
There was silence between them fol
/ moment
Hes an honest beggar," the young
| man said.
Hes a most persistent one" she
laughed.
You say you give aims to every rag
ged mendicant who crosses your path
You wouldn't pass him by. would your
| he asked.
4 IF I thought he really needed aims
she began.
''He does. I assure you he does!" HI
said eagerly.
'Then, just to stop his begging sait
Francesca, looking at a cornice on thu
other side of the street, "Tll-Tll Civ
him what he asks.
On his way home they passed the oIc
man with the barrel organ again. Hol
The old man touched his hat and mum
bled a Thanks, sir
Crafty old party Hollander chuck
led as he walked UP the street will
the girl.
turning to him with bewilderinl
smile. FORBES DWIGHT.
Copyright, 1905, by T. C. McC1ure.)
|