Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-21
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA.
IOriHnal-1

| a story of how Sindbad the Sailor was
requested to take an old man on his
| shoulders and carry him across a
stream. When the Old man was secure
| ~ fixed in his position he refused tG
get down. and Sindbad was Obliged to
bear the burden indefinitely. l am re
minded of this story of the ''Old Man
of the Sea" In something similar that
| happened TO me when | was young.
Before settling down to my profess
sion, having put aside enough money
| to spend a few months in Europe.
| went abroad. The sum was only $500.
and / was obliged TO piece ii out by
doing good deal of walking One day
L was trudging along through the En-
gadine when L overlook a man who for
some reason was having hard time TO
get on. When 1 came up with him L
bid him good morning and asked him
If could be of any assistance to him.
You might help me along to the next
| hotel lie said. It's only about a
mile"
L took his arm. and as we walked
slowly on he told me that he was
EnOch Crane, an American. He had
long been ailing, and his doctor had
|
walking because .he couldn't afford to
ride. When we got to the inn 1 took
him TO room aud helped him 10 bed
bed from which he was destined
never 10 arise. He was very i'll in the
night, and l sat with him till near
morning
Having my time laid out and none
to lose, / proposed after breakfast to
| mr.
begged me 50 pitifully not to desert a
fellow countryman among strangers
that | agreed to remain with him an
other day. At the end of that day /
was constrained to- remain another and
another till | found tue time allotted
for my travels slipping away from
ME and | taking care of:a sick man
IN II little Swiss inn.
In this way the whole time / had
laid out for my trip passed and the
time for me TO so home arrived. The
Old man was sinking rapidly. and the
village doctor told him that he had bet
ter prepare his affairs for journey to
another world. Then NJ Crane called
me 10 his bedside and said TO me:
y on tell me YOU are going home. i
beg of you not to leave my body in this
PARKWAY land. but to take it with
you. / have expected TO die over here
and have made every provision, hay
Ing inquired the cost of removal in
every particular. You Will ind exact
ly the amount in my wallet under my
pillow. Take my body to b. in IL.
county, in Massachusetts. and about
mile north of the village Oh the V
- lnf forty in
closed with stones taken off the ground.
In the center is Il space marked by
four posts. where the grave is TO be
located. This is not all. / want you
TO be custodian of my grave Send for
a notary and | will draw up a paper
transferring the lot to you with every
thing it contains. which. of course. is
my body"
What Il situatiOn-my trip spoiled, |
obliged to so home in company and in |
care of the corpse of the uhin who had |
spoiled it. and my pay was IA plot of |
ground not worth $50. which. after all, |
l must hold for grave. Nevertheless |
l consented. l cannot cEIim that | did |
it solely from kindly motives. Enoch |
Crane possessed IA singular influence |
over me- Often during my attendance |
upon him | wondered if l Were really |
myself. If | were not under some spell. |
At such times | invariably thought of |
Sindbad the Sailor
When Mr.. Crane died | possessed |
myself of his wallet which, iI addition
to money. contained an account for ex-
penSes figured down to the closest pos
Sible amount, il struck me that ne must
have been afraid l would reap a few
dollars out of the transaction. 1t paid
the way exactly, and l expended the |
last dollar in having the body trans
ferred to the grave. L had promised
Mr.. Crane that | would see the grave
dug. the body lowered and the earth
put back, all under my own superin-
tendence. To do this | must pay for
my own carriage. Glad of the prospect
Of getting the disagTeeable matter off
my hands. l secured two men with the
necessary implements and was soon
beside them as they dug the
grave between the posts Crane had de
scribed. They had gone down about
four feet when one of them threw up
l tin box. | took charge OF it. but
since il was locked / was obliged 10
wait my return to the village before
Examining it. | presumed il 10 be an
'ther whim Of the man who was being
,uried
Having kept my promise TO the let
er. i drove back To the village and.
'alling for room in the little hotel
proceeded TO open the box. II contain
ID number OF envelopes. From the
opmost | drew n paper. IT recounted
he wrongs heaped upon Enoch Crane
" his relatfes-he had no wife or
Midland their heartlessness in per-
hitting him TO go abroad alone In
earch OF health. The next envelope
obtained paper'willing the contents
4 the box 10 the owner of the lot in
which it was found. The remaining en-
elopes contained stocks and bonds