Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-29
DAILY STORY
WHAT A "QUARTER"
MIGHT HAVE DONE.

prudent, calculating gin short, must
see his way clearly In everything. leav-
ing nothing to chance. He had big
heart. but never let itirun away with
his head. James was a heller SHELTER
sort of a fellow who took all sorts of
risks, but his intuitions were so nearly
correct that he seldom made mistakes,
except in the bestowal Of his SYM
pathies. which were given to all who
came his way. His chum used to re-
prove him for his indiscriminate chart
ties. admonishing him that he would
never be OF any real phiIanthropic use
in the world. Reid had visions for
himself Of one day; endowing a great
library.
After graduation the chums parted
and did not meet again for thirty years.
1t was commencement time, and their
class held a reunion at their alma ma
ter. Seated on the chapel steps in the
shade of the elms, where they had as
youngsters often sang college songs,
the two men compared notes of their
thirty years experience. Both had
been remarkably successful.
Il remember well, old fellow" said
the latter. "how you used to twit me
on my misbestOwed charities. 1 have
learned that you were right about that,
and have been long ago converted to
your views
Don't" said Reid in a voice full of
pain, at the same time laying his hand
on his friends arm. James looked up
and saw that he had,touched some ten
der spot
What is it. Nick ?''he asked.
Tell me how you came to be con-
verted to my views"
Simply by investigating a few cases
of persons applying to me for relief.
They were all Frauds
.AIl?'
81 only looked into three or four
cases. These were certainly undeserv-
ing"
Reid rested his elbows on his knees
and his face in his hands, making no
reply for some moments. Then he said:
Percy, l was wrong, and 1 have put
you wrong. For years L gave what l
laid aside for present charities to asso-
Citations fitted to distribute aims, re-
serving the rest for the pet scheme of
my life. the library. Street beggarS |
never favored. One cold night when
the thermometer stood 10 degrees be-
low zero 1 was going home to toast my
shins before a bright open fire when l
was accosted by a young man who
wore a Scotch cap and plaid waist
coat. He asked me for means with
which to buy a nights lodging. I was
never more tempted to break through
my rules, but L argued that the fellow
civ rlx- hiS fro 10
he was through would go home and get
warm. He didn't follow me, but his
face wore so pathetic an expression as
to make me doubt my conclusions, and
l looked back The sight of him stand
ing there shivering came again near
conquering my resolution, but by an
effort l turned away and was soon
after seated before my warm blaze.
But l couldn't get rid of that pitiful
face, that shivering figure. 1t was in
the freight. At dinner 1t seemed to be
looking over my shoulder; In bed l saw
it through the darkness.
1.-The next morning while looking
over the paper in an article on The
Cold Wave / saw mention of young
man in a plaid waistcoat and Scotch
cap having been found frozen to death
on one of the seats of the park
THAT the great Creator had made me
momentarily responsible for life rush
ed upon me and crushed me. Mechan-
ically L put on my overcoat Cfur lineO
and went to the morgue. There lying
on the cold marble was the young man
who had asked me for the price of
nights lodging. A quarter would have
saved him: he might have passed into
a new environment and lived to bestow
comforts on his fellow men. That
quarter had denied him."
Reid paused and covered his eyes
with his hands as If to shut out some
haunting vision. then went on:
But the letter they found in his
pocket! 1t was from his old mother
in Scotland. He had been writing her
that he was getting on. but had not
yet got enough together to send her
anything She babe him not worry
abou. her"
The speakers voice trembled. and he
spoke the last few words with some
thing akin to a Sob The two friends
sat silent for some time. The COM
mencement procession was forming on
the campus, and young men in cap and
gown were streaming from the build
ings. They were UNDECIDED by the two
graduates of thirty years agone.
STRANGE said James musingly. |
you and I have been separated for |
thirty years, and now you who used to |
admonish me against promiscuous char |
ity are deeply moved by one event OF |
this long period. and that at variance |
with the views you then held. But this |
incident. i admit, is the most instruc- |
tive of our lives. 1t would have af- |
fected me as 1t has you had / been in |
your Alace."
''Since then" resumed Reid, Il have
been striving to Danish the sight Of |
that shivering figure. that young face
on the marble slab. by giving to him
that asketh.' 1 would rather waste my |!
whole fortune than make another such