The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-19
In ONE EASY LESSON.
HOW GERMOND LEARNED TO
BE MEAN.
BY KENNETH HARRIS.

reputation VI pellS tue ulullebt, npSl
merciless, unsympathetic, applicable
brute that ever walked on two legs
and passed among casual acquaint-
ances for human. Callous wasn't any
name for him. Shylock didn't insist
on his pound of flesh More remorse-
lessly than he II anybody once got
into his clutches; only he showed
more aeumen In drafting his bonds
than did the guileless II revengeful
Jew
You might picture the man as 9
shriveled and weakened old miser, with
parchment skin, clawiike fingers, a
cold gray eye that cleaned only with
avarice and imagine him, shabby and
dirty, grubbing among his mortgages
and stock certificates In congenial sol
itude. But that wasn't Germond. He
was stout, rudy and well groomed,
given to the adornment of diamonds
and other precious stones. His laugh
was ready and boisterous and his
handshake warm and hearty. He
could tell a good story, and for all his
reputation enjoyed a certain degree or
popularity at his club.
Some Of the clubmen were talking
over this strange disparity one even
ing.
HE has all the other qualifications
for a good fellow" said Paynter, but
when they made him they left out the
heart"
mot by any means" said Water
man. HE had a heart like an OK,
pulsating with all generous emotions,
generous to fault 1t may have be-
come atrophied, but 1t was there to
begin with. I'll tell you about Ger.
mond, II you like, and 1t may be that
the episode | have to relate will in
duce you to regard him with greater
leniency."
GO anead." said Paynter.
81 was up in his Office one morn
ing" said Waterman. 1--WE were talk
Ing over little business matter when
4 woman, who had In some way eluded
the vigilance of the Office boy. came
INTO the room. She was pale and
.maciated, dressed In worn and thread
bare garments that made pathetic
Effort at responsibility and pathetically
allied. She was past the middle age
worn, like her apparel, and
ears stood In her faded eyes as she
began to speak.
"Her husband. 1t seemed. was a
,oyhood friend of Germonds and had
shown his friendship in practical
way by lending him money at the out
Jet of his career The woman made a
merely delicate allusion to this. For
,ears, she said, she and her husband !
lad battled against undeserved mis- !
was most pitiable story |
and the man was then lying In a
,retched tenement, hopelessly Grip
led, dying slowly of privation. She
ppealed to Germond for assistance
ne merest trifie of money for immedi-
to necessity and some little employ
tent, however mental and hard. to en-
BILE her to care for her husband and
spay the advances that she hoped our
lend would make. The truth of her
DRY was more than evident. Her sin
Gritty was unmistakable.
"Germond refused her request. and
lat with a coarseness, a harshness, a
'utality that wire shocking
when she had gone Germond turn
to me. 4 suppose you think that
as pretty flerce?' he said.
81 was too disguised to answer.
" Maybe 1t was little he went on.
ut I'm soured on hard-luck stories
ow, that man she was talking about
paid him back the money he lent me-
lid him every cent of 1t. and | didn't
I'VE to. either. | hadn't given him
@ scratch of a pen as evidence OF
@ debt ! paid him Just the same as
had given him my note with gilt
ged security behind it--except that
ere wasn't any interest Well, about
rec years after that he came TO me
d wanted to borrow SIS. He was on
5 uppers then. He told about the
me story as his wife did Just now
e first part of 1t. What did | do?
: George. let him have the s25. And /
you think he ever paid II back?
}, sir. Not one red cent OF IT, dun
d him for years and all got was
cuses. | turned his note over to
lecting agency and they couldn't do
ything with it-reported back that
wasn't worth suing and probably !
yer would be.
Well when a man treats me that
y and calls himself a friend. after j
lad put myself out to accommodate
n. after | had paid him back what
wed him without any sort Of COM
sion. wouldn't you be sore on hu-
nifty?
So you see." concluded Waterman,
ere are reasons for most things II
only knew them. and II must be
nltted that Germond was badly
ated"
OF course agreed Paynter. eff
Is faith In human nature Is once
troyed IL is hard to re-create IL
ratitude inevitably begets suspicion
eallousness I'm glad that you =
US of this. We would never have
m Germond credit for so much gen