The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-07-09

Wnen 0ld Dledfy McGduney, lue
town inebriate, was accidentally killed
big Jim Cradlebaugh apprised the
widow Of her bereavement.
What am I a-goin to do?" walled
the widow.
Now, don't you worry, Missus Nc
Gaffney,s said big Jim Cradlebaugh
ostentatiously, the townll see that
you don't suffer. III see to it. I'll
make the boys shell out" He laid
coin down on the window-sill. There's
half a dollar for your immediate
needs. Missus Mccartney" he told her
'"and don't you worry. I'll make the
boys do their part, too
He started in to do it. Down in the
office of the Donaldson Daily they
We're waiting for him--the boys.
Now, boys" he said, as he bustled
into the office of the Daily, gimme
sheet of paper. This here is for con-
tributors for Sarah Mccartney, the be-
reayed. There you are There's my
name at the head, where it always is
in this here town | subscribe half
dollar, do you see? Come, now, put
your names in. Don't be afraid The
list II be printed in the Daily just as
usual. / give half dollar. Who'll
give more?"
Young Bill Mathewson, the hard
ware man, stepped forward. MIR.
Cradlebaugh," he said. and his lip
curled as he said it, I'm worth about
one-tenth the sum that you are. Put
me down for five dollars-rll give ten
times as much as you
Jim Cradlebaugh was never feezed.
"Hurrah," he said, example is conta-
gious. l give so cents, and the next
man gives five dollars. Who'll give
more? Come, now, your names'll all
be printed, don't you know. Won't
they, Bartlett?"
Bartlett, editor and proprietor of
the Donaldson Daily, nodded "As
usual" he responded But his lip
curled just little, too. For the only
thing that the town could give Jim
Cradlebaugh credit for was that he
could make other people give. He was
the originator of the published lists in
the Daily. He had started them dur
ing the smallpox scare some three
years before, and the editor acknowl
edged to himself that the idea was
good one. Charity is a pleasant weak
ness, but it becomes much more at.
tractiye when it is set before the eyes
Of men, with names and amounts in
full.
But Cradlebaugh-the town was dis
gusted with Cradlebaugh; the Donald
son Daily was disgusted with him,
though it did not dare to say SO. Jim
Cradlebaugh could have bought and
sold many men in the town Of Don
aldson; he was fat with prosperity.
But never yet had be given a fiye-dol-
lar bill on any one occasion, though
when he gave the whole town knew
it. Cradlebaugh took care to let them
know it. He was more than a laugh
ing-stock in the town; he was the sub
iect of bitter ieers. But he never
realized it, so it seemed.
The Mccartney subscription was
ended by a $500 gift from "a friend"
Old Terwilliger who lived at the
end of the street was a comparative
stranger in the town of Donaldson. He
had lived there for Is years. No one
knew whence he had come. All that
was known about him the banks
knew. Every six months he made sub.
stantial deposits in the First National
and in the Dime Savings bank. At the
end of each six months the deposits
dwindled to a cipher The banks did
not know where the money went-cer-
tainly old lean Terwilliger did not
spend 1t on himself And he had no
vices, no Injuries. He was a plain.
simple, unsophisticated old man. But
the eyes of Editor Bartlett always
twinkled when the name of Terwilli.
ger was spoken, and sometimes moist.
ened. Then they would harden when
he thought Of Cradlebaugh.
What a difference between two
men" he thought to himself. Cradle.
baugh, blatant, ostentatious egotist
Terwilliger, a gentle. shrinking
man"
But if Terwilliger had a secret, and
If Bartlett knew, It, he never divulged
it to his best friend
And as time went on, and the char.
ity lists in the Donaldson Daily multi
piled. it was invariably Cradlebaugh
who headed the list-with a dollar;
and It was invariably Constant Read.
err" or PRO Bono" OF "A Friend"
who closed 1t out-wlth hundreds.
But the small town Of Donaldson
never knew what fate had in store for
Der. She had given bounteously TO
all her neighbors. She little knew
how much she would need charity her
self
It was the Widow Mccartney who
started 1t. BY night the rising little
town of Donaldson lay in Iuins-rulns
black and stark and uneompromising.
Donaldson was city without home.
Yes, there was one home that es.
capped. Il was Jim Cradlebaugh's big
house, upon the hill. And there was
another home-the home men seek in