The Washington herald., 1908-03-18
CHAPTER XxI-Continued.

To such men he gave himself out as
Mr.. Jones. Jgent OF a benevolent society
which was nameless. and which did its
work without advertisement. and extract
ed a pledge OF secrecy. BY such means
many dozen honest, hard-wcrking men,
who, through no fault OF their own, had
been thrown out Of employment. had been
put upon their legs again and gained
work, and yet not one of them ever sus-
pected that the shabby. down-at-heel man
Jones was actually the millionaire Samuel
Statham. who lived in the white house
in full view OF the seat whereon they had
first met
Even from Rolfe he sought TO conceal
this secret philanthropy, yet the young
man had guessed something Of it. He had
more than once caught him talking to
strange men whose pinched faces and
trimmed appearance told the truth.
The man whose vast wealth had brought
him nothing but isolation and loneliness
delighted in performing these good works.
and in rescuing the unfortunate wives
and families of the deserving ones who
were luckless. He loved to see the bright
ness overspread those dark. despairing
faces. and TO hear the heartfelt thanks
which he was told to convey 10 the myth
cal society"
Never but once did he allow man 10
suspect that the money ne gave came
from his own pocket That single occa-
sion was when, after giving a man whom
he believed 20 be deserving a sovereign.
he next evening found him in the park
the worse for liquor
He said nothing that night, but a few
days later. when he met him. he gave
him piece Of his mind which the
plausible good-for-nothing would not
quickly forget
Such frauds as you" he had said,
prevent people from assisting the de-
serving poor. I've made inquiry into your
story. and found it false from beginning
10 end. You have no wife, and the four
children starving and i'll that you de-
scribed 10 mo do not exist You live
for the most part in the bar Of the
star, off the Edgware road, and on the
night after l gave you the money YOU
were so drunk that they wouldn't serve
you. Such men like YOU" he went on
with withering sarcasm, his gray beard
bristling as he spoke. and his fist clench-
ed ieTcely ARE a disgrace to the human
race, for you are a liar, a dTuni;ard. and
blackguard-a man who deserves the
death that VIII, I hope, overtake YOU
death In the gutter"
And he turned upon his heel, leaving
the accused man standing staring at him
open-mouthed, utterly unable TO offer
single word in self-defense
This secret charity was Sam Statham' s
only recreation. BY il he made many
friends whom he had taken out Of. the
slums-friends who were perhaps more
devoted and true to him than those to
whom he had given financial tips" and
who had made many thousands thereby.
IN many a modest home WAS Mr.. Jones
a welcome guest whenever he called to
see how his friends" were progressing,
and many a time had he drunk a humble
glass Of bitter sent out for by his
Thankful and devoted host who was all
unconscious OF who his guest really was
Tho world would have laughed at the idea
OF a wOrkingman standing Samuel Stat
ham glass Of ale
One case was old Sans particular pride.
About eighteen months before in the
park one day. he came across a despair
ing but well-educated middle-aged man.
who at first was not at all communica-
tive. but whose bearing and manner was
that Of refinement and culture. Three
times they met. and IL was very evident
that the sad-faced man was starving.
At last Sam offered 10 stand him" a
meal, and over IL the man told pathetic
story. how that he was a fully qualified
medical man in practice in York. but
owing TO his unfortunate habit of drink
ing he had lost everything. sold his
practice. and had been compelled to leave
the city. The proceeds Of his practice
had soon gone in drink, and now. with
all the bitter remorse upon him. he and
his wife and two small children were
faced with starvation. Friends and rela-
tons would not assist him because of
his intemnerance. There was only one
way out Of it all. he declared-suicide
Sam had taken him in hand. He had
seen the wife and children, and then ex-
planned. as usual. that he was Mr. Jones'
Small sums he first gave them. and find
ing that his charity was never abused
and that the doctor withstood the tempta-
ton TO drink, he had gone to an agency.
the address Of which he had found in the
Lancet and bought a comfortable little
practice with a furnished house in West
Norwood, where the doctor and his fam
lily were now installed and doing well.
In West Norwood to-day that doctor IS
the most popular and the most sought
after. His practice is ever increasing. and
already he has nearly repaid the whole OF
the sum which Mr.. Jones lent him. and
has been compelled to take an assistant.
The doctor is still in ignorance. how
ever. for he has never identified MI Jones
with Statham, the millionaire. But was
II surprising that at his house no guest
was more welcome than the man who had
rescued him from ruin and from death?
Truly money, II properly applied, can
do much 10 alleviate the sufferings OF the
world. and as il is the root OF all evil"
so it is also the root Of all good.