St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-07-18

the widow.
Now, don't you worry, Missus Nc
Gaffney,' said big Jim Cradlebaugh
ostentatiously, 'the town'll see that
you don't suffer. I'll see to it. I'll
make the boys shell out" He laid a
coin down on the window-sill. There's
half a dollar for your immediate
needs, Missus Mccartney" he told her,
land 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
were waiting for him-the boys.
Nov, boys" he said, as he hustled
into the office of the Daily, gimme
sheet of paper. This here is for con-
tributors for Sarah Mccartney, the be-
reaved. There you are. There's my
name at the head, where it always is
in this here town. l 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 I give half a 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-Ill 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 a 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 a
good one. Charity is a pleasant weak
ness, but it becomes much more at
tractive 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 disguised with him,
though it did not dare to say SO. Jim
TpoH
sold many men in the town of DON
aldson; he was fat with prosperity
But never yet had be given five-doE
lar bill on any one occasion, though
when he gave the whole town knew
1t. Cradlebaugh took care to let them
know it. He was more than a laugh
ing-stock in the town; he was the sub
ject of bitter jeers. 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 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 it on himself. And he had no
vices, no luxuries. 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, gentle, shrinking
I.an."
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" or "A FRIEND
who closed it out-with hundreds.
But the small town Of Donaldson
never knew what fate had in store for
berp 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 it. By might the rising little
town of Donaldson lay in ruins-ruins
black and stark and uncompromising.
Donaldson was city without home.
Yes, there was one home that es-
capped. It was Jim Cradlebaugh's big
house. upon the hill. And there was
another home-the home men seek in
their extremity. The Donaldson First
church was unscathed
But with the morning and rising sun
hope grew. The banks reported their
vaults were safe. And the insurance
companies wired that they would Day
Donaldson losses Immediately. And
all that the people needed was food,
temporary shelter-just the bare nee
essaries of life.
well supply those ourselves"
cried Bartlett to the crowd; come in
to the church"
Cradlebaugh was nowhere to be
seen. The rumor grew that Cradle
baugh was keeping to himself, in COM
fort, up in his big house on the hill.
Others, who had, perforce, sheltered
AI,nnn inl,