The Democratic advocate., 1909-09-24
TOM
The Stoy of a Kindness at.Was
Remembered.

The old man looked at the stranger
Then he looked at the letter in his
hand.
Friend of Edgerton's, chr
YES" said the stranger.
The old man looked at the letter
Thomas Harper eh?"
That's the name"
ANY friend of Jim Edgertons is
welcome" said the old man. DO you
know Jim?'
Quite we'll"
Hes a good boy. | startled Jim in
BUSINESS"
$50 he told me-"
did he? I'm glad he remembered
They don't usually. ] suppose I've
started twenty boys In business. Prec-
ious few of them remembered it, jim
told you, eh?"
He had queer way of saying "eh?'
And he had queer way of putting
his gray head little on one side
when he said it.
"Yes, he told me-"
Good Most of those boys got al
they could out of me and when they
began to be little useful they left
There's very little gratitude left In
the world, Mr.. Harper"
And he stared at the letter
The stranger looked from the old
man to the dingy walls and the dingy
furnishings of the old Office.
How is business?" he asked.
There isn't any," replied the old
man Not for me. I'm too old fash
ioned to keep up with the procession
Perhaps I'm too honest Anyway
I'm pretty close to the end of the
string"
He scowIed as he spoke and shook
his gray head TO give emphasis to his
words.
Are you alone here?" the stranger
asked.
Il have young man in the outer
Office" the old man replied" It's pret.
ty nearly time for him to serve not
ice on me- don't believe 1t will be
worth while for me to hire anybody
else. How long do you stay in the
city"
"A day or two
I'm glad you came In" said the
old man. 1T does me good to think
Jim hasn't forgotten the old days
Sorry can't entertain you in some
way. / haven't any home to take you
the theaters.'
The stranger laughed. He was q
we'll built man of perhaps forty. well
dressed and well kept man.
That's all right" he said. Il came
here TO see Jims old friend. You're
one OF the oldest merchants In the
some very interesting "reminiscences
to tell"
The old man shook his head
Nothing of the sort" he answered
Nothing but hard work, and dlsap
pointmenta, and knaving, and ingrati
tude"
That's a sorry list said tn,
stranger.
It's sorry life" said the old man
Except for a favored few. Yes,
might be rich man today II had
MT been weak and soft hearted That
doesn't pay when you're In trade, Mr.
Harper. You're got to be hard, hard
hard"
His voice rose as he uttered tho
word and he smote the old desl
harshly with his clenched hand.
The stranger looked at him ant
slowly nodded.
Your experience evidently has moi
been peasant" he said
Pleasant" echoed the old man
Look at me, Sixty-seyen years old
forty years In business---and absolute
ly nothing To show for II. I'm a hor.
rible example of the wrong way o.
doing things" He laughed unpleas
antly. a was leeking through {
bundle of notes the other day--littls
sums and some that are fairly big
They represented loans | have fool
ishly made Do you know that tn,
total of those amounts would com
fortably provide for me II lived TO bt
hundred! Talk about gratitude!
He scowled darkly as he nervously
folded the letter But when he looked
up the scowl faded. This isn't {
pleasant way to treat you, Mr.. Harper
But it's my way. I'm the crouch o.
the street Ny hobby is ingratitud,
and | talk II whenever ! can get a lis
tener. But I'd rather you wouldn'
make It too strong when you see Jim
I'm grateful to Jim for at least re
membering me-"
The stranger nodded.
"'I'll be careful" he said And nov
I'm going to ask little favor"
A queer smile crossed the old man.
face
I'm afraid It's hopeless" he said
mo matter how small There was
time when the expression didn't scar,
me a mite. but that was many yearl
ago"
The stranger stared at the old maj
and suddenly laughed.
That's good" he said. 81 accep
your hint only to tell you II is wasted
I'm not in any present need of money
In fact I've got little | want to ge
rid of. | invite you to be my guest a
dinner tonight"
The old man suddenly shrank back
NO, no." he said.
Yes, yes" laughed the stranger.
But I'm not q diner-out" protest
ed the old man. you see how shah
by my garb is"
That's all right / told Jim wal
going to invite you He SCENE,
pleased"
did her"
The old man hesitated
Shall we say six oclock?p tn
stranger asked.
The old man drew quick breath
Yes" He nodded vigorously. "
like your way" he said "Somehoy
you don't act as If you were doing thi
In a merely perfunctory way 70,
actually want me to dine with you
Is that true?"
"Of course it's true, said the strang
er. Expect me hack at o'clock"
He arose and crossed to the old maj
and shook his hand warmly.
"At s o'clock" he repeated, and wa
gone.
The old man stared after him wist
fully.