The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-08-04

The old man looked at the stranger
Then he looked at the letter In ms
hand.
Friend of Edgerton's, eh?"
"Yes," said the stranger.
The old man looked at the letter.
"Thomas Harper eh?"
That's the name"
"Any friend of Jim Edgerton's Is
welcome" said the old man. DO you
know Jim?'
Quite we'll"
Hes a good boy. | started Jim in
business"
80 he told me-"
Did he? Pm 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 a queer way of saying "eh?
And he had queer way of putting his
gray head a little on one side when
he said 1t.
Eyes, he told me"
Good. Most of those boys got all
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 started 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
toned 10 keep up with the procession.
Perhaps I'm too honest. Anyway, I'm
pretty close to the end of the string.
He scowled as he spoke and shook
his gray head to give emphasis to his
words.
Are you alone here?" the stranger
asked.
81 have young man in the outer
office" the old man replied" It's pref
ty nearly time for him TO serve not
ice on me. | don't believe it 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
bid man. 1T does me good to think
jam hasn't forgotten the old days.
Sorry | can't entertain you in some
way. l haven't any home to take you
b, and l don't know anything about
the theaters."
The stranger laughed. He was a
well built man of perhaps forty, well
dressed and we'll kept man.
'"phats all right he said. Il came
here to see Jim's old friend. You're
one of the oldest merchants in the
city, Jim told me. You must have
some very interesting "reminiscences
to tell"
The old man shook his head
Nothing of the Sort" he answered
Nothing but hard work, and disap-
pointments, and knaving, and ingrati-
tude."
That's a sorry list" said the
stranger.
TITS sorry life," said the old man
Except for a favored few Yes,
might be rich man today If l 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 the
word, and he smote the old desk
harshly with his clenched hand.
The stranger looked at him and
slowly nodded.
"Your experience evidently has moi
been pleasant" he said.
Pleasant" echoed the old man
Look at me. Sixty-seven years old
.prty years in business-and absolute
4 nothing to show for it. I'm hor'
9ible example of the wrong way Of
Aoing things" He laughed unpleas
tntly. 81 was looking through {
bundle of notes the other day-littlt
sums and some that are fairly big
They represented loans / have fool
1shly made. Do you know that th'
total Of those amounts would com
fortablv provide for me if lived to b.
o hum Jed! Talk about gratitude!
ne SU Hleu udThly DIS uc ueINouoil
folded yhe letter. But when he looket
up tie scowl faded. This isn't ,
pleasant way to treat you, Mr.. Harper
But it's my way. I'm the crouch o
the street. My hobby is ingraitude
and talk it whenever can get lis
fener. But I'd rather you wouldn'
make 1t too strong when you see Jim
Tim grateful to Jim for at least re
1tembering 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 dts hopeless" he said
~no matter how ANAL. There was
time when the expression didn't scar
me mite. but that was many year
ago"
The stranger stared at the old ma
pnd suddenly laughed.