The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1910-11-18
AN CID CLOTHES
MANS STORY
Bv c. L. PIONEER
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
Bv c. /. PIONEER

10 my Sh0p. repair them. press them
and sell them for good profit But
this Is not all there IL Ia he old clothes
business IL Is very easy for small
coins. principally ten cenI pieces. TO
slip through little holes. OF. rather
rips. In a vest pocket rie first thing
! do with The clothing buy is TO
search he p0ckeIS
But the most interesting things that
get into old clothes are old letiers.
Few old clothes men pay any atten-
ton TO them burning them without
reading them. | always read them.
Possibly there may Ice something in
them 20 render them valuable. have
found letters OF his kind thai would
have paid me Melt were | disposed TO
levy backumil. but | am not in that
business
once bought coat thai had a let
ter in side pocket sealed aud with
a stamp on Il ready for mailing. The
envelope was not soiled. The letter
had evidently been placed in the pocket
for delivery in the mail forgotten. the
coat hung up without being worn
again and eventually sold TO ME with.
out being examined by the seller
constituted myself dead letter
office. opened the envelope and read
the letter Ii was from u wife to her
husband. Offering To make up" after
a quarrel She proved conclusively
that lie had been mistaken in the mat
ter he had against her. vowed that she
had always loved him aud would never
love any one else She begged him for
the sake OF their children TO come to
her and he reconcied
wondered what had been The re
suit 0f the failure To mail this letter
i became Interested ia the poor wo-
man. who might have been suffering
from some ones careirsSnesS, as well
ss her husband and iunocrnt children.
for there is uuihing more melancholy
than the case Of child seeing its
father and mother quarrel and finally
separate. 1t appeared likely that the
writer must have given il to the man
who had worn the coat To mail and
he had neglected 10 do so. felt thar
I would like TO wiring his neck
1t occurred to me that. being All old
clothes man. ! had never had any OPP
portunity 10 do any one y kindness.
couldn't give money. because ! made
only enough TO keep the wolf from the
door. IL gave 10 any one | took away
from what my wife and children
needed. So IL occurred 10 me TO find
this couple between whom the letter
should have passed and deliver il.
Perhaps they did not need It.; perhaps
they had been reconciled In another
way; perhaps they bud been divorced
and one or both married again Then
the remarriage OF parent always
seems TO me n far more terrible herit-
age TO the children than the parents
death. The latter is an awful bereave-
ment, but the farmer Is living horror.
AS the letter was but year old
hoped that ! would not be too late in
delivering II 10 at least save the little
ones from this last hopeless condition.
didn't know how TO go to work TO
End either Of the parties. so went
to the postoffice and asked for advice.
The interview resulted in my writing
q note 10 the man whose letter | had.
advising him OF the fact that letter
that might be OF Importance to him
had come into my possession. l adj
dressed the note as the letter had been
addressed. and the postoffice men
agreed TO deliver It II the man could
be found.
Within a couple OF weeks a gentle
man came into my shop with my note
in his hand saying that he was the
man TO whom Il was written.
Have you wife, | asked
NO" he answered bitterly
"Are you divorced from q wifer
yes"
Are either you or your wife mar
ried again."
"No."
him his wife's letter written year
before He seemed much affected. not
speaking FOR some time after reading
it. and saw tears standing in his
eyes. was curious TO know what
feeling would be uppermost in his
mind. for he would surely give express
sion TO IT, This is the first thing he
said
"I'n kill that Internal fellow IL
hang for it,
'What Internal fellowy'
THE stupid idiot that was given this
letter to post"
He had his eyes on the letter. but at
this point looked up ~ me and con.
rinued:
And now. my good man. | wish to
reimburse you for any expense you
have incurred in this matter besides
giving you suitable reward"
There has been no expense. AS 20
the reward my pleasure in having
done one act without pay in my con-
temptiblc life is far greater reward
than any you could ofrer Let an old
clothes man have this satisfaction.
beg OF you One thing ! ssk--Iet me
see you remarked
He went away and The very NEXT