Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-11-18
HIS FRIENDS
He Entertained Them but Once
BY DANIEL. X. Won TRoMP
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association,


less, was walsing, satchcl In hand,
from the station to the hotel OF the
place when l was acc0sted by CHEEKY
man. who asked me II were going 10
stop overnight in the town, Upon my
telling him that such was my inten.
ton he said to me:
Il sometimes receive guests In my
house and IL you like viii entertain
you"
Not relishlng stay In the average
country hotel. concluded TO go with
the man. He led me TO the handsom'
est house IN the place. II had no ap-
pearance OF being hotel. Indeed,
there was nothing public about II. /
was shown to bedroom containing
every comfort and convenience. l ar
rived near the dinner hour and when
went down into the dining room
found there only mine host aud his
family about n table at which there
was but one vacant seat, My host in'
troduced me TO his wife and daughters
aud motloned me TO the vacant chair,
Never was l more puzzled. had
been solicited, supposed, by either a
hotel runner or n landlord, yet seem
ed to be In a private house, The CON
versatlon was general and was emily
ened by bottle Of wine. This EN-
barrassed me. for landlords are not
used to furnishing wine unless duly
ordered to be paid for. had ordered
no wine and did not know whether I
would be permitted to return the
hosts civility by doing so. After din
ner spent very pleasant evening
with him and his family and at bed.
time retired to my room.
was given my breakfast the next
morning alone, and, as nothing was
said about remaining longer after l
had eaten, took up my satchel for
departure Each one of the family
cordially bade me goodby, not one OF
them expressing a desire to see me
again. though the eldest daughters
eyes sank to the floor at pressure Of
the hand gave her. could not
bring myself TO call for bill. ! con
tented myself with expressing my
thanks.
Going straight TO the office of a man
with whom l had business. informed
him of my adventure and asked II be
could give me an explanation. He
smiled and said:
Have you read In the Arabian
Nights Entertainment the story Of
the man who. disgusted with the self
ishness Of humanity. every evening
invited stranger to sup and remain
the night with him and turned him
away In the morning?"
81 have"
"You have been entertained by such
man"
"And 1 will not be admitted under
his roof agaln?"
mo"
I'VE shall see about that. But tell
me the story"
Evan Thompson inherited the
wealth of his father and grandfather.
Evan was always very tender hearted.
AS soon as he came into his property
he began to give 1t to any one who
needed 1t. He never wasted n penny
of 1t. Every cent was a blessing to
whomsoever it was given. To con-
dense the story, he gave away his
whole patrimony, including the house
In which he now lives. Not being sat
isfed to remain poor man among
those who had been his associates In
prosperity, he went away and was not
seen again here for ten years. Then
he appeared one day ragged and for
lorn looking. There was scarcely a
person in the town who had not at
some time been assisted by him. He
applied TO one after another for help.
What assistance was given him was
so trifing that 1t served him but for
a brief period. Some Of those he had
helped to prosperity made him small
loans, realizing that until they were
paid he would not trouble them again.
Some paid no attention whatever to
his solicitations. And so. after he had
asked for help from everybody and
all had either refused him or put him
where he could not well ask for more,
he discovered that his former friends
when they saw him coming would
turn down a cross street before meet
ing him. Indeed, everybody wished
he would go away again and stay
away.
HE disappeared one morning, his abb
sence being made manifest by his fail.
ing to call on a man who had promised
to lend him quarter. The man told
others of the circumstance. and 1t soon
got abroad that 'Seedy' Thompson, as
he was called, had relieved the town
Of his presence. Then one day some.
thing happened. The owner of the
Thompson homestead announced that
he had sold 1t for twice what he gave
for 1t. The next startler was the reg.
istry Of the deed to the premises in
the name of Evan Thompson. Lastly,
one morning a maiden lady passed the
Thompson house and reported that she
had seen 'Seedy' Thompson himself
sitting on the porch nuffinp n cipar