Evening journal., 1910-05-26
AN OLD CLOTHES
MANS STORY
By c. L. PIONEER
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
By c. L. PIONEER

this is not all there is in the old clothes
business. 1t is very easy for small
coins, principally ten cent pieces. to
slip through little holes. or, rather.
rips. in a vest pocket The first thing
| do with the clothing l buy is to
search the pockets.
But the most interesting things that
get into old clothes are old letters.
Few old clothes men pay any atten-
ton to them. burning them without
reading them. l always read them.
Possibly there may be something in
them to render them valuable. have
found letters Of this kind that would
have paid me we'll were l disposed to
levy blackmail, but / am not in that
business.
once bought a coat that had a let
ter in a side pocket sealed and with
q stamp on it 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
OuA DNAAAR CAanAAANA nN AnE HGAAEls
/ constituted myself a dead letter
Office, opened the envelope and read
the letter 1t was from a wife to her
husband, offering to make up" after
quarrel. She proved conclusively
that he had been mistaken in the mat
ter he had against her. vowed that she
had always loved him and would never
love any one else. She begged him for
the sake Of their children to come to
her and be reconciled.
wondered what had been the re-
suit of the failure to mail this letter.
l became interested in the poor wo-
man. who might have been suffering
from some ones carelessness, as well
as her husband and innocent children.
for there is nothing more melancholy
than the case of a child seeing its
father and mother quarrel and finally
| separate. 1t appeared likely that the
writer must have given it to the man
who had worn the coat to mail and
| he had neglected to do so. l felt that
/ would like to wiring his neck.
1t occurred to me that being an old
clothes man. l had never had any op-
| portunity to do any one a kindness. ]
couldn't give money. because l made
only enough to keep the wolf from the
door If / gave to any one l took away
/ from what my wife and children
needed So it occurred to me to find
this couple between whom the letter
should have passed and deliver it,
Perhaps they did not need it; perhaps
they had been reconciled in another
way: perhaps they had been divorced
and one or both married again. Then
the remarriage Of a parent always
seems 10 me a far more terrible herit-
age to the children than the parents
death The latter is an awful bereave-
ment. but the former is a living horror.
AS the letter was but a year old
hoped that / would not be too late in
delivering it to at least save the little
ones from this last hopeless condition.
l didn't know how to go to work to
find either Of the parties. so 1 went
to the postofice and asked for advice.
The interview resulted in my writing
a note to the man whose letter 1 had.
advising him Of the fact that letter
that might be Of Importance to him
had come into my possession. l ad-
dressed the note as the letter had been
addressed. and the postofice men
agreed to deliver it if 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 it was written.
Have you a wife?' 1 asked.
NO" he answered bitterly.
"Are you divorced from a wife?"
YES"
Are either you or your wife mar
ried again?"
NO"
drew sigh of relief and handed
him his wife's letter written a yea
before. He seemed much affected. no
speaking for some time after reading
it, and I saw tears standing in hi
eyes. ! was curious to know wha
feeling would be uppermost in hi
mind for he would surely give expires
sion to it. This is the FIRST thing b.
said:
.Tn kill that internal fellow if
hang for it,
What in1ernal fellowT
"The stupid idiot that was given thi
letter to post"
he had his eyes on the letter. but a
this point looked up at me and con
tinued.
And now. my good man. / wish t
reimburse you for any expense yo
have incurred in this matter. beside
giving you a suitable reward"
There has been no expense. AS {
the reward. my pleasure in havin
done one act without pay in my cor
temptible life is a far greater rewar
than any you could offer. Let an ol
clothes man have this satisfaction,
beg Of you. One thing ask-let N
see you remarked"
He went away. and the very ne1
day sent me word to come to his hous
at in the afternoon l went theI
and was the only person present b,
sides the couple and the man who ma
ried them.
When the ceremony was over doc
was opened. and in ran a happy i
Of children. who bounded into the
fathers and mothers arms.
al. I.