The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-05-13
AN OLD CLOTHES
MANS STORY
By c. l. PIONEER
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association

10 my Shop, repair them. press them
ara sell them for a good profit But
this is not al there is in the old clothes
business. II Is very easy for small
coins, principally ten cent pieces. IN
slip through little holes. or, rather.
rips, In q vest pocket The first thing
] do with the clothing buy is 10
search the pockets
But the most interesting things that
get into old clothes are old letters
Few old clothes men pay any attep-
ton 10 them. burning them without
reading them. always read them.
Possibly there may be something in
them 10 render them valuable ! have
found letters Of this kind that would
have paid me well were ! disposed to
levy backmail, but am not in that
business
! once bought d coat that had a let.
ter in & side pocket sealed and with
a 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
out being examined by the seller
constituted myself a dead letter
office, opened the envelope and read
the letter II was from a wife TO her
husband, offering 10 make up" after
a quarrel. She proved conclusively
that be had been mistaken in the mat
ter be 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 10
her and be reconciled.
/ wondered what had been the re-
suit Of the failure to mail this letter.
j became interested in the poor wo-
man. who might have been suffering
from some ones careiessness. 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. II appeared likely that The
writer mus, have given II TO the man
who had WORD the coat to mail and
he bad neglected TO do so. ! felt that
! would Ike TO wiring his neck.
II occurred 10 me that being an old
clothes man. had never had any op-
portunity 10 do any one a kindness.
couldn't give money. because made
only enough 10 keep the wolf from the
door. II ! gave 10 any one took away
from what ny wife and children
needed 50 II occurred to ne 10 6rd
this couple between whom the letter
should have passed and deliver IT,
Perhaps they did nor need It; perhaps
they had been reconciled IN another
way; perhaps they had been divorced d,
and one Or both married again. Then .
the Cemarrlage Of a parent always !
seems 70 He q far more terrible heri,- .
age to the children than the parents .
death The latter is an awful bereave- .
ment, bur til farmer is q living horror
As the letter was but a year old (.
hoped thar ! would not be too late IN .
delivering il 10 1T Least save the little
ones from this last hopeless condition.
! didn't know how 10 20 TO work 10
find either Il the parties, so / went
10 the postofice and asked for advice.
The interview resulted IN my writing
4 note TO the man whose letter / had.
advising him Of the fact that a letter
hat might be Of importance to him
had come into my possession. sd-
dressed the note as the letter had been
addressed. and the postofice men {
agreed 10 deliver It II the man could
be found.
Within a couple OF weeks q gentle.
nan came into my shop with my note ;
u his hand saying that he was the
nan 10 whom il was written.
Have you wife, | asked
NO" he answered bitterly.
Are you divorced from wife"
YES" ,
Are either you or your wife mar,
1ed AGAIN.
NO"
! drew a sigh Of relief and handed I
lin his wife's letter written a year
'efore. He seemed much affected. not
peaking for some time after reading
and ! saw tears standing in his !
yes. | was curious to know what
ceiling would be uppermost in his '
1ind. for be would surely give express
ion 10 IT, This is the first thing he q
aid.
III kill that internal fellow II | K
ang for it,'' L
What Internal fellow