Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1917-08-30
Generosity

NAtAAAA6 MS lAAulL a niue CONSCIOUS
= ". Mr.. Hyne looked askance at Caleb
Peaslee.
This is a queer question. Kellup."
he ventured at last "aud l d'know's
I ought to ask II bout neIghbOr, but
who Is the most selfish man you know
of. right in his own family, and lords
his own childrenT"
Mr.. PeaSlee glanced about him eau
dously. and then replied with a grin
that had In 1t Il touch Of self-conscious-
ness.
81 wouldn't tell you if I didn't know
we're both thlnkin' Of the same man."
he said. ''Ben Safrord's the pusson. 1
saw you stop when you came by his
place. What's he been dom now?"
"Nothln' special, replied Mr.. Hyne.
'What I saw him do is Of a piece with
all his doin's, only he done it with
out any color of shame, fur's 1 could
see."
"What was it?" persisted Mr. Peas
! lee
"Well," Mr.. Hyne deposed slowly, 81
had a pocketful of walnuts, and when
got long by Stafford's he was standin'
out by the gate with the boy of his.
] don't care what Ben Stafford is-that
boy is bright and smart as they
make. Mebbe he takes it from his moth
er. 1 didn't want the walnuts N.Y.
self, and I did want to give 'em to
the boy. I don't suppose Stafford ever
brings any bought truck home to that
youngster. So l started to give 'em
TO the kid, but Stafford held out his
hand.
"T1l shell EN- he says, and like
fool I put 'em all in his hand-and
what do you think he dOne?"
Eat the heft of 'em himself" con-
jectured Mr.. Peaslee without a mo-
ment's hesitation. Mr.. Hyne smote
his leg savagely with his hard palm.
"TTe eat the last solitary one of 'em
himself and gin the boy the empty
shells to play with" he asserted stout
IL. eyes, sir he eat 'em all, with that
kid watchin' him, and hopin' to the
last that mebbe one of 'em would fall |
to his share. And then his father
gin him the empty shells and told him
he could make boats of 'em, and the
boy went off looking pretty SOBER"
Mr.. Peaslee pursed his lip and emit
ted low whistle of surprise.
II d'know's ever heard of anything
TO beat that, / d'know jest how a man
could go to work to beat it" he said.
But I ought not to be s'prised at any
thing Ben Stafford does In the way
of stinginess. You know what he
did when he was courtin' his wife,
don't yod7"
8 Mr.. Hyne shook his head sourly. "He
was married long fore l moved into
town." he replied, 'but I'm willin' and
able to b'Iieve anything after what /
saw this mornin'."
"Well," began Mr.. Peaslee, "they say
tIldl lie lOOh IcI " Il 1dIL OhC IiihCs
bein' as he had some cattle on exhibit
ton and could get into the fair grounds
for nothin'. They took their own food
with 'em--she put 1t up for both of
'em-and Ben was havin' dretful
good time SEEM nothin' was costin'
him cent.
ci1 CHI thinpS I
ike that, but Of course the girl knew
hat Ben wouldn't fool away any money
1R such things. But there was heaps
1f things to eat-candy and pears and
and s'pose she had q kind Of
sweet tooth. Anyway, after they'd
wandered round and Bend seen bout
Ill ne could see for nothin', she sort
II plucked up her courage. She Is
Iuiet, patient little pussOn, you know,
md she had kind of wistful look
wen in them days.
"They was goi-g past booth where !
here was some oranges and she
ouched him on the arm and says,
Don't them oranges look awful nice,
5enY He halted right square In his
racks, and she hardly dared to blieve
Ter own eyes at that. 4
"But when he grabbed her by the =,
I'm and begun to fetch her along
o'rds the oranges, elbcwin' folks out
f the way so he could get closer, she
cit that she'd been sort of misjudgln'
i'm all along. He made a way through j
he crowd and led her right up in q
ront of the booth.
"'There!" says he. They look bet
er from here than they did when we
,as way out there. Now he says,
ven stay here and you can look at
m longs you're a mind toP"- =
outh's Companion.