Warren sheaf., 1917-12-12


philanthropy IN business. II doesn't
pay. That's oil now, Miss Bland"
She left and as she went there were
two tears In her eyes, but they were
both for herself. She was part Of the
spirit about her, and, save for her feel
ing Of surprise, she felt no concern for
the old porter who had been dismissed
SO summarily.
Sorry the old fellows got to co.
remarked Bill Clark later when he
had noted the memorandum from the
manager. "He was as funny as a
crutch. Honest, I'll miss not having
poor old Thad to listen to and
to laugh at. He says he used to be a
preacher, and there's nothing he likes
to do like preaching. Dye ever hear
him?"
Clark was talking to the new sales.
man. but it occurred to neither Of them
to feel pity for the old man who had
worked faithfully for ten years in the
big factory. at q wage barely sufficient
to pay for his frugal meals and his
cheap tobacco.
Even when the kindly faced, white.
bearded old darky ambled in, dragging
burlap trash bag behind him and
bending under the burden Of his
brooms and mops, no one seemed to
feel any pity, no one wondered what
would become or the poor old fellow,
turned away from the only place in
the city that he knew as home. For
old Thaddeus, in lieu of better wages,
had been allowed to sleep on cot in
the engine room His hours Of work
began in the late afternoon, when he
began to clear out the trash and rub
bish from the factory, and lasted into
the night with the scrubbing, sweep
ing and busting.
Thaddeus went about his work, smil-
ing as he did so.
Guess the old gink is q little
dipped. Watch him SMILE" remarked
the chief cashier.
The afternoon dragged on, but be-
cause it was Christmas there was little
work to do. Four o'clock and still the
spirit Of Christmas hadn't made the
least headway In the Office Of the big
factory. The telephone girl yawned
and welded the powder puff again.
The private secretary sat at her desk,
trying to read book but thinking, no
doubt, Of the cashier, and the young
salesman and the cashier were swap
ping stories in the cashiers office.
Mean time old Thaddeus was am
bling back and forth through the Of
fees with bags full Of waste paper and
rubbish.
"What do you say to getting the old
fellow to perform for us? suggested
the cashier to the salesman. II re-
member once, years ago, we got him
going stood him up on the desk, and
you never heard such a scream. He
preached about Adam and Eve and
Noah and the rest Of them preached
till the tears were running down his
old cheeks and the tears We're running
down ours from laughing. Then we
passed the hat and got few dimes
for him-he said he was going to send
it back to his old sister in Virginia.
Shouldn't wonder If he did. 1t was
about two dollars, I suppose, but it
looked like lot to him.
Ten minutes later old Thaddeus,
trembling with emotion, was standing
atop Of one of the closed typewriter
desks, where the cashier and the sales.
man had lifted him. Even the man.
ager, weary Of looking anxiously into
space, had come out from his Office to
watch the fun. And from the first
utterance from the wrinkled brown
lips the group around him had begun
to laugh. They were in mood to be
amused easily, and, besides, just to
look at Thaddeus was to satisfy ones
cravings for the ridiculous. Perhaps
this was because of his broad, genial
smile in the midst Of wrinkles, rags
and rheumatism.
Ten minutes later the laughter had
ceased. The bent figure had straight
ened out and the eyes were shining
with the clear light and faith Of con