The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-01-12

cousin, the great Samuel Copthorne,
also of the Hall, but better known
now as of the city, he at first work
ed with fine squirt Of energy. But
of this he soon tired. He found his
work sordid and his cousin Sammy a
bore, and he terminated their bust
ness relations by getting uproari-
ously drunk. Afterwards he did
newspaper work, then opened an an
tique book shop. But, at length,
finding it inconvenient to pay the
rent, he had moved himself and his
antique books to their present loca-
ton He was not appreciated by his
neighbors, although he was some
times kind to them. Like Miss d
Amy, he received his sobriquet. It
was the Old Codger.
One day he met her on the stair.
He lifted his hat, bowed, and smiled.
She returned his salutation, gravely,
tremendously. But wave of hap
piness passed over her as she went
on. She had seen Copthorne, of the
Hall. He had bowed to her. His
shabbiness-that was no matter to
her. He was poor, of course. She
knew that. He had bowed. 1t was
an act of recognition grateful to her
starved heart. Men had stared
coarsely at her on that stair, women
had jostlcd her, children made fun of
her. But Copthorne! He was of
her own kind.
The summer went by in fierce,
blazing heat. 1t baked upon Miss
d'Almy's window-the basil curled
up and died. She bore the heat well,
kept bit of ice wrapped up in news
papers and looked forward to the
night when soon or late, the tide al
ways turns, and a breeze, sweet and
strong, sweeps in from the sea. The
summer might be hard, but it could
be borne.
But the winter that followed was
remembered by the poor Of the city
as terrible season. The birds for
sock the church and flew farther
south. The cold set in hard and
cruel; and this, where, in general,
there is no winter at all to speak
of. 1t was very strange. The APP
pie geranium in the window died
of cold, where it's companion, the
basil, had died of heat. Storms shook
the crazy old hotel. ley, penetrat-
ing blasts poured down its wretched
corridors. The hydrant stoppod run
ming; the water in the pail in Miss
d'Almv's room froze solid in the
night. The wind whistled down the
chimney to the cold hearth below.
There was not a lump of coal left,
nor a stick of wood. Worst of all,
there came a sudden terrifying lull
in the doll traffic. The Woman's
Exchange would have no more of
them. The tourists, like the birds
| had passed on to Florida.
There came a day when Miss DIAL
my sat in the freezing room, with
out food or fire. She had exhausted
the possibilities of finding work. Of
asking charity she never dreamed.
She wondered. duly, if Copthorne, at
the other end of the corridor, was
suffering too.
,Copthorne, uncoiling himself from
! the depths of the davenport. th"t
morning. looked out THROUGH the
murkv glass of his window. and shock
his head Before night there would
be snow. Now. snow storm. the
familiar accompaniment Of winter in
higher attitudes, is rare visitor on
the Southern coast. At intervals Of
wears it comes-uneXDected, therefore
terrifying to the unnrepared poor,
Conthorne stared at the nnarl orov
sky and again he shook his head.
That day he took out with dozen
sigh his most treasured possession,
splendid folio edition, monk-iIr-