The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-04-15


Hiram Blenkinsop, who was shivering
along without an overcoat. the dog
Christmas at his heels.
Mr.. Singleton stopped him.
"Why, mani Haven't You an over
coatY he asked.
mo. sir! It's hangin' on a peg In a
pawnshop over in Hazelmead. 1t amt
dom the peg any good nor me
ueither"
"Well. sir, you come with me-" said
the minister. "It's about dinner time,
anyway and l guess you need lining
as well as covering"
The drunkard looked into the face
of the minister.
"Say it ag'in." he muttered.
II wouldn't wonder IL little food
would make you feel better" Mr.. Sim
gleton added.
"A little, did you sayT Blenkinsop
asked
snake 1t a lot-as much as you
can accommodate"
"And do you mean that We want me
to go an eat In yer houseT
"Yes at my table-why not?"
ut wouldn't be respectable. / don't
want to be too particular. but q tramp
must draw the line somewhere"
"Ill be on my best behavior Come
on" said the minister.
The two men fastened up the street
followed by the detected little yellow
dog, Christmas.
Mrs. Singleton and her daughter
were out with committee of the
children's helpers and the minister
was dining alone that day and, as
usual, at one o'clock, that being the
hour for dinner in the village of Bling
vile.
"Tell me about yourself" said the
minister as they sat down at the ia
BILE.
'Myself--dld you say?" Hiram Blen-
kinsOp asked as one of his feet crept
under his chair to conceal its disrepu-
table appearance, while his dog had
partly hidden himself untter serving
table where he seemed to be shlvering
with apprehension as he peered out,
with raised hackles, at the stays head
over the mantel.
"Yes."
81 amt got any Self, sir; it's all
gone" said Blenkinsop, as he took a
swallow of water.
"A man without any Self is curl
Gus creature" the minister remarked.
'Tm as empty as a woodpecker's
hos in the winter time. The bird has
flown. l belong to this ere dog. He's
poor dog. Pm all he's got. If he
had to pay license on me I'd have
to be killed. He's kind to me. He's
the only friend I've got"
Hiram Blenkinsop riveted his atten-
ton upon an old warming-pan that
hung by the fireplace. He hardly looked
at the face of the minister.
How did you come to lose your
Self" the latter asked.
Married a bad woman and took to
drink. A mans Self can stand cold
an hunger an shipwreck an loss o.
friends an money an any quantity
O. bad luck, take 1t as 1t comes. but a
bad woman breaks the works in him
an stops his clock dead. Leastways,
it done that to me!'
"She is like an arrow in his liver"
the minister quoted. "Mr. Blenkinsop,
where do you stay nights"
"I've shake-down in the little loft
over the oil blacksmith shop on Water
street. There are cracks in the ga
Bile, an the snow an the wind blows
in, an the place is dark an smells
o. coal gas an horses feet, but Christ
mas an I snug up together an manage
to live through the winter. In hot
we sleep under a tree in the
OIL graveyard an study astronomy.
Sometimes 1 wish l was there for
good"
Wouldn't you like bed In q COM
Portable house"
mo. l couldn't take the dog there
an I'd have to git up like other folks"
Would you think that hardship"
well, We see, sir, if ye're layin'
down We amt hungry. Then, too, 1
likes to dilly-dally in bed"
what may that mean?" the min
ster asked.
Il likes to lay an think an build
air castles"
What kind of castles?'
"Well. sir. I'm thinkin' often o.
time when I'll have grand suit O.
clothes. and q shiny silk tile on my
head. an roll 6 bills in my pocket,
big enough to choke a dog, an I'll be
goin' back to the town where | was
brought up an I'll hire a team an
lake my OF mother out for ride.
An when we pass by. people will be
sayin': That's Hiram Blenkinsopl
Don't you remember him? Born on
he top floor o. the OF sash mill on
he island. He's a multi-millionaire
IN great man. He gives a thousand
10 the poor every day. Sure. he
loes r"