, 1923-04-26
Generosity
by Proxy
BY JANE OSBORN



&c. 1928. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
Seventy-year-old Mrs. Gerald Trav-
ers certainly had no expansive repu-
tation for liberality, but hen Tom
Travers, her long-departed husbands
nephew, found himself at the n OF
his meager the autumn of
his last winter in law school, he did
not let any lack of favorable reputa-
ton in this regard stand in his way.
She had no end Of money-this his
old sister had toll hlm-and after all
he was not going to ask charity.
So he had put false pride in his
pocket and had gone to call on his
aunt by marriage-though, of course,
he never dreamed of calling her any
thing but Mrs. Travers." He wanted
to arrange to live in the garnet or
somewhere in the old house so as to
help pay expenses that last season in
law school. In return he would prom
lse never to make himself more ap-
parent than she wished, and would be
glad to take on n household tasks
tending furnace, shoveling snow, even
%scrubbing kitchen floors, IL she Wished
Mrs. Travers had not been unkind,
but she proudly said that no Trav-
ers need stoop to mental labor. you
come here at once, and occupy one of
the small rooms on the fourth floor"
she had ordered. you'll have meals
here, too, though not with me. You
can have them when you like in the
breakfast room l never use. I'll find
enough for you to DO to square our
score"
But 1 don't want to accept char
ity-" Tom protested, and hen old
Mrs. Travers had laughed, not alto
gether pleasantly, as Tom recalled
later.
You'll earn your board and keep,
never fear she said. "Tm not in
the habit of being imposed n
Tom soon found that it was true
that he really was earning his way.
Every evening he reported to his rela-
tive for orders and the tasks she as
signed him We're always well planned
out before his coming. They did not
take so much time-but they would
have taxed the of any one
less persistent than Tom Travers.
One day she wanted to invest $1O,-
900 that had just come to her in a
matured bond. Tom was given orders
to look up the best possible way for
her to reinvest that money. The next
day her pet dog needed to visit the
veterinary surgeons; would Tom take
him in the morning and see that he
was well treated? Another day a
friend landed from Europe, might
have a little difficulty with the Gus
toms Tom was to do the meeting and
the smoothing. Then once, when the
dressmaker was coming. there were
countless samples of ribbons and silks
to be matched-but Tom didn't even
balk at that, nor on that other occa-
sion when Mrs. Travers asked him to
go to the milliner's with her ito see
that the fool saleswoman didn't try to
give her anything ~unbecomlngly youth
full"
So Tom paid his way.
One day toward spring Mrs. Tray
ers handed him $500 in bank notes.
There's a fair for the Day Nursery
his afternoon. / detest such things.
I'd send the amount in a check only
I don't want to give any one of the
women managing the affair the salts
faction of bringing in all that money
at once But l would like to help the
good cause along a little. Now your
job today will be to go to that fair
and spend this money-a little here
and a little there-without letting any
n know I'm responsible"
At first this did not seem like such
a herculean task-nt least not so bad
as the trip to the milllner's or some
other Of his recent errands But Tom
Travers had never attended n fair be
fore. He a the money changed into
Ave and ten-dollar bills and carried
a fat wallet in an inside pocket to his
afternoon lectures so that he could
stop at the fair In mid-afternoon.
First he went the rounds system.
atlcally. He bought a fvedollar doll
at the doll table and left twenty dol
lars without taking any change. Then
he passed on to the fancy table, where
he acquired something all covered
with embroidery and lace. the purpose
Of which he did not know, and left
twenty dollars for that. though II was
priced but ten. At the candy table
he left five dollars for a pound OF
a~damantine fudge, left twenty dollars
for a single rose ut the flower table
ana had little difficulty in getting the
young girl at the grab bag to accept
n ten-dollar bill instead of ten cents
for his chance.
But Tom so far had spent only So.
He had s425 stu TO dispose Of and he
found hat he had already attracted
considerable attention. He took a
seat in the tea room. hoping here TO
derive inspiration for the rapid spend
ing of the rest OF his money.