Show ATT BY HOMESICkNESS If BIA C CI M FREED IS COMING HOME T S SJ VV J V V VV VV VV Vw V c V V y w V Charles M Freed in Yokohama From Photo by K ra Japanese e Photographer Charles M lf Freed retired merchant and capitalist who left a few weeks ago for forthe forthe forthe the orient has been overcome with home homesickness homesickness homesickness sickness and abandoned his proposed tour touro o 0 the world which was planned to cover a period of two years or more After many man years of almost incessant labor and attention to business Mr Freed retired from active business and left the financial burdens and worries to his sons Finding that the office could no longer demand his hi entire time and atten attention attention tion Mr Freed spent his idle hours at the Elks club where he was pleased to sur surround surround surround round himself with a number of congenial companions and while away the after afternoon noon neon and evening hours playing pinochle and solo Mr Freed is one ont of the thc trustees of the local lecal lodge of Elks and is Js known to every ever member as Father It was at the club house of the order that he went daily dan for his pastime Among the con congenial congenial congenial genial men with whom he found the greatest pleasure are Frank L HInes Bob Marsh H A Leipsiger John Dern and Albert Fisher These men became cronies and it was an art unusual V thing to togo togo go to the club house and not see them In the card room enjoying their favorite games Then The came the determination to travel and Mr Freed made all the necessary plans for an extended stay abroad It was his intention to go with Mrs Freed and his youngest son Ellis Freed to Honolulu thence to Japan thence to India and later to visit the civilized coun countries countries countries tries in northern Africa after returning to his home After Arter this trip I will be willing to settle down and remain here for the rest of my ray days he said bald to his friends at atthe atthe atthe the club on the night preceding his de departure departure There was a little farewell U dinner at the club at which his companions said good goodbye goodbye bye We Ve will give you six months to get back to the club said one and Mr Freed laughed softly to himself as he ho thought how be lie would fool them All AU went well with him however for tor a time A few days were spent in San Francisco Then rhen came the delightful trip across the Pacific to Honolulu For two weeks the party basked in the soft invigorating Invigorating I orating atmosphere of the Islands of the sea and then their journey was contin continued continued cod Japan was a source of great pleasure pl asure to the venerable traveler and a fortnight was spent in the land of the chrysanthemum mum While Mr Freed was traveling amid the strange scenes of these countries his cronies at the club were counting the days of his Ills absence The card games went on but his chair was never filled It was reserved for him Then as the weeks went by b wagers were laid upon the probable probable rob able date of his return Six months was the absolute limit and two months was the date fixed by one or two While on the road to Mandalay the autumnal storms crossed the path of the travelers The clouds rested heavily on country countr and the rain filtered down upon pon them morning and evening t It was then that the tite acute attack of homesickness 1 struck tho the traveler and an after a hard fight to continue the journey he gave it up and is now on his way heme on the fastest mail steamers that ply the seas V UI I am coming comins home he wrote to one of ot his friends My own home is good goodenough goodenough goodenough V enough for me I am an old man now and I any right to be galloping around in the savage places of the uI I miss the afternoon and evening games of pinochle and nd solo at the club and I feel that it is better for me to be beat beat beat at home where I belong than to be le thousands thousands ands anUs of ot miles away from my friends Im coming back to the club and to the boys And there is joy in the ranks of the theold theold old Id guard at the club Some of the wiseacres are saying I 1 told you so but there are arc a L half dozen men at the Elks club who will give ghe Mr Freed the heartiest est ert c t welcome he has ever eyer received in his life upon his return |