Show Two Thanksgiving I Gentlemen I IBy By O. O Henry Copyright 1920 by Doubleday Page Co published by s special ar arrangement arrangement arrangement ar- ar with the Wheeler Syndicate Syndi Syndi- cate Inc There Is one one day dar that Is ours There is one day when all we Americans who are not self made go back to the old home to eat biscuits and marvel marvel marvel mar mar- vel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to Bless the day President Roosevelt gives it to us We Ve hear some talk of the Puritans but dont don't just remember just remember who they were Bet we can lick cm em anyhow if they try to toland toland toland land again Plymouth Rocks Well Vell that sounds Snore more familiar Lots of us have had to come down clown to hens since the turkey turkey tur tur- key trust got its work In But somebody in Washington is leaking out advance information information in information in- in formation to em about these Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- giving proclamations The big city east of the cranberry bogs has made Thanksgiving day ay an tion The last Thursday in November is 15 the only day day- in the year on which it recognizes the part of America lying Across the ferries It Is the one day that thatis is purely American Yes a day of celebration celebration celebration cele cele- i bration exclusively American I And now for the story story which is to prove I Ito to you that we have traditions on this side of the o ocean a that are becoming mi older d i idea at a much h d rate thin those s of England are are thanks thanks to our git up and enterprise Stuffy Stuff Pete took his seat on the third bench to the he right as you enter Union Square from fron the east at the walk opposite opposite opposite op op- op- op the fountain Every Thanksgiving day for nine years year he had taken his seat spat there promptly at 1 1 For every time he had done so o things had happened to him him Charles Charles things that swelled his waistcoat above hi his heart and equally on the other side But today Stuffy Petes Pete's appearance at atthe atthe the annual trysting trusting place seemed to have been rather the result of habit than of the yearly hunger which as the philanthropists philanthropists philanthropists philan philan- seem ot think afflicts the poor at such extended intervals Certainly Pete was not hungry He had just come from a feast that had left him of his powers barely those of respiration I tion and locomotion His eyes were like two pale gooseberries firmly imbedded in a swollen and gravy smeared mask of ot putty His breath came me In short wheezes a senatorial roll of adipose tissue tissue sue denied a fashionable set to his upturned upturned upturned up up- upI I turned coat collar Buttons that had been sewed upon his clothes by kind Salvation Salvation Salvation Sal Sal- fingers a week before flew like popcorn strewing the earth around him Ragged he was with a a. split shirt front open to the wishbone but the November breeze carrying fine snowflakes brought him only a grateful coolness For Stuffy Pete was overcharged with the caloric produced by a super bountiful dinner be beginning beginning beginning be- be ginning with oysters and ending with I plum pudding and Including it seemed to him all the roast turkey and baked baited potatoes and chicken salad and squash pie and ice cream in the world Wherefore Wherefore Wherefore Where Where- fore he sat gorged and gazed upon the world with after dinner contempt I The meal had been an unexpected one He was passing a red brick mansion near the beginning of Fifth Firth avenue in which I lived Jived two old ladies of ancient family I I and a reverence for traditions They even denied the existence of New York and believed that Thanksgiving da day da- was declared solely for Washington Square One of their traditional habits was to station a servant at the postern gate with orders to admit the first hungry wayfarer that came along after the hour of noon had struck and banquet him to toa toa toa a finish Stuffy Pete happened to pass by on his way to the park and the seneschals gathered him in and upheld the custom of the castle After Stuffy Pete had gazed straight before him for ten minutes he was conscious con can cIous of or a desire for a more varied field of vision With a tremendous effort he be moved his head slowly to the left And then his eyes bulged out fearfully and his breath ceased and the rough shod I ends of his short legs wriggled and rustled rustled rus rus- tied on the gravel I For the Old Gentleman was coming I across Fourth avenue toward his bench Every Thanksgiving day for nine years ears the Old Gentleman had come there and found Stuffy Pete on his bench That was a thing that the Old Gentleman was trying to make a tradition of Every Thanks Thanksgiving day for nine years he had found Stuffy there and had led him to toa toa toa a restaurant and watched him eat a big bil dinner They hey do those things in England I unconsciously But this is a young oun country country coun- coun try and nine years is not so bad The TheOld TheOld TheOld Old Gentleman was a staunch American patriot and considered himself a pioneer in American tradition In order to be become become become be- be come picturesque we must keep on doing one thing for a long time without ever letting it get Iet away from us Something like collecting the weekly dimes in industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial Insurance Or cleaning the streets The Old Gentleman moved straight I and stately toward the Institution that I he was wag rearing Truly the annual feeling feeling feel feel- I I ing of or Stuffy Sturry Pete was nothing national in its character such as the Magna I Charta or jam for breakfast was in En En- gland But it was a step It was al almost almost almost al- al most feudal It showed at least that a Custom was not impossible to New Y ahem Y-ahem ahem America The Old Gentleman was thin and tall talland talland talland and 60 He was dressed all in black and wore the old fashioned kind of ot glasses that wont won't stay stav on your OUI nose His hallI hair hall was whiter and thinner than it had been I year last and he seemed to make more use of his big knobby cane with the I crooked handle As his established benefactor came tip bp p Stuffy wheezed and shuddered like some som womans woman's pug when a street dog bristles up at him He would have flown but all the skill of ot Santos-Dumont Santos could not have separated him from his bench Well had the tho myrmidons of the two old ladies ladles done their work Good morning said the Old Gentle Gentle- man I am glad to perceive that the vicissitudes of another year have spared I you to move in health about the beautiful beautiful beautiful ful world For that blessing alone this day of ot thanksgiving is 15 well veil proclaimed to each of ot us Jr If you you- ou will come with me my man I will provide you with a dinner that should make your physical being accord with the mental That is what the Old Gentleman said eald every time EVEry Thanksgiving day for nine years earl The words themselves almost formed an Institution Nothing could be cOin compared pared with them except the De Declaration on of ot Independence Al Always Always Al- Al I ways wars before the they had been music In inI I Stuffy's ears But now he looked up UI at atI atthe atthe I the Old Oki Gentleman's face with tearful I agony agon In his own The Tile fine line snow almost j 1 sizzled when it it fell upon upon perspiring 1 brow But the tIle Old Gentleman n- n shivered a little e and t turned his back to the wind Stuffy had always wondered why the theOld theOld theOld Old Gentleman spoke his speech r rather ther sadly He lie did not know that it was because because because be- be cause cause he was wishing every time that he had a son to succeed him A son who would come there after he was gone gonea a a son who would stand proud and strong before so some e subsequent Stuffy and say In memory nemory of my father Then it would be an Institution But the Old Gentleman had no rela rela- tives He lived in rented rooms in one of the decayed old family brownstone mansions in one of ot the quiet streets east of the park In the winter he raised fuchsias In a little conservatory the size of a steamer trunk In the spring he walked In the Easter parade In the tile summer he lived at a farmhouse In the New Jersey hills and sat in a wicker armchair speaking of a butterfly the that he hoped to find some day In the autumn he fed red Stuffy Sturry a dinner These Thee were the Old Gentleman's occupations Stuffy Pete looked up at him for a half minute stewing and helpless in his own self pity The Old Gentleman's ee eyes I were bright with the giving pleasure His face ace was getting more lined each I necktie was in inas inas year jear but his little black as jaunty jaunt a bow as over and his linen was beautiful and white and his gray mustache was curled carefully at the I ends And then Stuffy made a noise I that sounded like ilkI peas bubbling in a pot Speech was Intended and as the Old Gentleman had heard the sounds nine times before he rightly construed them into St Stuffy's old formula of acceptance sir Ill I'll go with ye and much obliged Im I'm very ery hungry sir The coma of repletion had not prevented prevented pre pre- vented from entering Stuffy's mind the conviction that he was the basis of ot an Institution His Thanksgiving appetite was not his own it belonged by all the sacred rights of established custom if It not by the actual statute of ot limitations to this kind old gentleman who had preempted preempted preempted pre pre- empted it True America is free but butIn butin butin in order establish to-establish to establish tradition someone must be a a a repeating decimal The heroes are not all heroes of steel and gold See one here that wielded only weapons of iron badly silvered slivered and tin The Old Gentleman led his annual I tege southward to the restaurant and to the table where the feast had always I occurred They were recognized i Here comes de old guy said a a. I I waiter walter dat blows dat same bunT to a ameal ameal I meal ever every Thanksgiving The Old Gentleman sat across the table I glowing like a smoked pearl at his corner cornerstone cornerstone I Istone stone of future ancient tradition The waiters walters heaped the table with holiday food food and and Stuffy with a sigh that was mistaken for hungers hunger's expression rals raised d knife and fork and carved for himself a crown of imperishable bay No more valiant hero ever fought his wa way through the ranks of an enemy Turkey chops soups vegetables pies I disappeared before him as fast as they could be served Gorged nearly to the uttermost when he entered the restaurant restaurant restaurant rant the smell of food had almost caused I him to lose his honor as a gentleman but buthe buthe buthe I he rallied like a true knight He saw the look of beneficent happiness on the theOld theOld Old Gentleman's face face face-a a happier look I than ever the fuchsias and the tera had ever brought to it it- it and he had not the heart to see it wane In an hour Stuffy leaned back with a battle won I Ia e kindly sir he he- puffed like a leaky steam pipe kindly for fora a h hearty arty meal I Then he arose heavily with glazed eyes and started toward the kitchen A waiter t turned him about t like a top and I J 4 pointed d dt him toward t the door The Old Gentleman carefully counted out in I silver sliver change leaving three nickels for forthe forthe forthe the waiter walter I They parted as they did each year rear at atthe atthe I the door the Old Gentleman going south Stuffy north I Around J the e first corner Stuffy Sturry turned and stood for tor one minute Then he seemed to puff out his rags as an owl puffs out his feathers and fell to the I sidewalk like a horse When hen the ambulance came the young surgeon and the driver cursed softly at athis athis athis I his weight There was no smell of whisky to justify a transfer to the patrol wagon so Stuffy and his two dinners went to the hospital There they stretched him on a bed and began to test him for tor strange diseases with the hope of getting getting getting get get- ting a chance at some problem with the bare steel And lo 10 an hour later another ambulance ambulance ambulance lance brought the Old Gentleman And AndI I they laid him on another bed and spoke of appendicitis for he looked good for forthe forthe forthe I the bill But pretty soon one of the young doctors doctors doc doc- tors met one of the young nurses whose eyes he liked and stopped to chat with her about the cases That nice old gentleman over there now he said you wouldn't think that was a case of almost starvation Proud old family I guess lie He told me he hadn't e eaten tet teta a thing for three days |