The story
“When the girls at the Hotel Royal, Regent-by-the-Sea, saw upon the register the names, ‘Percival von der Hyde’ and ‘Alfred Astorbilt,’ both of New York City, they believed that distinguished visitors had arrived. Percy and Alfred, however, were employees in a New York dry goods store, but as they had a joint bank roll of $30, they were willing to blow the bulk of it. Their complacency vanished at the end of the week when they received their bill. It was a trifle over $374. Something had to be done, and done quickly. It was Alfred who suggested that the pity of their fellow-guests might be aroused. Alfred was to leave a note near the water’s edge conveying the information that he had been ruined in Wall Street, and unable to pay his honest debts, had sought refuge in the depths of old ocean. Percy’s role was to leap after Alfred, rescue him, and when the sympathizing guests came up and Alfred’s bankruptcy was revealed, Percy was to start the collection for his benefit by open-handedly passing over their combined wealth of $29.98.
“While they discussed the details of the plan on the hotel grounds two tramps on the other side of the hedge listened. The idea of a collection appealed to them, too. So they followed the unfortunate young men to the waterfront. Alfred stood on the end of the dock, removed his coat, pinned his farewell message to it, cast his eyes to heaven, and leaped overboard. This was Percy’s cue, and he rushed forward, intending to call for help so as to attract the attention of near-by bathers to his heroic act. Before he had time to do this one husky tramp hurled him overboard while the other tramp destroyed the farewell note. The two tramps then cried loudly. The bathers saw the ‘millionaires’ struggling in the water, and two men in shabby clothes, standing on the pier, were seen to leap overboard to their rescue. Alfred and Percy were dragged to shore insensible. Spectators crowded about to congratulate their rescuers, but the latter simply said, ‘We are only penniless wayfarers. It is good that we were able to save these precious lives.’ The guests took up a collection, fairly forcing it upon the tramps. Included in it was the $29.98 that Percy had in his pocket, for as the man who took it out said, ‘were he conscious I know he would gladly give more than that.’ The boys were led back to the hotel, after admitting their poverty, and forced to work out their bill as waiters. Perhaps they are there yet, for it takes a long time to pay $374 at a dollar a day in a short season.”
Summary from Reel Life · 16 October 1915
