The story
“The man had come from the country determined to make a real city fortune. Some luck in ‘War Pride’ stock had put him on easy street, but he never forgot the dear little village of Sapville, and bored the members of his club by constantly proclaiming the joys and delights of life in the open. Most unfortunately for him it happened that Sapville was holding a celebration in honor of some anniversary or other, and had cordially invited all of its old sons and daughters to revisit the town. Our hero read about the celebration in the newspapers, for he had not kept in touch with his old home. He knew, however—or at least believed—that he would receive a royal welcome, and this theory of his was scoffed at. He made a bet with one of his fellow clubmates that he could go to his old town disguised as a tramp and be received ‘like a king on his throne.’ He went to Sapville, but results were not as he had anticipated. Nobody was glad to see him, and he finally made his escape as a dead-head passenger on the rear end of a freight train. A few days later he dropped into his club, paid his wager and told his friends all about it. ‘I was treated like a king,’ he said, ‘but not the kind of a king I expected. They treated me as if I were King Charles the First of England, but, thank God, I escaped with my head.’”
Summary from Reel Life · 8 April 1916
