The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-09-10
VOLUME VII-NUMDER 10.
Gri(ltc0.
The Counterfeit Dollar.
BY A. l. OTIS.

A richly dressed lady, followed by a
man servant, stopped at a market stall
one Saturday and bought pair OF chick
ems of the huckster woman. The lady
offered five dollar hilI which tic huak-
ster could not change. a man making
some purchase at tie time offered to
oblige the huckster by taking the bill
and giving five goi! dollars for it. lie
gave them to her, and she returned the
Just change TO the lady.
The latter had not walked a square
before she discovered that one of the gold
coins was counterfeit. She took 1t back
to the market woman who insisted upon
her taking good dollar instead, saying
that she would see the man who had
given her the bad one, the next time he
passed, and make him take it back.
Quite willing not to lose the dollar,
the lady at once consented. A few days
afterwards she passed the stall again,
and stopped to ask if the woman had yet
seen the man who had given her the
counterfeit uOlldT'
Laws, no, honey, was the reply, |
want going to let you keep it, being as
you are my best customer but l just
passed it off, the very first time | had to
make change, aud no fuss ! Never you
mind my honey, the woman as gave it
to serve me the very same trick last
week / was very glad to get chance
to pay her off
am very sorry it is goirg any furth-
er, said the lady. ! cam here on pur-
pose to get it aud destroy It. | thought
/ could better afford to los it than many
another. Now shall always be sorry
that | did not do my duty when | had ii
in my power
Laws then I wish I'd kept it, for PEG
Blyc, wlo l gin it TO, will likely pass II
n to some poor body; and it does not
seem fair hat the big bugs should lose
what must be lost, anyhow. | will jas
see if Peg has got it yet, il you're will
ing to wait bit.
No.-Pcg had not got il She would
have scorncd to keep it so long. Bu'
choosing her victim with some discretion
among those she called the big-bugs, she
gave it to rich middlc-agcd man, whose
fingers were so cold that was less partic
ular in examining his change than usual
Arrived at home he found the dollar bao
but could not remember at what stall he
had received it; so in great indignation
at the dishonesty of those hucksters, nc
had to make up his mind to pocket his
loss.
Il. w.nt to church regularly-or rath'
or Methodist mecting-but of all things
he hated the poor plate which was pass
ed around for contribution every sun
day. Yet he gonorai'y put something
into it, because folks eyes were upon
him. The next Sunday whcn 1t came
round, he maliciously put thereto the
counterfeit dollar. There, thought hc
YOU are welcome to that
lie did not blush, nor look, nor feel
ashamed.
Observers would never know the
. cheat. However, when the prcachc'
read In the Bible about Ananias anc
Sappbira, he had to comfort himself will
the remembrance that the ages OF mira
cles had past. >.
e That AFTERNOON lady called upon hin
r and complained that counterfeit dol
lar, which she had given to such huck
stcr, had been transferred to another
k who had given it to him. She had COM
to redeem that dollar, as her consclcnc
troubled her about it, and she supposed
., it was still in his possession Of cours'.
The avaricious man always took grca
care Of hi- reputation. lie proieste'
that the market woman must have bee
mistaken, Of he could show her ever
cold dollar IN the house, aud they wer
all GOOD. She must have given 1t
y some other man.
The lady was 80 sure, that she hes