The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-10-03
NUMBER SO.

Without answering, James took the ring
and went out. In short time he return
ed, and Charley soon sat down to a supper
in which the goodness of his appetite made
amends for the plainness of the fare.
Next morning James Watson took the
pocket-book to place it in trusty hands till
the proprietor could be found. The pa
pers it contained were a sealed packet and
some loose memoranda, which gave no
clue to the owner. The gentleman i'll
whose hands James placed it commended
his honesty, and promised to advertise
cautiously for the loser Of the property.
While James was absent on this e1and,
an elderly gentleman called.
'fDOes James Watson live here ?'' he in
quired.
THAT is my husbands name," Mary
| answered.
/ els he at home ?'' asked the gentleman.
''He has gone out on some business
said Mary, little hesitatingly for she had
misgiving that the gentleman's visit
might relate to the lost pocket-book, and
/ that if it still remained in her husbands
possession, he might, in some way, be COM
promised.
Sorry" said the old gentleman az
wished TO see him particularly. I'm law
yer, you see, - he added abruptly.
Mary was all in tremble. She was sure
now it was the pocket-book he had como
about.
''But stay" said the old gentleman,
jumping up, 'Is that your family BibleP'
! And bafora NI.rv cO,IJ a,s,rar I,o bod tb,
book open, and was closely comparing the
family register with a memorandum he
had taken from his pocket.
''Quite right - he muttered to himself.
'ENow, them" he resumed-'I've a most
| unpleasant piece of news to tell, and may
| as well out with it,
Mary trembled still more violently. Pos
sibly James had been found with the pock-
et-book in his possession, and was charged
with stealing it.
Your husband had an uncle Edward
the stranger continued-''a wild dog Ned
was-in fact, we were a pair of wild dogs
! together he and I. Well, he ran away,
and was never heard of till after he had
died millionaire in a strange land. By
his Will duly forwarded to me, and in
which l am named as executor, the bulk
of his fortune is left to his nephew, your
husband, of whom, it seems, he had some
how gained intelligence"
Mary was too much agitated fully to
comprehend the old gentleman's S statement.
She waited for him to continue.
''Now for the storm r' said he. ''By
| George, l wish your husband was here
! I'd rather face twenty men than one wo-
man in such a CASE
81 am at loss to understand you, SIR"
was all Mary could answer.
''You aotU soon," he returned. ''THe
aoiEps Eosti Now you may think that
makes but little difference, seeing the con-
tents are known, which only proves how
little women know of law. a viii has no
effect till it's proved, which it can't very
well be without being produced. How
came it lost? you were going to ask.
Quite proper question on cross-examina-
tion, and l take no exception to it. Well,
| it was through my own stupid carelessness.
L dropped my pocket-book somewhere yes
| terday-"
'.And 1 found one," said James Watson,
who had entered at this point.
Found one,'' cried the lawyer-''what
was it like r'
James described it, stating accurately
the amount of money in it.
! ''Confound the money p interrupted the
other-''were there any papers?''
"a sealed packet and some memoran-
! da,' James answered. ''But you can soon
see for yourself that everything is right.
1 have just placed the pocket-book and its
contents in the hands of reliable person,
to be taken care of till the owner is dis
covered"
"Uuzza - cried the old lawyer, tossing
up his hat. you're an honest fellow, and
deserve your good luck"
When a few words of explanation had
( enabled James to comprehend the allusion
I to his luck, he blushed little at the COM
pliment to his honesty, which he felt was
more due to Mary than himself, and then
turned pale as he reflected that, but for
her answering sense of right, his own
hand would have committed to the flames
the means of raising to affluence, from the
depths of want, those for whom he would
have perilled life, and had so nearly per
illed bonor
The pocket book and contents were
promptly identified. In due time the Will
was proved, and James Watson, the hum
BILE clerk. is now a man of wealth. Mary
is AS good and gentle as ever. But We
doubt if little Charley's suppers are eaten
with as keen a relish as when hunger
sharpened appetite.
Insu KILLINGS Saws IGNNhn1n I ,rnr Z,