Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-17
THE LITTLE GREEN POCKET.
BOOK.

JOHN SINGLETON stood on the street
corner waiting for his car. Business
hours were over; he was going home-a
bachelors home in a clearinghouse,
but none the less grateful to his magma
ton just then. A fine rain fell, the
pavement was clogged with sticky, half
melted snow, and altogether the evening
was comfortless as evening can well be
in early April, when the cheering hope
Of warm suns and dry streets is immedi-
ately at hand.
The jingling car came by crowded, as
always at that hour of the day. Mr..
Singleton had to run half square in the
mud to catch it, q proceeding which did
not improve his temper. He clutched a
strap and glared gloomily at the ladies
who monop0lized seats, resentful, as a
business man is apt to be, of the appear
ance of women in public conveyances at
half-past five in the afternoon. Keeping
his eye on the straw under foot, he paid
no attention whatever to his neighbors-
#, indeed, one can be said to have such
IN horse-raiIWay carriage.
Sixteenth street-Twenty-fou -Thir-
ty-second-Fortieth. The car emptied
rapidly. AS the last lady left rose to get
out small green book became visible,
half hidden by the folds of her gown.
L beg pardon-you have dropped
something" said John, picking it up.
"Sirm
This book-you dropped it."
The old lady looked acidly, first at the
book and then at John. "The article is
not mine," she remarked, frigidly. Then
she got out
Mr.. Singleton was the sole remaining
passenger. His impulse was to hand
the book to the conductor, but glance
at that worthy's face checked him.
Better advertise" he thought; and,
signaling the car to stop, he alighted in
the mud OF upper Broadway.
His landlady opened the door in nerv-
Gus futter. "Oh, sir, it's you at last!
There's Geographic boy been waiting
for you for ever so long"
Sure enough, there sat the boy; and
the result of his message was that in
half an hour John Singleton was speed
ing on his way TO Western New York by
the night express hastily-packed sachel
under his feet, and his head full of other
business than that of finding owners to
lost property. The little green pocket
book remained behind in the pocket of
the otfice-coat flung aside at the moment
of departure.
There It might have remained for
months, if, diving one day, man-fashion,
after some lost article, his fingers had not
happened TO encounter it. This was a
fortnight or so after his return.
IS M" Halo! what's this?" he said. 1t was
moment before he recollected. "Bless
me! this is too bad had forgotten the
thing completely. must be looking UP
the owner if there's enough in it to pay
for an advertisement"
He released the elastic strap and
opened the pages. There was no money,
no place for any. The little book was a
diary, shabby, green-bound, with no
name on the title-page. Most of the
leaves were blank, few only being
scribbled over in light, girlish hand
writing. John glanced overeAthese in
search of clew, and pretty soon, grow
ing interested, drew his chair to the fire,
cooked up his feet and proceeded to read
regularly.
The diary began:
:" Oct. 5.-Last night Alice and Tom
and went to DR.. Bellows lecture. 1t
was interesting. He said that the great
thing IN lie IS direction, that is, that no
matter how far off our aims seem, if our
faces are only set toward them we are
sure to get there some day In the very
middle OF the cold winter, he said, we
turn corner and begin to 90 toward the
spring, and It is as if we were there, be-
cause we are certain. That is beautiful.
l shall try 10 recollect it when things
seem especially c0ntrairy, ass they dc
sometimes.
Oct. 81 have been making my win
ter bonnet, or rather warming over the
old one, for it is Alice's turn to have the
new this year. She ought to always, she
has to see such stylish people in the
houses where she teaches. The old
Drown felt doesn't look bad, considering
1t Is its third appearance. I've steamed
Inc velvet, and curled the feather with 6
not penknlfe, and tucked in a little blue
o0w' ana Tom says it's gorgeous Ton
10 Always funny about my things.
Inc pudding Tom likes SO much!
lake eight large baking apples, pare