The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-10-02


first-class hotel, but put up at one both
small and obscure. The next morning
was fpe. was in good spirits, in spite
of thefailure of my undertaking, for
had youth and health. 1 passed the
day at the Falls, but, for economy's
sake, l felt that I ought to leave on the
night train for Utica. 80 prepared to
take leave of the great cataract.
"But / am going to drink out of it
first, anyway" said to a young man
whose acquaintance had made that
afternoon.
The American shore of the river was
not fenced in from the public in those
days, as 1 found it when I was there
year ago. We stood at the very brink,
near the edge of the fall. The wild,
tumbling rapids shot past us, seemed to
pause an instant on the verge, broke
into curves of marvellous green water,
then crumbled into masses of foam, and
fell laundering into the abyss.
With that view before me, boy-like,
got down on my hands and knees for my
drink. My lips touched the swift water.
had my drink, and was about to rise,
when something dropped out of the
inner breast pocket of my coat, and shot
away from my reach and sank from sight
before could put out my hand. In my
astonishment, was near making leap
after it, but the sight of the steaming
gulf below brought me to my senses.
"Gone |" I exclaimed, finging up my
hands in despair. did you zee it?"
+" See what ?" said my companion.
"My pocket-book, replied, full of
CONSERVATION. cit dropped from my
coat pocket into the water, and is lost.
1 came within one OF going after it !"
He had seen nothing. 1 explained
how it happened. had always car
ried my pocket-book in that way, and
never dropped it before. But in stoop-
ing far forward to bring my lips to the
water, had emptied my pocket, and
lost in an instant all my money, together
with that poor outlawed note of Har-
ringford's among other more or loss
valuable papers.
My chance acquaintance expressed his
sympathy in well-sounding words, but
all at once he appeared to have grown
cold toward me. Perhaps he expected
should want to borrow money of him
for money 1 should certainly need in
getting away from the Falls. still had
my hotel bill to pay, and L could not
very we'll travel by rail for nothing.
We had already exchanged cards, and
| I had ascertained that his name was
Eastmore-that he was reporter, or
something of the sort, for Buffalo
paper. l thought young man OF his
experience onght to be able to give me
good advice, if nothing else, and I
begged him tell me what to do.
"Have you any friend in town that
you can call ON for assistancea" he asked.
"Not one," said /; and added, with
out thinking how he would takeit, 'You
are the orly acquaintance have here
except the hotel folks"
He laughed and looked embarrassed.
"That's bad |" he said. 81 would be
glad to lend you a little if had any to
spare, but 1 haven't. Perhaps the hotel
folks will help you, if you can convince
them of the truth of your story"
A horrible suspicion flashed across my
mind. 1 might pass for an impostor.
"The truth of itw I exclaimed.
"Why, I had my pocket-book right
here, with twenty dollars in it ! And
what motive could have In my
bewilderment / could not finish my
question.
"Of course you had your pocket
book, " he answered, with smile ''and
mind, don't say you have any motive
for making false pretension. But the
world is full of impostors, who are al
ways inventing excuses for borrowing
money or for omitting to paw their bills.
Hotel keepers have to deal with such
characters pretty often, and we can't
blame them for being trihe suspicious
of men who have lost their pocket
books |"
He must have been impressed by the
Mortified look I gave him, for he imme-
diately went on:
"Of course am as much convinced
that you lost your pocket-book in the
way you say as if had seen it go over
the falls. But even if had seen it, l
never saw the money in it-though
don't understand me to say that L have
any doubt of that either. / am only
stating tho case as it might look to other
people, if yon didn't carry such an hon
est face about with you"
"Thank you for so mnch!" l said,
bitterly; for now perceived by some
thing in his look and tone which he
could not hide, that in his own mind,
my story stood sadly in need of con-
firmation.
couldn't blame him, however. I'm
posters are in the majority among
smooth -tongued people in want of assist.
ance; and the worst of their sin is that
they throw discredit upon honest peo-
pie who have been really unfortunate.
1 was destined to find that out to my
sorrow.
Ifelt that the first thing to be done wal
to make my case known to my landlord
and [ went back to the house. told
him, in as cool and business-ike way al
1 could, what had happened, and asked
him to trust me for the amount of my
bill.
Eastmore went with me, and hoped
he would say something to corroborat'