The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
my LOST P0CKET-B0OK.

My name is Edney-Philip Clement
Edney. That was my fathers name be-
fore me. Twenty odd years ago he had
small but comfortable dry goods busi-
ness in Utica. But in the panic OF '57
he met with severe losses; and he had
hardly weathered the financial storm
when he was taken down with disease
from which he never recovered.
In his last illness he was deeply con-
cerned for the future of his family. l
wss the eldest son, and he frequently
expressed the hope to my mother and
to me that in some way VI s-oald be
able to find Harringford.
Thomas Harringford was generous.
hearted but rather unprincipled young
man who had been in my fathers employ
several years before.
He had got into bad company, and
was guilty OF some irregularity, as the
modern genteel phrase is, having helped
himself to my fathers cash to the
amount of several hundred dollars, be-
fore his dishonesty-Imean his irregular
ity-was discovered. He was penitent,
and confessed everything, but it was
impossible for him to make restitution.
He had been favorite of both my
father and mother, and they could not
bear to have him sent to prison. So, on
his promising to reform, lead au honest
life in future, and repay my father
when he was able the sums he had stolen
Il mean misappropriated-he was let
off.
He went to parts where he was un-
known, and only vague rumors concern.
ing him had reached US since. One Of
these rumors was that he had been seen
in Buffalo and Detroit, and that he was
doing q prosperous business.
On settling up my fathers estate, my
mother found that she and her little
family were left in straitened circun-
stances. Then we remembered what he
had said about Harringford. wrote to
him letters addressed Buffalo and De-
troit, but failed to receive answers.
At last We were 30 mnch in need that I
said:
Smother, if you can spare the money
for me to make the journey, believe
I can find him, and get at least part
VI W1ht uO ONSS 10.
It was long time before she would
listen to this proposal. She could ill
afford the expense. Though We held
Harringford's note to my father, it was
outlawed, and she had not much faith in
my being able to get any money of him,
even If be could be found in either Of
the two cities named.
At last, however, thinking the journey
might do me some good, at any rate, she
consented to it, and in July I set out.
I went first to Buffalo, where I began
with the post-ofice and directory, but
without being able to find the man was
searching for there, I proceeded to De-
troit. No luck there either. T returned
10 Buffalo, stopping at Cleveland by the
way and finally gave up the search,
concluding that Harringford must have
gone elsewhere, and that the world was
too large a haystack for me to hunt in
for such needle.
Butt my mother had told me to be sure
to visit Niagara before my return SO
one afternoon I went down by late
train to the Falls, which saw by moon
light for the first time.
7 was of course too poor to 60 to a
hrst-class hotel, but put up at one both
small and obscure. The ne1t morning
was fine. I was in good spirits, in spite
Of the failure of my undertaking, for /
had youth and health. passed the
day at the Falls, but, for economy's g
sake, felt that I ought to leave on the
night train for Utica. 30 I prepared to
take leave of the great cataract.
"But I am going to drink out OF it
first, anyway,"I I 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 found it when I was there a
year ago. We stood at the very brink,
near the edge of the fell. 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-ike,
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 I could put out my hand. In my
astonishment, I 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 gee it?"
"See what ?" said my companion.
"My pocket-book," replied, full Of
CONSERVATION. "It dropped from my
ooat pocket into the water, and is lost