Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-07-28
ROMANCE OF A POCKET BOOK.

hUWRNCt VI a PUCktl -bUUk,
was just twenty-five when l met
Alice Thorne, the daughter and heiress
of George ThOrne, the great banker. |
fell desperately in love with the charm
ing girl, knowing well that such love
was utter madness. Her father was
reported to be very proud ambitious
man, who would look higher for SON.
in-law. | felt that he would not so
muchas give hearing to my suit; and
as to winning her without his consent,
what would that bring to her but mis-
cry? / had nothing with which to re.
pay Or compensate her for the sacrifice
of such a marriage with my poverty.
So we bade gOod,by without a word
of explanation, though | knew she read
the anguish in my heart, and tears
were in the soft eyes averted from me.
Scarcely had got back to town, and
was striving earnestly to drown vain
regret in the hustle and interest of
business when Il terrible misfortune
fell upon me. Mr.. Overton had given
check for $4,000, desiring me to go
to the bank and get it cashed. Having
executed the commission and returned,
imagine my horror on discovering that
the pocket-bOOk containing the money
was gone. Whether stolen by villains
or lost by my own carlessness, what
mattered it? 1t was gone, and | was
utterly ruined.
What suffered during the next few
hours God only knows ;and when, after
being dismissed, | returned to my own
room, | was very nearly desperate; not
only had / lost lucrative position, but
my future appeared to be irretrievably
blasted for there, are suspicious which
are as fatal to man morally. as would
be physically the wound of a rifle ball.
But l was young and of a hopeful
nature and began to realize that l had
been leniently dealt with. On real
izing all that had happened after leav-
ing the bank, and the utter impossible
ity of the pocket book being taken from
the breast pocket Of my coat, / came to
the conclusion that | must have drop
ped it, and thereupOn / resolved to
have recourse to all means in my pow.
er to recover the money.
l advertised daily in all the promi-
nent journals, not offering the custom
ary reward, but describing my unfortu-
nate position, my honor lost and my
fortune blighted. For two weeks
kept my loss before the public, and had
almost began to despair of any favor
able result, when one morning a stran-
ger came to me-a tall, dark stern
looking man, who regarded me with a
pair of kindly brown eyes, that had
something familiar in them.
The stranger declined the : eat | Of
fered him, and began at once, speaking
brusquely and to the point, 81 have
heard of your loss, said he. | have
read your advertisements in the papers,
and feel deeply interested in and for
you. l have just left your late employ
ers, and after the satisfactory manner
in which all my inquiries were answer,
ed, ! became your surety for the $50,
000."
"What| | sprang toward him in
the widest excitement. "Oh, sir"
began, but he stopped me.
"Iet me fnish," said he. "1've done
this because | am convinced that you
are an upright, honest man, and Shc
greatest proof of my confidence is that
am about to offer you the position OF
cashier in my banking house. My
name. sir, is George Thome."
George Thornc, the father of Alice
the girl that | loved All! the mys
terry was solved 1t was of her his
eyes had reminded me; it was to her
was indebted for his help.
Fifteen years had flown since the
day lost the pocket-bOok. | had now
become prosperous man, surrounded
by all the luxuries which wealth affords
/ had found in Mr.. Thome more thar
patron; / found a friend, under {
brusquo manner he had a heart oI
gold.
l was soon made partner, and when
on Ia certain blessed day, became thu
husband of Alice, and his son.in-law
he presented me with receipt for thu
$4,000 that he paid to the Messrs
Overton for my loss.
So time went on. The banking
house known as the firm of Thorne 4
Wallace was in a thrivingcondition.
had a beautiful wife and two lovely
children, and yet, with all the sources
of happiness, was not quite contentet
there was a crease in the rose-leaf
For some time past had been vainly
endeavoring to account for the extraor
dinary interest which my father-in
law had first taken in me, because
discovered as l grew older, and saw
more Of this selfish, egotistical world
that very few such generous actions
were performed without motive, ant
the solution Of this, TO me, Difficult
problem, frequently occupied m,
thoughts.
About this time DR.. Ponard. one O.
Mr.. Thorne's most intimate friends ar
rived in New York, and one morning
while sitting at breakfast, expresset
great surprise at the numerous adver
tisements in the papers relating t,
money lost and found.
"Well,' said he, have not the leas
sympathy for those who lose mone-
They are generally careless, stupic
people not fit to be trusted; although
remember having heard of youn,
man who lost pocket-book som
years ago, containing $4,000, and
declare when read his piteous appeals
which were in all the papers, my hear
fairly ached for him. But" continue
he, addressing my father-in-law, VIII