The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-02-17
ROMANCE OF A POCKETBOOK.

ROMANCE OF A POCKETBOOK.
was just twenty-five when 1 first
met Alice Thorne, the daughter and
heiress of George Thorne, the great
l fell desperately in love with the
charming girl kn0wing-wen that such
love was utter madness.
Her father was reported to be a very
proud. ambitious man, who would look
high for q son-in-law. I felt that he
would not so much as give q hearing to
my suit; and, as to winning her with
out his consent, what would that bring
to her but misery? had nothing with
which to repay or compensate her for
the sacrifice of a marriage with my pow
erty. -
So we babe goodbye without a word
of explanation, though knew she read
the anguish in my heart, and tears were
in the soft eyes averted from me. l
kissed the trembling hand she placed in
mine, and turned away and bade fare
well to her and her hope together.
Scarcely had l got back to town. and
was striving earnestly to drown vain re-
gret in the hustle and interest of bust
ness when q terrible misfortune fell
upon me. Mr.. Overton had given me a
check for $4,000, desiring me to 60 to
the bank and. get it cashed. Having
executed the commission and returned,
imagine my horror on discovering that
the pocketbook containing the money
was gone. .l--r as,f. - .t.:s 49,
Whether stolen by villains or lost by
my own carelessness, what mattered it?
1t was gone, and utterly ruined.
Whof I tho vax< fa,., hourS
God only knows; and when after being
dismissed, / returned to my own room,
l was nearly desperate; not only had 1
lost lucrative position, but my future
appeared to be irretrievably blasted. for
there are suspicious which are as fatal
to q man morally as would be physically
the wound of q rifle ball.
But 1 was young and of a hopeful
nature, and l began to realize that1 had
been leniently dealt with. On recall
ing all that had happened after my
leaving the bank, and the utter impossi-
bility Of the pocketbook being taken
from the breast pocket of my coat, /
came to the conclusion that must have
dropped it, and thereupon resolved to
have recourse to all means in my power
to recover the money.
1 had saved during the past few years
q considerable portion of my salary, and
determined to devote it to, the purpose
had in view. advertised daily in all
the prominent journals, not offering the
customary reward. but described my
unfortunate position, my honor lost and
my fortune. blasted. up -
For two weeks kept my loss before
the public, and had almost begun to
despair of any favorable results when,
cN,. a.
q TALL dark, stern looking man, who re-
garded me with a pair of kindly brown
eyes that had something familiar about
them. '"
The stranger declined the seat
ing brusquely and to the point. II
have heard of your loss," he said. 81
have read your advertisement in the
papers, and feel deeply interested in
and for you. l have just left your late
employers, and after the satisfactory
manner in which all my questions were
answered, became your surety for the
&c, ,O0O." s..-
"What?"
Isprang 1 towards him in the widest
excitement.
"Oh, SIR" began, but he soon
stopped me. S'''
.'Let me finish," said he. "rve
done this because / am convinced that
you are an upright, honest man, and
the greatest proof Of my confidence
can give you is that l am about to offer
you the position of cashier in my bank
ing house. Ny name, sir. is George
Thorne."
George Thorne, the father of Alice.
the girl 1 loved! All. the mystery was
solved! 1t was of her his eyes had re-
minded me; it was to her was indcbt-
ed for this help. ...
Fifteen years had flown since 1 had
lost the pocketbook. l had now be-
come prosperous man. surrounded by
all the luxuries which wealth affords.
had found in Mr.. Thorne more than q
patron; found a friend. Under
brusque manner he had a heart of gold.
From the first day of our acquaintance
he had evineed toward me the liveliest
interest and affection.
was soon made partner, and when,
on a certain blessed day, became the
husband of Alice and his son-in-law, he
presented me with a receipt for the
100000 that he had paid to the Messrs.
Overton for my loss. .'
So time went on. The banking
Wallace was then in thriving condi-
ton.
i had q beautiful wife and two lovely
children, and yet, with all these sources
of happiness, 1 was not quite con-
tented; there was q crease in the rose
leaf. -.sl,.-.. .rr
For some time past had been vainly
endeavoring to account for the extra
ordinary interest which my father-in-
law had taken in me, because / dis
covered, as I grew older and saw more
of this selfish, egotistical world, that
very few such generous actions were
performed without motive, and the So
luton Of this, to me, difficult problem
frequently occupied my thoughts.
At first had attributed it all to
Alice's influence, but knew now that
it had been as great surprise to her
as to myself.
About this time DR.. Ponard, one of
Mr.. Thorne's most intimate friends,
arrived in New York, and one morning
while sitting at breakfast expressed
great surprise at the numerous adver-
tisements in the papers relating to mon
ey lost and found.
least sympathy for, those who lose mon-
Cy. 1uoy Ur0 ScucruAty CoIcicSS, stupiu
peoples not fit to be trusted; although /
remember having heard of young
man having lost pOcketbook some
years ago containing twenty thousand
dollars, and l declare when I read his
piteous appeals, which were in all the
papes @y heart fairly ached for him.
" But, continued he, addressing my
fathsr-in-law, who had become very
pale, "you ought to remember the cir
ctnr,, AZ a nnaa for IL 0ccnrred inst af thu