Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-05-03
their purses were by no means rare.

their purses were by no means rare.
''But have lost it," faltered poor
Nan, pale aud trembling with genu-
inc terror and distress; or else some
one has stolen it from me-my purse
with FIVE dollars in It,
Curtis Van Tassels had heard every
word. He looked at Nan critically,
and at the same time sympathetically.
The troubled look In the brown eyes
was so painfully apparent that he did
not for moment share the walters
suspicion.
A. brilliant idea came to him.
Steoping down, quick as thought he
distracted q five-dollar bill from his
own wallet.
Nan had not seen the action, but
the quick .witted waiter had,
II beg your pardon!" Curtis said,
quickly and courteously, "but I think
this must be the missing bill. l
found it beside your chair just now.
Doubtless you had taken it out of
your own purse, laid it beside your
plate, and then forgotten it. Very
luckily l chanced to look down."
"How can ! ever thank you, sir?"
Nan exclaimed; while the servant
gave Curtis a slight wink and dis
cretely kept all knowledge Of the lit
tie ruse to himself. So long as he
was paid it was no business Of his
from whose pocket the money came.
But a diligent search on Mans
part, aided by both the waiter and
Curtis Van Tassels, brought no parse
to light, and she was compelled to go
home without it. How the money
could be there and not the purse was
a mystery she was unable to solve.
Only day Or two later Curtis was
passing Harrison's book store when a
painting in the window attracted his
attention. Its execution was grace
full and vigorous, but it was the cen
trail figure in it that he noticed. 1t
was the girl whom he had met at the
cafe.
II am foel!" he thought, as he
entered the door and asked the
price of the picture. But for all that
he bought it, paying hundred dol
lars for it, though Mr.. Harrison de-
clared that the artist would consider
seventy-five a munifcent. sum.
every fine indeed, Mr.. Harrison
said volubly, glad of a chance tc
make bargain, even if it brought nc
money into his own pocket, ''and 8
perfect likeness Of the artist, Miss
Kendall, sir. If she wasn't poor as {
church mouse the world would have
heard of her long ago, I'll be bound. .
| Curtis thought so too, and wantet
very much to know Miss Kendall!
address, but he did not say so.
| "My mother has long wished tt
have her portrait painted" he said
artfully, ''but she wants it to be tht
work of lady's brush. Do 20,
think if sent Miss Kendall her pho
tograph she would copy an oil por
trait from it?''
| s'She would be only too glad,
guess, Mr.. Van Tassels," said Mr.
Harrison, ,effusively,' land you couldn'
get lady better fitted for the worl
than she."
And Nan worked diligently ant
happily on her first order, neve
dreaming by what chain of circum
stances the loss of her shabby purs
had brought all this good fortune.
She knew nothing about Mr.. Va
> Tassels, except that he had purchase
"Under the Liiacs,'' and was s
pleased with it that he wanted hi
: mothers portrait from the sam
brush. 81: - -
II hope he will like it," she said
on the very afternoon when Curt
Van Tassels was coming for. the fir
ished picture. ~ have certainl
done my BEST
Mr.. Van Tassels did like it, and h
liked the little artist, too, so well tn.
he came again and again, on one PR
text or another.
And before many months he ha
asked Nan Kendall to. marry hin
= and she had answered "Yes!"
:. "Nan," said Curtis, quizzicall.
. one day, "did you ever lose five do
lars?"
- Nan started and laughed. .-
"What do you mean, Curtis?" 81
IL said. "No; but I thought did, la
y spring." .
l. Thought you did," Curtis e!
: tclaimed. "Why, didn't you real
. lose it?"
u "Curtis, you are not the gentlems
/ who"
. Nan stopped. --se
Z, eyes," nodded Curtis Van Tassel
q with smiling lips.
It 81 have sometimes wondered whe
l have seen you before. Oh, it W
L monstrous Of you to- deceive me-,
le you did! 1 don't think l can ev
+ forgive you!''
1T "Oh, yes, you can!" said Curt
| Z