San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-12

very uncertain. Besides, l don't think L
ought to let you slave yourself to death for
me. We won't talk Of it any more" witA a
sigh. Maybe something may turn up"
Holding his hat firmly on his head, John
opened the door to meet such a blast that he
almost staggered. Dead leaves and dried
twigs were blown in his face, and as he raised
his hand to brush them aside it caught a
piece of paper. Half blinded as he was, he
saw the paper was green and silky. Another
glance and he darted to his mother, waving
his hat.
'Hurrah for the glorious March windln he
shouted. ''See, mother, what it brought usl
A real, true one hundred dollar bill Look
at It'll look at It'll"
'Sure enough, it Isl" his mother said exam
ming the bill. "What a strange thingm
what good thing! What grand thing
for US, motherl" he cried excitedly "Just
as was longing for a little money so could
go to school, slap, bang, it comes in my facep
He capered around the room like crazy boy.
THAT means school for me, don't it, mother,
and you won't have to work so very hardf'
'"Stop a minute, Johnln Mrs. Grafton said.
"Don't you understand the money is not
oursl
"Whose is it, then, I'd like to known his
face falling. "Do you expect to find an
owner for money that's just blown in your
facet Why, We couldn't begin to look for
one Now, mother, that's just ridiculous!"
"We must advertise the bill, not naming
the amount, of course" Mrs. Grafton said,
disregarding Johns excited protest BE
sides, here is a little private mark in the left
hand corner of the bill Looks like star In
blue ink Your father always marked the
large bills that came into his possession, that
he might identify them II lost This bill may
have been blown from railroad car In pass
ing through, and if the owner does not claim
it wnen advertised, after a certain time the
money will be yours"
SITS going to take money to advertise"
John said sullenly-his disappointment was
too acute for him to bear it patiently-"and
Pm sure / don't know where that's to come
from"
"It will take very little The advertise
ment will be only few words, and the owner
of the bill, if he turns up, will refund. If he
does not appear we certainly will have done
our duty to try and find him. / will write
out the advertisement and you can drop it at
The Times Office. Here is money enough for
its insertion"
A heavy heart and disconnected spirit John
Grafton took with him to his work that day.
He was cross and snappish to the other. boys.
He had no laughter, no jests, but moody,
discontinued manner, as if some one had in
jured him. There was a sense of grievous
injury in his heart. He felt that his mothers
course was defrauding him of what was justly
his own.
He had been carefully reared and his
mothers teachings of honesty and integrity
had hitherto appeared to him like Gospel
truths, but the mere touch of that bank bill
had wrought an evil change in the boys feel
ings. He wanted the money so badly that he
forced himself to believe that he ought to
have it.
l have alluded before to the moral fault in
John Grafton's character, that when he
craved a thing passionately, he seemed TO
lose sight of every obstacle in the way of his
possession of it. His mother had noticed and
striven against this trait, but for the first
time in his young life he had been brought
face to face with a serious temptation.
As he hurried home to his dinner, he paused
for a minute irresolutely before the office of
The Times and fingered the advertisement in
his pocket. His mother never saw the paper
unless he brought one home, and she would
not know if the advertisement was inserted
or not If it was not, no one would appear
to claim the money and it would be his. He
himself.
He set hislips closely together and fastened
home He was so much afraid that his mother
would question him that he talked necessarily
upon other subjects, telling in nervous man
ner all the little incidents of the day. He
hastily swallowed his dinner and saying he
was in a great hurry, FASTENED out. She
called after him:
Il suppose you attended to that advertise
ment, John!"
He gave forced laugh.
Now aren't you in desperate hurry,
mother, to get rid Of that windfall7 It's all
right"
WAS it all rightr came the question as he
struggled with the wind, which was as strong
then as it had been in the forenoon. Was +
lie right? What was right about his whole
conduct He tried not to think, but bent his
head and pushed his way through clouds of
kdust and leaves.
r. The half sheet of newspaper flew in his
face Hecaught it, and mechanically glanced
at its columns as he pressed along. One par
agraph arrested his attention. 1t was part
of the confession of a noted gambler and
forger who had been sentenced for life to the
penitentiary.
II had good mother" it read, land was
an honest boy. But one day gave way to
small temptation-a very small temptation
and made upmy mind-that though would
do that one wrong thing, it would be for the
last time. That was the first downward step,
and it seemed to push me down, till I've got
to the bottom"
John dropped the paper, and stood for a