The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-05

l'elated in her shopping. 1t was too
Int to wink, and a few flakes of snow
were falling. which mnde the ride i'm.
perative for the sealskin. Tessic
promised herself never to wear It
again, lis she boardetl the crowded
chr, and felt that she must stand n
while longer.
But beauty, becomingly dressed,
has charms to melt the Heart OF man.
aud MISUNDERSTANDING gentle
man. young enough to lie impressed
by such charms, gnllantIy offered
her his seat. She sank into it with
graceful and grateful thanks, and
having paid her fnre. slipped her
purse in the fur coat pocket. People
began to get out, and presently she
was nblc to make room for the polite
gentleman who had vacated his seat
in her favor. Having done 20, she
looked straight out of the window,
as well-bred girl should do. Two
gentlemen on the other side of her,
men OF substance, evidently, were
talking. A sentence caught her in
terest. ~ see Draper has sent slO,-
600 to the sufferers by the Western
floods"
"ies; what a public spirited man
he isl"
Tcssie's heart burned with an in.
sane desire to supplement the state.
ment with that OF the reduction of
his employees salaries.
I'VE gave that money, not he,"
she thought. II heard it said once
that the salary list is over S2l ,OOOa
week. At any rate it wouldn't take
long, at 10 per cent. to make up tho
ten thousandw
So absorbed was she in her indig-
nant reverie that she f,iled to notice
when her handsome neighbor got
out, and the conductor called her
street twice before she heard him.
lnstinctively, as she reached tho
sidewalk, she put her hand in her
pocket to feel Tor her purse.
1t was gone!
. Her heart went down to the toes of
her shoes as she felt first in the other
coat pocket, then in that OF her dress,
in vain.
1t was too late to stop the car,
and, sick Mt heart. she went home.
There had been fifty cents in the
pnrsc besides the weeks salary. Not
largeamount, it is true, but is rep.
resented u hard weeks work, and
cit was much to her." 1--WE must
have u chicken instead OF IL turkey
for Thanksgiving" she thought,
"Wcll, we'll call it Il rose-turkey,"
and she tried to smile over the sorry
joke. "rhe worst of it is it will
worry mamma SO"
Mrs. Wilbur was watching for her
Mt the window and opened the door
almost before she reached the step.
GLOW cold it is! Come in and get
dinner, and then we'll bundle up and
go marketing for tomorrow. Why,
what is the matter, child?"
Trssie told her story OF the lost
purse.
"Maybe you dropped it. You
know the conductor, don't you?'
suggested her mother. ave will go
to the car stables in the morning.
Why, what is this?" and Mrs. Viii
bur. who wns searching the pocket
OF the sealskin coat nervously, held
up Il gorgeous diamond ring which
Tessie recognized ns the one which
she had seen sparkling on the hand
OF her polits friend of the street car.
There Wns n little slit in the pocket,
and it had slipped down, "explnined
her mother, "but, how did it get there,
/ never had such IL ring, and nobody
else has worn the coat"
"Iie picked my pocket" gaspcl
Jessie" and the ring caught in the
slit and slipped off; and he seemed so
nice and gentlemnnly; I'll never trust
to appearances nguin!"
"lle? Who?" asked Mrs. Wilbur.
in bewilderment; Tessic explained.
"ies, that must have been the way
OF it. Well. well, take it to Mr.. Cold
spring and ask him what to do
about it. He knew your father, and
will be ready to help us for his sake.
"A very fine dinmOnd, sud tie
jeweler, when this plan was put into
execution. "Worth ut leust $500.
OF course. you can advertise it, but l
, 5n't think l would. Tho thief is
caught in his own trap, and won't
be likely to claim the ring. since to
do SO would be to court arrest us n
pickpocket. l think you may rest
with having bought fine
diamond very cheaply, very cileaply.
indeed"
And SO the matter rested.