The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-07-31
Be Sure You are Right.


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One day large number of guests sat
at the dinner table of the principal no
tel i'm Dresden, the beautiful capital of
Saxony. Foreigners and native Ger
mans sat side by side, eating, talking,
and apparently enjoying themselves,
when suddenly young merchant who
had travelled through India attracted
the attention of everybody by holding
upa peculiar piece of gold money,
which he had brought with him from
that country.
The coin was eight-cornered, and had
very strange figures OH both sides of it.
The people around the table were great
ly surprised to see such beautiful
piece of money, and it is no wonder
that they admired it.
The owner of it let it pass round the
table, and a good many remarks were
made about how such piece of money
could have been struck. Finally it
reached the hands of gentleman sit
ting at the end of the table, who was
apparently an officer of high rank, and
who had been 30 intent upon canversa-
ton with his neighbor that he was
really the only one who had not paid
much attention to the curious coin.
He looked at it for "A moment, MOTTO
ed the figures with some Indifference,
and then laid it down on the table, saw
ing, "Oh, know that piece ofmOney
already ; | have seen one before" and
continued his conversation.
Shortly afterwards the people began
to talk about other things, and the
piece of money was apparently forgot
ten.
As the dinner drew To close, the
young merchant who owned the money
looked around upon the guests and
said, ''Will the gentleman to whom my
piece of money was handed last be kind
enough to give it to me again, for L
have not yet received it ~
The people were greatly astonished
at this remark, and wondered that lie
had not received the money again.
Every one declared that he had passed
| it on to the one sitting next to him, but
nobody seemed able to tell what had
| become of il.
The company were in great surprise
at the thought that thief could po- 81
bly, be in the number, and yet it did
seem that somebody had taken the gold
coin.
Finally, when the money could not
be found, an old gentleman arose, and
said in Il loud voice: Gentlemen,
since every one of you says that he has
not the piece of money and since all of
us in this dining-room are responsible
for it, / propose to you that each one
has his pockets searched by the land
lord, and am willing that mine should
be searched first. The landlord and
will take our position at the door, and
propose that nobody leave tie room
without the landlord examining his
pockets. In fact, there is nothing else
selves against the supposition that some
one is a thief"
1t appeared that everybody agreed to
this proposition, and one after another
had his pockets searched by the land
lord.
Finally, the officer who had paid but
| little attention to the piece Ofmoney
when il was handed TO him, said, Gen
tlemen, / do not agree 10 have my
pockets searched, though | give you
my word of honor a. soldier that |
have not in my possession the piece of
money. Here is my name, and that is
all that / can submit to-"
All eyes were now directed to this
officer and Immediately everyone else
seemed to have suspicion that he was
the one who had the money in his
pocket.
Several said to him, that, a. they had
been searched, it was nothing more
than right that he should be searched
also. But he protested against il, and
said that he would submit to it under
no condition whatever.
"Then," said they, 1--WE will have TO
consider that you are the thief, unless
you agree to have yOnr pockets search
ed.'
II am no thief, gentlemen" he re-
piled, "and Yet | will not have my
pockets searched"
Just in the midst of the excitement 4
rap was heard at the door. The land
lord opened it, and seeing the head
waiter of the hotel before him, asked
him what he desired.
II wish to tell you, sir, said he, that
in one of the napkins that has just
been brought from the table there was
found this gold piece, which fell out
when the napkin was thrown into the
pile of soiled ones. am come 10 give
it to you, that you may return it to The
owner"
The whole company were greatly
surprised, and there was n universal
feeling of satisfaction and those who
had accused the officer of being thiei
felt very much ashamed of themselves,
and would have been glad to find any
place in which to hide.
The officer, seeing that they could no
more call him thief. now stood up be-
fore the company and said, "Gentle-
men, think you will now allow me
the privilege of saying a word. The
reason,why did not allow my pockets
to be searched was, that | had in my
portemonnaie a piece of gold just like
the piece which the waiter has return
ed to the owner. IL it had never been
found, / should have been called, and
with some right, perhaps, a thief
There are strange things in this world,
and we can never be too sure that W.
are right. See, here is my piece o.
money ~ With that he took out ;
piece of gold which was in every re