The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10
HE DIDN'T MEAN TO STEAL 1T.
Odd Mistake of the Next Morning Az
ter Big Dinner

ter Big Dinner.
The relations Of cause and effect We're
amply demonstrated at the Hotel Bruins
wick yesterday morning On Saturday
night the Sullivan County Turtle CLUB
gave a dinner at the Brunswick Thirty
guests sat down at the table, and it was
the wee sma' hours of morn when the
party broke up. The geuniOm of the
club was particularly Jolly one, and
when the lights We're finally put out the
wine-rOom of the hotel had an empty,
deserted look. Every one was happy, and
the meeting broke up with protestations
Of friendship all around. Each guest car
rled away as souVinlr one of the most
novel faVOrs ever made up. The souve-
Mrs were imitation turtles, with heads
legs and tails that moved automatically.
They were works of art The name of
each guest was printed on a little slip
on the inside of a turtle.
1t was barely o'clock yesterday morn
ing when a man walked into the hotel,
gingerly carrying in his hand a package.
The clerk recognized him as one of the
guests of the previous evening. The man
walked up to the desk and said, apollo
geucally:
You will have to take my word for it."
Eyes. sir" responded the clerk, who
wondered what was coming next.
Il don't look like thief, do ~ asked
the man of mystery.
The clerk assured him that he did not,
and then cOurteOusly awaited further de-
velopments. The stranger tenderly laid
the package on the desk and began to
unwrap 1t, saying:
u didn't mean to take it away. Some
one must have put it in my pocket. 1
found it in my room when / woke up this
morning. / couldn't hurry up fast enough
to dress and come down and give 1t
back"
who waited with some trepidatton the
opening of the bundle When the cover
was finally removed, one or the turtles
of the previous evening was disclosed.
The man laid 1t on the desk with great
sigh of relief. and said:
There l am glad that you have got it
back. / did not intend TO take 1t. Some
of those fellows must have put it in my
pocket did not wait to dress-I was in
such a hurry to get il home"
His words carried weight for he did not
have necktie on, and was in general
state Of dishabille. The clerk by this time
grasped the situation and said, courteous
THAT is all right. You have simply
made a mistake. Those were the SOU
venirs last night The host gave you that.
1t does not belong TO the house. 1t is a
present to you. 1t was given to you"
mot on your lifer' was the emphatic
rejoinder.. Nobody gave il to me. l took
it, and l brought it back"
But even as he said this little gleam
of "Reminiscences seemed to come over his
face. He would not own up to the ludic-
rous mistake that he had made, however.
and continued:
who gave It to me? You don't know
your business. Nobody gave it to me. 1
had no right to take it away and l am
sorry, and have brought it back. Its
kind of you TO gloss II over but l am
honest. ! want you to know that 1 didn't
intend to take it,"
The man who didn't mean to do it was
so aggressive in his assertion that the
clerk was about to let him have his own
way and return the souvenir, when Man
ager SWEET came out. He heard the story,
and a smile of amusement came over his
face. He took the honest man aside and
in a few brief words explained the mys-
terry to him. The stranger took back his
turtle in a shamefaced sort of way ana
said sheepishy:
That's all right. I didn't want to steal
anything. l must have missed hearing
the presentation speech. Let's forget all
about it and have drink
It was Sunday, however and his liquid
apology could not be accepted.