The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-29
SHE WAS CONSCIENTIOUS.
The Tale of Mislaid Pocketbook and
How 1t Turned Up.

the Iaie OF Mislaid Pocketbook ana
How 1t Turned Up.
"I've just heard such a funny story +"
cried the girl in gray, "and I've been
wondering ever since l left Florence who
the girl could DO. That is the worst of
Florence. She has conscience, and it
gives her twinge in the midst of story
and will not let her finish
cit is misfortune to have both con-
science and a talent for anecdote," re-
turned the girl in blue "Still il Florence
had not the former I'd either have to cut
her or dog her footsteps night and day lest
she tell some of her delightful stories at
my expense. She is so clever! Why,
have seen her make girl almost laugh at
joke on HERSELF
"You don't say sol'' exclaimed the girl
in gray. well, to go back to my story.
Florence says that one of the girls in our
set is awfully stingy-her conscience
wouldn't let her tell me who it was but
she said she'd make it SO plain that I
could guess-I can't, though"
"Tell me, and perhaps 1 can. hate
stinginess. Florence needn't talk, though
| almost always have to pay my own car
fare when 60 out with her."
"Do you? ASH was saying, some of the
girls were tired Of being imposed upon
and determined to teach her a good les
ION"
sand serve her right too"
Exactly. About that time some of
them held meeting at Florence's house.
They felt they ought to do some good in
the world, SO they organized committee
to hunt up some NICE clean, poor people,
intending to provide for their wants. This
girl wouldn't serve on the committee be-
cause, she said, she would spoil her clothes
by going about the dirty Streets
swell, SO she WOULD
Yes; she agreed to come to the next
meeting, however, and the other girls
wondered how she would get out of con-
tributing to the expenses.
why that must be the meeting at
tended LAST
"Were you therep How NIGEL Perhaps
you can tell me who it was. Talking of
charity, it would be charitable deed to
assuage my curiosity. Well, they met
and the committee told of a sick woman
who had never tasted wine jelly in her
life and girl who had to go to her work
in her dancing shoes because she had no
others. All the girls felt so sorry"
81 know it. I almost shed tears
Then they began to say what they
would give. Florence contributed dozen
American Beauty roses to the sick woman
on the spot, and Eunice said she'd give the
girl new pair of dancing Shoes Then
she could buy pair of arctic overshoes
herself and wear the old shoes under them
to the shop. Oh, they were as practical
as possible, I can tell your
81 know they were. I made a lot of
suggestions myself
Ibid you? This girl said she would
give some sheets and pillow slips for the
sick woman's bed, which, by the way, was
without any. eAll the girls wondered at
her generosity, and some of them were
half ashamed of themselves, when''-
why, that was
GAS they went to take up the collection
she discovered that she had left her pocket
book at home and said she would pay her
share another time. y
'Oh, think that was just horriblel
r.
$50 did the other girls, and Anita, who
was taking up the collection, got up and
went OUT
sob, butt
''She came back, know. This girl
was just saying that she would pay for o
comforter, too, if some one would lend her
the money--nobody would, you know, be-
cause she never pays back-when in walk
ed Anita, saying: Here is your pocket
book, dear. l just ran over and asked
your sister for it, SO you would not be dis
appointed in helping the poor people,
Florence says that girls face was study
as she paid the money out Why, where