The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-09-12
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS

4 Wait a biz; here's your ten dollars
Harry toook it aud rushed home as last
rs he could,
3 The news Of their loss was a sad blow
/ to his parents. but not a harsh word was
said by them. though the clearing oI the
I delt had meant a good deal TO the farmer
/ and his wife and now it was all to begin
over again \ big lump rose IN Harry's
/ throat when he saw their sad faces, but
he resolved not to NOPE, but to start in a'
once and act-and surely the first thins
to do was to try to catch the rOhher
So he rushed to the hear, OF the village,
4 to the hotel where everyone that had
nothing especial to do was discussinS the
/ fate Of nations, and spread the news Of
his loss. Telegrams were sent 70 the po-
lice ot nearby towns, and Harry wrote
on, an advertisement for the local paper
in which he promised, in his fathers name
TO pay reward for the apprehension of
| the mysterious stranger,
To everyone he met he gave descrip-
/ tior OF the man, and soon there was not
soul in the village who did not know OF
/ the robbery or have a more or less gsroled
description OF the thief,
But the strange tramp seemed to have
disappeared from the face Of the earth
No on had seen MIN leaving on any OF the
trains. and II be had taken his course
along the highway he must have done so
by night. since he had no, been noticed
I at all.
/ After that Harry did almost two mems
work with an ardor that his natural love
of sport could not diminish. 1t was hard;
/ it was slew. Ready money was scarce, and
twelve months passed before the family
treasury again possessed hundred dol
lars But the joyful day came at last, and
Mr.. Willis started Of to pay Mr., Myers.
May have a drink" came suddenly
from their garden gate.
Harry's heart stopped beating for mo-
ment. He knew the voice, although he
ENN not lEAEu II clllIN AAteiA AhAAA eNA+-AN -
ball. There was the strange man, dressed
as before. but his face was fuller, and he
was clean shaven. He was not such a
bad-looking man. Harry thought but he
might be a desperate character never
iheless.
Then the boy remembered the loaded
-. .,., a, h;- ,.,bar'e rom and shout
irg Wait a minute" he rushed in and
got H.
The man in dingy corduroy seemed sur
prised at sight Of the gun.
I'm not after chickens and silver
spoons"
You thief" cried Harry where is
that hundYed dollars?"
What do you mean?'
Don't you remember when you were
here last spring." demanded Harry.
Don't you remember the game Of ball
that We boys played while you scored?
Don't you remember the ccat you sat on?
And don't you remember the hundred dol
lar bill tha, you took from that coat
pocket? Oh. no, Of course not. But I've
got you now. and you may just march
ahead OF me to the town nall"
And Harry pointed his gun at the mans
head.
wait a bit, young fellow" said the
tramp. not in the least disconnected. Il
thought remembered your face. You
are the boy whose coat sat upon. sure
enough. Did you get that ten dollar bill
1 left in it?"
The cool impudence Of this made Harry
The cool lmpudence Of this made Harry $
blood boil
.I've been accused Of taking money in
my time" continued the stranger, but
never of picking boys pockets. There IL
some mistake here Ny name is Good
fellow. you've heard Of me, the banker in
Boston. and president Of the A and b.
railroad. which runs through here. Why
I put the ten-dollar bill in your pocket
because I enjoyed your game so much,
and thought IL might help towords uni
forms and SO forth. had been, as I am
now. on my annual tramping trip. which
I take every spring TO wear ~ the eject
Of the winters work. didn't take your
money Of course"
1T was in the very coat have N,
said Harry hardly knowing whether e
believe the man or not. And it meant az
awful lot to Us"
you must have dropped it somewhere,
said Mr.. Goodfenow rot course yo'
searched the pockets. Any holes II
: .hem?"
no. my mother had Just mended tn
old thing"
Let me look at It," And the banke
) carefully felt it over. Then he suddenl,
looked 10.
: 'ITl give you a hundred dollars cash 70
-"
Done, "cried Harry much amazed
: Mr.. GoodfelIow counted out the hundre'
dollars in crisp new bills, and turned then
! over to Harry, who had given him tn
I coat Then he pulled out knife, cut
slit near one Of the pockets, and, in
], trice, pulled out the long lost note fror
8 its hiding place. where it had slippe
before, through hole that Mrs. willie
e sharp eyes had not detected.
. How now?" said Mr.. Goodfellow, snil
d ing. Won't you please let me have
r drink of water?"
AN IMPRESSION.
"Oi must confess" said Mr.. Rafferty,