The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-03

threw the wallet at Hal, exclaiming,
"There it is! Take it, and keep it,
old stingyp The wallet fell at
Halls feet. He gladly picked it up,
while the other boys shouted their
approval. But it no longer seemed
to be his own, at least it was not his
to keep. He must find the owner.
Strange that he had not thought Of
that at first.
"What you going to do with it
now?" asked Tom Merwin.
"Find the owner" A disap-
pointed look spread over the faces of
the group of boys as they heard this
positive answer. and they moved
away from him discussing the matter
among themselves, while Hal and
Tom started off in the direction of
Main street.
"What's the use of looking for an
owner. You're the only owner it's
likely to have. No owner amt going
to have his pocket book lying loose
on the sidewalk"
"Of course not, if he knows it; SO
you see | must find him and tell him
about it,"
There amt no must about it."
eyes there is, because you see l
promised last Sunday to follow the
Golden Rule all this week, and it's
only Wednesday,
(Which Golden Rule"
ooh, don't you know. There isn't
but one-'Do unto others as you
would have them do to YOU"
"Yes, know that one s well as
you do. thought twas Honesty is
the best policy you meant.
"Thats no Golden Rule at all,
though it's always right to be honest
and tell the truth"
"Then you mean to find the owner
because you would want someone to
do so, if you had lost it and they had
found it,"
eyes. Here we are at Nortons.
I'm going in to tell Mr.. Knevals
about it. Come onp'
Both boys entered the large store
and found their way to the book
keepers room where Mr.. Knevals was
busy with his pen. He turned to
greet the boys, and seeing from their
excited faces that something unusual
had occurred, gave them immediate
attention. Halls story was quickly
told and the contents of the wallet ex-
amined.
There is nothing here by which
we can positively determine the
ownership. The papers seem to
be of considerable value. You can
count that money while l look over
these papers, Hail." said Mr.. Knew
ais. putting roll of bank bills into
Halls hands. Hal was nearly fifteen,
but he had never seen sc much
money at one time. Tens, twenties,
a one hundred-do note-what a
fortune! Six hundred in all. How
he wished it was his to use as he
pleased.
sit might have been but for that
PROMISE" said his tempter. The
present desire to help his mother and
continue his school work were both
laudable ambitions, but not to be in
dulged at the sacrifice of manliness
and honor. As he thought it over,
his own need of the money made
him feel all the more the force of the
rule he had promised to follow. The
owner having lost the money might
be in greater need than he.
Having finished the counting he
announced the result Mr.. Knevals
then transferred the roll to Tom with
instructions to verify Halls count.
Il0 6OJu duuOuuC0Q q oluOICnCO VI
ten dollars in the result.
Mr.. Knevals then called the cashier
of the store, who went rapidly
through the roll, discovering the mis-
take Tom had made. Then all the
money and papers were put back into
the wallet, and at Halls request the
wallet was locked up in the great safe
where the valuable papers of the firm
of Norton & Co. were kept. Hal went
home satisfied to wait until morning
TO find the owner, to tell his mother
the story and to dream of Treas
ure Island and it's store of wealth all
his own.
The morning hours were so filled
with learning his new duties as wrap
ping clerk in the big store, that the
noon bell sounded ere he had thought
of his unfulflled duty of finding the
owner of the wallet. Mr.. Knevals
had, however, acted for him. Adver-
! q $1,000 I'D koI