Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-07-13

sold at auction, and although Mr..
Goldberg was supposed to be entirely
innocent of crooked dealing, Myrtle
could never see it in that light, and
when she heard that his Office had
been destroyed by fire she told her.
self it served him right.
On the afternoon of the day follow
ing the fire Myrtle won't over to the
site of the old building. A man was
prodding aron.,d in the ashes and Gin
ders, oyerturning every little while
live coal, which sparkled and glowed
like some precious jewel in the midst
of the blackened ruins. The man
paused near her at last in his rounds
and Myrtle asked:
"Have you found anything in here?"
ssNaw," said he, "I amt. I'm
lookin' on Mr.. Goldberg's account;
that's the reason finds nothin'. It's
the dishonest fellows that hunts on
their own hook that finds things"
The workman passed on to far
corner of the building. Myrtle stood
there irresolute for few minutes.
Presently she slipped under the lower
oar Of the railing and began to tread
carefully over the great bed of:ashes.i
The workman looked around and saw
hersthere.
'sLook out, Missy, or you'll burn
yourself, ? he said, kindly. Sand re-
member, if you find anything it be-
longs to Mr.. Goldberg
Myrtle smiled. ''That man must
think Tn ninny," she said, softly.
eff I find anythingit's Mr.. Goldberg's,
is it? The idea. He's made enough
off us already"
Myrtle began to dig around with
the toe of her shoe. Presently q vi g.
orous kick dislodged several bricks
that had fallen in sort of mound
shape, and in the ashes beneath she
saw a cleaning, yellow object. She
pounced upon it with m exclamation
of delight, and brushed off the light
crust of cinders. 1t was lady's
watch, unbroken and untarnished,
and the exact counterpart of one she
had been wanting for many months.
She hastily wrapped her handkerchief
around it and hurried toward the
street. AS she crept under the railing
the man looked up again.
"Goin' home. Missy?" he called out.
eyes," Myrtle replied, family, as
she started down the street.
Myrtle went at once to her own
room upon reaching home and hid the
watch in alittle shell box which she
kept in the top drawer of her bureau.
She decided not to speak to her moth
er about it until after supper.
"Mother is so queer, she reflected.
"She never sees things like other peo-
pie. I suppose she'd say I ought to
give this watch back to Mr.. Goldberg,
but I don't see why I should. It's
mine. I found it. Besides, he really
owes it to us. He got mothers watch
aud ring for song, and no. doubt
sold them for o good, round price.
Poor motherr'
After supper Myrtle put off her con-
fession until bedtime; at bedtime she
put it of until morning; in the morn
ing she postponed it indefinitely. One
morning about fortnight after the
fire Myrtle passed the site of Mr..
Goldberg'.s store again. The debris
had been cleared away and the foun-
dations of "a new building were al
ready laid. Standing on the edge of
the sidewalk, watching the masons
and carpenters, was sallow, thin
faced man, whom she recognized at
once as Mr.. Goldberg. He looked to-
ward the street as Myrtle neared the
spot and for an instant their eyes met.
Common sense afterward told her that
he could not possibly have known her,
and that he did not speak word, but
to her excited Imagination his keen
black eyes seemed to read her every
thought, and his sharp voice seemed
to ask shrilly: "Myrtle Trover.
where's my watch? Where's my
watch, Myrtle Trover?"
Myrtle hurried home, and alone in
her room with the watch once more
she fully awoke to the determination,
which, all unconsciously to herself,
had been gradually forming in her
mind for several days.
"It is his" she said, decisively.
"I'l take it to him this evening"
Evidently the best way to make sure
of seeing Mr.. Goldberg was to call on
him at his own home. It was IN an
aristocratic part of the city, several
miles from the humble street where
the Trovers lived 1t required two
main car lines and two transfers to
take her to her destination, and it was
after 6 o'clock when she reached the
place.
Mr.. Goldberg had commenced to
eat his dinner, but he came in to see
her at once.
"well, my little GIRL" he said,
kindly, "what is it?"
MYRTLE had studied out O speech