The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-19

'Ah said he: just like you to leave it
that way, and off comes the coat.
You shall have it again the next day af
ter never said l. So away L walked 1 would
sell it for e6, which IS very cheap
Il looked at the coat which he unfolded
from a paper.
Guess it will fit my SON. said I; I'll try
it on, and We'll see.
80 it did.
Then said I; now you see, I do this to
make up to you as far as 1 can, for that
other fellows rascdlity
You are an honest gentleman said he;
and 1 will, repay you by a great bargain. 1
must sell my solid silver spoons. l meant
to melt them, not to expose my poverty, but
you shall have the whole dozen for the trifle
of e2'
well, of course, I jumped at that''-Mr
Christy here laid the spoons on the table
land took out G10''
But he had something else which he took
from under his arm.
My wife is trying to sell her shawl he
lsaid.
well, I looked at the shawl he shook out
Iof it's folds.
"'You shall have it for e1 as a sample of
my generosity he said, with tear in his
Ieye.
"Well, I knew you'd like it, my dear. 1t
looks like one 1 used to admire you in when
Il courted you-red center, cashmere border, ;.
and Mr.. Christy shook out the folds-the old
shawl Mrs. Christy had exchanged for the
vases that morning. She knew that at once
she could not mistake it, But as she looked
at her husband beaming and twinkling with
good humor, she could not bear to utter the
truth outright and tell him how completely
he had been taken in.
six pounds for the coat and two pounds
for the Spoons he said merrily; "and one
pound for the shawl; and this holding out
one-pound note. lis all I have got out of
my 1O-pound note! Poor old fellow! The last
pound he had in the world, he said. Halo!
What is this?' Mr.. Christy put on his glasses
and looked at the note. Your name is writ
fsn 9n it. in red bi ink my dsarcaT8ne
what in the world"
"Oh!" cried William, at this moment enter
ing the door. That's note mother took
a long while ago-a counterfeit
And it has come back to me-" said Mr..
Christy. You never passed it, Caroline. Per-
haps some servant took it. What fool I was
not to put on my glasses when the man gave
it to me-
''We both need spectacles," said Mrs. Chris
ty. My dear, neither of US can laugh at the
other. We are both completely sold" and
when she had told her story it became very
plain to all Of them that the peddler who had
stolen the coat, spoons and the counterfeit
note from Mrs Christy had, by chance, en-
tered Mr.. Christy's office in his business
travels; that he had sold him back his own
stolen coat and his plated spoons, under
the guise of wonderful bargain in solid sill
yer.
Happily the Christy family were tolerably
well off and could afford to laugh at the
farce they had taken SO prominent a part
in, and Mrs. Christy declared she was glad
to recover the shawl that her husband re-
nembered her wearing during the happy De-
riod Of their courtshp days.
A member Of the police force called shortly
after to state that the thief could not be
Traced and was doubt very cunning
fellow; but the Christy family did not con-
fide their joke to this worthy officer They
had the wisdom to keep it in the family
London Spare Moments.