Cochise review., 1900-10-25
5 Finders and Losers
S'HS3sa@p@p~p<aa@tYt@u~pHp~a

/ D ID into two great claSses--the one.
 who find ;I. Ee ones who lose.
 Meta is d girl who finds. Ownerless earrings and brooches and shirr studs
 are scattered along her pathway, en, treating her to pick them up, which.
 ever way she strodtS. and little things like horseshoes and four-leayed c.overs
 seem to leap mp in the most unlikely
 places at the first sound of her step.
 Guess what l found to-day?" is her
 regular form of greeting; so no one was surprised when the question came that
 day at Georgia's tea.
 "Oh. don't know" said Lillian, indif- ferently. Probably cotton handker- chief or somebody's other glove Lillian is one of the girls who couldn't find anything if they would, Possibly that's the reason she assumes the man ner of one who wouldn't if she could.
 Meta gave a whitening glace at the scoffer Then she removed her Lady smith hat and extracted from its crown a roll of money, which she spread upon her lap. A $50, S20 and a $10 bill stared out.
 "Counterfeit!" gasped Lillian
 No, sir. Uncle Mac says they're as good as any ever made"
 You didn't find them, Meta; you re joking" protested Georgia.
 No joke about it. I was walking down Wabash avenue, and stack of people were passing in both directions too, but suddenly there was an open place about yard square right in front ot me, and straight in the middle of it lay this money, ail rolled up. It just seemeda though the crowd parted, and everybody looked the other way on purpose to let me have it."
 Well, never! sung the chorus.
 What are you going to use,it for, Meta" some body asked, but Lillian, whose interest had revived wonGcrful~ ly, didn't give her time to answer, !.
 Use i; ior?" she cried. Do you s'pose Meta would spend that money? Think of the poor woman who lost it!"
 Woman, iadeed!" rctortcd Meta
 Uncle Mae doesn't think that. He says there's little pocket just inside the waistband of his trousers where he keeps q wad Of bills whenever he has one and that it's the easiest thing in the WcrlG 10 slip the money in back of inc pocket insteaC of into it. And I asked him that ever happened to him. ou ought 10 have seen how guilty he looked Nien he said: Once but don't tell Ellen: That's my aunt, you know Well, we think-Cncle Mac and I-that some rich club fellow lost it. and that he'd put it to some extravagant use even if he had it again
 But | can't help thinking about some poor old washerwoman who hadn't another cent in the world" mur. mured the blueeyed innocent.
 "Washerwomen without another cent are so likely to go strewing $50 rolls sround!" said Meta.
 More likely twas school-teacher with her months salary--and teaching is such nervous work" suggested Lillian
 ''Or fagged-out woman clerk" add- ed Georgia.
 Well, l wouldn't take it from wom- an any sooner than you would" de- dared Meta. "Of course I wouldn't mind so much if it belonged to a man. But intend to advertise it, anyway"
 Certainly" exclaimed Lillian as if she'd been thinking of that all the time. That's the proper thing to do," and blue-eyed innocent added: q should just use that money for adver- Using every day in every paper until .here wasn't cent left"
 Meta pursed her lips Well, I'm talk ng Uncle Macs advice about this" she said. He says to study the papers lay or two and see if the loser adver- 'ises. Then, after that, he says to ad- Tertise: 'Found--Sum of money, at ;uch place, at such time Not word to give false claimant any help In identifying the bills, you see. But ne doesn't think I'll ever find the own 1T, and, say, girls, if he shouldn't turn lp, what do you say to lake trip to- yether or some kind of regular spree with this money?"
 T couldn't enjoy it." said the right ,ous Lillian.
 Not unless you gave half to hos 1ital," amended another
 "Oh, I don't know" dissented Geor- Eia. T think my conscience would take n a trin to Mackinap '"
 Good for you!" replied Meta, as she oiled up her wealth and put on her hat We'll spend it all for gum if we want Q, Georgia; and we won't treat them, ,it5er--see if we dol"
 They didn't see her again for three weeks, and then she came flying into luncheon at Lilian's with look in her yes as if she'd just fallen heir to mil. ion in gold.
 I've had the loveliest experience in he world!" she announced You re- member that money found? We'll, waited few days, as Uncle Mac said, nd no one advertised the loss, so I put me in myself. Told them to address X, he newspaper office, you know--the vay they do. Next morning l went Own to get the returns. There were tine answers, and of all the pathetic hinncf Nof n,a nf ,,ao,1o !