The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-31
Finders and Losers.

Meta Is girl who finds. OwnerleSs
earrings and brooches and shirt studs
are scattered along her pathway, en-.
treating her to pick them up, which.
ever way she strolls, and little things
like horseshoes and four leaved clovers
seem to leap up in the most unlikely
places Mt the first sound of her step.
Guess what l found today?" is heI
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 in
differently. Probably a cotton hand.
kerchief 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 glance at the
scoffer. Then She removed her Lady.
smith hat and extracted from its crown
3 a roll of money, which she spread upon
her lap. y 500, $50 and a $40 bill
stared out
1Ouilltl Itll. SdSlltu l4llldU.
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, | was walking
down Wabash avenue. and stacks of
people We're passing in both directions,
too, but suddenly there was an open
space about yard square right in
front of me, and straight in the middle
of it lay this money. all rolled up. 1t
just seemed as though the crowd part
ed and everybody looked the other
way on purpose to let me have it,"
well. never," sang the chorus.
What are you going to use it for,
Meta somebody asked but Lillian.
whose interest had revived wonder
fully. didn't give her time to answer.
Use it for?" she cried do you
s'pose Meta would spend that money ?
Think OF the poor woman who lost it,
"Woman, indeed" retorted Meta
Uncle Mac doesn't think that He
says there's 4 little pocket just inside
the waist band of his trousers where
he keeps a wad of bills whenever he
has one-and that it's the easiest thing
in the world to slip the money in back
of the pocket instead of into it, And
| asked him if that ever happened to
him. You ought to have seen how
guilty he looked when he said, once;
but don't tell Ellenr That's my aunt,
you know. Well, we think-Unclc Mac
and THAT some rich club fellow lost
1t and that he'd put it to some eXtraya-
CANT use even if he had it again"
But | can't help thinking about
some poor old washcrwoman who
hadn't another cent in the world"
murmured the blue eyed innocent.
'Washerwomen without another cent
are so likely to 20 strewng $50 rolls
around" said Meta.
More likely twas n schoolteacher
with her months salary, And teaching
is such nervous work. suggested Lii
ian.
'Or a tagged out woman clerk" add
ed Georgia.
well, | wouldn't take it from a
woman any sooner than you would"
declared Meta. "Of course | wouldn't
mind so much if it belonged to n man.
But intend to advertise it anyway"
"Certainlyw 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, Il
should just use that money for adver-
Using every day in every paper until
there wasn't cent left"
Meta pursed her lips. well, I'm
taking Uncle Macs advice about this
she said. He says to study the papers
day or two and see if the loser ad-
vertises. Then. after that. he says to
advertise: 'Found-Sum of money, at
such a place, at such a time Not a
word TO give n false claimant any help
in identifying the bills, you see But
he doesn't think I'll ever find the own
err and, say, girls, if he shouldn't turn
up, what do you say TO a lake trip to-
gether or some kind of regular spree
with this money!
81 couldn't enjoy it," said the right
eous Lillian.
Not unless you gave half to a hos
ptal," amended another
"Oh, | don't know" dissented Geor.
gia. 81 think my conscience would
take in trip TO Mackinac."
Good for your replied Meta. as she
rolled up her wealth and put on her
hat Wen spend it all for gum If
we want TO, Georgia, and we won't
treat them. either-see If we do"
They didn't see her again for three
weeks, and then she came flying in to
luncheon at Lilian's with look in her
eyes rs if she'd just fallen heir to a
million in gold.
'I've had the loveliest experience in
the world"' she announced. you re.
member that money | found? Wen, !
waited few days, as Uncle Mac said
and no one advertised the loss; so put
one in myself. Told them to address
y, the newspaper Office, you know
the way they do. Next morning ]
went down to get the returns. There
We're nine answers, ana of all the pa.
thetic things. Not one of the people
who wrote had lost their money on the
day or at the place l found mine, but
they were just as hopeful, for all that,
and they actually made me feel re-
sponsible for their losses.
First there was man who had
dropped small, fat, black book, with
pawn ticket, a laundry bill and two
50 bills in it. And distressed over it!
You'd think he'd lost gold mine. And
he was so sure twas his money I'd