The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-10-06
FINDERS AND LOSERS.

into two great classes-the ones who
+, find and the ones who lose.
Meta is girl who finds. Owner
less earrings and brooches and shirt
studs are scattered along her path
way, entreating her to pick them up,
whichever way she strolls, and little
things like horseshoes and four 1eaved
clovers seem to leap up in the most
unlikely places at the first sound of
her step.
"Guess what found today?" is
her regular form of greeting so no
one was surprised when the question
came that day at Georgia's tea.
"Oh, 1 don't know" said Lillian
indiferently. Probably a cotton
handkerchief 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 manner of one who
wouldn't if she could.
Meta gave whitening glance at
the scoffer. Then she removed her
Ladysniti hat and extracted from its
crown roll of money, which she
spread upon her lap. A $50, a $40
and $40 bill stared out.
Counterfeit |" gasped Lillian.
mo, sir. Uncle Mac says they're
~, god as any, ever r,,ade.p
''You didn't find them, Meta you
are joking" protested Georgia.
mo joke aboutit. 1 was walking
down Wabash avenue, and stacks of
people were passing in both direc-
tions, 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 parted and everybody looked
the other way on purpose to let me
have il"
well, never !" sang the chorus.
tWhat 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 that 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 little pocket just
inside the waist band of his trousers
where he keeps wad of bills when
ever he has one-and that it's the
easiest thing in the world to slip the
money in back of the pocket in
stead of into it. And 1 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 Ellen?" That's my aunt,
you know Well, we think-Uncle
Mac and THAT some rich club fel-
low lost it and that he'd put it to
some extravagant use even if he had
it again.
"But l can't help thinking about
some poor old washerwoman who
hadn't another cent in the world"
murmured the blue eyed innocent.
"Washerwomen without another
cent are so likely to go strewing $50
rolls around !'' said Meta.
"More likely twas schoolteacher
with her month S salary. And teach
ing is such nervous work !" suggest
ed Lillian.
COR tagged out woman clerk"
added Georgia.
"Well, l wouldn't take it from a
woman any sooner than you would" f"
declared Meta. "Of course would
not mind so much if it belonged to a
man. But I 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, II
should just use that money for adver-
tising 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 advertises. Then, after that,
he says to advertise 'Found-Sum
of money, at such place, at such a
time Not a word to give a false
claimant any help in identifying the
bills, you see. But he doesn't think
! I'll aver find the Ovt1ar oud CIV
girls, if he shouldn't turn up, what
do you say to lake trip together or
some kind of regular spree with
this money!
81 couldn't enjoy it." said the
righteous Lillian.
"Not unless you gave half to a
hospital" amended another.
"Oh, 1 don't know" dissented
| GeorOia tsT think nv conscience