El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-08
HIS REWARD.

| Young, ardent, sanguine and prone t.
falling in love imaginatively, hailed on,
| day in my early youth an omnibus. Or
| getting inside l found half a dozen per.
| sons, one of whom was an elderly gen
| tleman.
Presently he took from his pocket q
| black leather pocketbook and opened it
/ 1t was full of bank notes. He began ia
turn them over in bank clerk fashion.
| There might have been $4,000 in that
| pocketbook. He thumbed them over
| roughly and careiessly and now and then
| tore one.
The old gentleman made n note of
something-probably the sum total-on a
| blank leaf and carelessly put the book
into hi tail pocket.
In the course of Il few minutes all the
passengers We're set down, and l was
left alone with the owner of the pocket
book. At length he. too, poked the con-
ductor with his stick to signify that he
wished to get out.
l watched him as he walked away
across the road until he became lost to
my view in the crowd upon the pave
ment. Then my eye was suddenly at
tracted by something black lying in the
straw at the bottom of the omnibus.
1t was the black pocketbook!
Suddenly recovering myself. l stopped
down and with trembling hand took
1T up. l rushed off frantically in the di-
rection in which l had seen the owner of
the pocketbook disappear.
In little lane diverging from the main
street 1 caught a glimpse of the owner of
the pocketbook.
Just as | got within few yards of him
he stopped suddenly, slapped his pocket,
appeared to remember that something
had been forgotten and abruptly turned
round to retrace his steps. -b.r.s-ft
Wa onh th4r ~, Io,,\
expressive silence. Then the old gentle
man opened his arms, and 1 fell plump
into them.
Young man." said the millionaire in a
gruf but tremulous voice and gently dis
engaging me from his embrace, young
man, let me-
He did not get any further just then,
but took the pocketbook from my extend
ed hand, opened it and, grasping a hand
full of notes, appeared to be about to offer
me that amount But suddenly he
thought better of his apparent intention,
shut up his precious book and put it in
his pocket. -ss
Young man." he repeated, again seiz-
ing my hand and apparently still too
Overpowered with emotion to give intelli-
gible expression to the sense of obligation
under which he felt himself, young man.
II can never repay you. I shall re-
member you. respect you, young man, as
long as i live, and l hope-I do hope
but there is my card, young man. Call
upon me tomorrow at precisely-at &
precisely. For the present, farewell,
young man. Call upon me tomorrow at
6 precisely" These were his very last
words.
He meant to make a friend Of me-to
Introduce me to his family, to point to
me as his benefactor. perhaps to adopt
me as his son.
1t was clear as day. Mr.. Lobb had
a daughter, lovely daughtcr-I felt GER
tain he had.
1t was also clear that Mr.. Lobb intend
ed and designed that daughter for my
wife. provided-provided we happened to
like each other. All, 1 saw it all. That |
was what he hoped. To be sure,
Next morning l was up and dressed at |
an unwonted hour. My toilet gave me |
some uneasiness- 1 had certainly a pair |
of black trousers, but there were uncom- |
Portable symptoms of shininess about the |
knees and raggedness about the feet
Then my laced boots-clearly I re-
quired n new suit. But how? was very
short just then. and quarter day was vet
a week off. 10 -,
Simpson suddenly occurred to me.
l applied to Simpson accordingly for
the loan of $50. and it may be interesting
to state that the request was unhesitat-
Simpson. my boy" 1 exclaimed, grasp
ing his hand, you have made my for
tune"
On inquiry / found that Paradise villa
was situated near the end of the lane. A |
few minutes brought me to the gate.
1t was paradise indeed, and with /,
sensation of being there 1 pulled up my
shirt collar and rang the bell. 1t was
presently answered by a domestic. who
showed me into an aDarfment and fonlx
Up my card.
1 had just time to erect my collar aud
arrange my hair when the servant re-en-
cred the room. % sS'1
please. Mr.. Lobb says are you the
nan from Bulbs. the florist's?"
This was addressed to me-to me!
Was ! the man from Bulbs, the flor ,
sts|' Was l the mantle man? You
night have knocked me down with a :
Gather. with a hair, with nothingi
Young woman, / am not the man
rom Bulbs. the florists. Tell your mas
er that | am the gentleman who found
lis pocketbook." Presently the tide of
ny Indignation was arrested by the rustic
4 silk dress on the stairs.
1t was she-Emily. ha-coming herself
D bid me welcomed,
Where is hep" / heard her ask in the
assage- What rich, melodious tones,
In another instant the door opened. and
female figure appeared in the entranc.
stood rooted to the spot, speeches.
onfounded. She advanced toward me,
Gliding out her hand. and ere 1 could
nsh forward to meet her she spoke:
"Oh, you are the poor man who found.l
apa's pocketbook. Papa is very much
bliged to you and desires me to give you
lis.''
i held out my hand mechanically and
lowed something to be dropped into it,
ut rho horrible obliouity Of Mics ohk>,. |