The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-27
Confession Of Helen BrOWnIee



closed blinds, looking at the dripping
hanson and the reeking horse trottlng
over the pavement
days like this remind me of the past
and it was long ago" said the woman
to those gathered about her. 1T hap
pened when Chicago was not as large as
1t is now. 1 had just left school, and II
was necessary that help make the
living or get married. You may be a pit
surprised. but your grandma was no
always rich When L was young father
owned his own place and was foreman
in factory not far away. and Lincoln
park-then with a cemetery at one end
was near. One Sunday afternoon father
bounced through the doorway TO Dodge
a shower. He drew out of his coat
long pocl1etbOok of red leather ana
mother and 1 sprang for the treasure
Father shook his head and folded the
wallet in his arms.
This money he declared, if there Is
any in the thing is not mine FOUND
1t Highwaymen never despolled
victim quicker than we despoiled tatneI-
Mother took the purse into the parlor
and went promptly through the ioIdS-
It was literally filed with bills While
mother was discovering these Things
father was telling how he had found the
money. He had been sitting on the
beach at Lincoln park. when a well
dressed young man came along STOP
ping now and then TO write MS name III
the sand with his stick. He sat down
near father and tossed pebbles into the
water. Suddenly the sky darkened and
both started. In front of father, where
the young man had been sitting, was
the pOcketbOOk Father picked II up ana
set right out to find the owner, but ne
was lost in the crowd pushing for the
North Clark street horse car-for they
were horse cars then. He remembered
the young man had been writing his
name and went back The waves had
washed the letters away, except J. W.
Bro Father then hurried home.
After we had all counted the money
we thought to look for some mark OF
identification On the inside flap were
the initials J. w. b Mother and
wanted to keep that which had been
found but father declared he would
rather go down into a pauper's grave
one else. All at once I beckoned to
mother and whispered. She Rugged
me. Father? Well. father was not sup
posed to have an interest in these
things. I astonished him, though and
won him by saying. with great decision,
that I myself would deliver that pocket
book into the hands of the owner That
night mother and I looked over my
dresses. Something had to be risked
Mother thought a bit and went down.
stairs. Shortly after I heard loud words
below, and a half-hOur later mother
came up, tear-stained but triumphant.
Two days later we had money, and for
US lots of it.
I'm the meantime we had answered
the advertisement. did the correspond
ing. The reply to the first letter de-
velOped the fact that j. w B. stood for
J. w. Brownlee. In the directory we
found that J. w. Brownlee was an iron
founder, and that J. w BrOwnIee, jr.,
was his son. Inquiry resulted in the
information that the Brownies were
wealthy.
Father stayed at home. Mother en-
gagged apartments at a fashionable hotel
and that night lighted the great red
shaded lamp Shortly after o'clock
there was knock. My heart was in
my mouth, as they say, and mother was
fully as nervous. went to the door
and swung it Open. bell boy held a
salver toward me. On the plate I at
last discovered the card. and l said
Tell Mr. Brownlee to come up When
he came was not disappointed.
I am Mr.. Brownlee, he said bow
ing easily. 1 repeated the Sentence to
mother, only changing it to this is I
called in response to your note regard
ing the lost pocketbook,' he continued
The note. 1 trust. will introduce US
Mother had taken his hat, cane and
gloves. AS I profered him chair he
glanced about, and there was calcula-
ton in that look.
You have not been greatly incon-
venienced, l hope, Mr.. Brownlee2'
ventured, starting toward the cabinet,
and stopped and turned where the red
light of the lamp would fall He smiled
been in the least put out. You must
identify your property 1 said, thrust
ing my hands into the maroon folds of
the cabinet He did, describing both the
wallet and the money. Is this yours?' 1
asked. He came over to the cabinet and
our fingers touched. A thrill went
through me.
+" knew It would fall into honest
hands, he said going back to the chair
was saying some foolish thing when
mother came to the rescue with the
story of the find itself Not much Of
the evening had passed when Mr.
Brownlee arose to go, saying he hoped
to be permitted to continue an acauaint-
ance so strangely begun. I turned to
mother, and the result was that he was
20 call the very next evening.
Fast and furious the counting went
on. There were matinees, tandem teams
and moonlight boat rides. This was en-
joyable, but the money was almost
gone, and something had to be done.
one night when we We're on the lake I
said in casual way: DO you know
fathers physician has ordered him
abroad, and we are about to pack up for
voyage, no telling where Jerome
for his name was Jerome Walden
Brownlee-dropped an oar and nearly
upset the skim getting it again He
stammered. ! leaned back in the sea
and trailed my hand in the water. 7