Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-03-14
THE MYSTERY OF
THE TWO DOLLAR BILL
An Experience of an Augusta Farmer
With that Article.

With that Article.
One of the little, and to a great many
people an insignificant incident, that
can never forget is the lost two dollar
note. I remember every detail al
though 1T had happened but yesterday
and the feelings l then experienced are
as indelably stamped upon the tablets
of memory as if burned in with rec
hot iron. While l am not really SUPER
stitlous and my intellect tells me be
yond the shadow OF doubt that
great many things are not only lmpos'
sible but ridiculously absurd; still there
are times when I cannot help recur
renee of the feelings or emotions that
felt as little boy when l sat for hours
listening to the weird and unseemly
stories told me by some of my old an
cestors.
Times when what became a matter
of feeling before I was old enough to
reason for myself, will ecur,producing
anything but pleasant emotions.
There seems to be with me sort OF
fatality with regard to a two dollar
note; do not know whether it is be-
cause the amount represented is too
large to fit me nicely or some other
cause, but the only money | can now
recall as not being able to account for
in any way were two dollar bills. And
the last one I lost, the one wish to tell
of especially now; particularly upset
me at the time.
1t was near the close of one of those
particularly long hard winters in our
latitude, we have every s or 10 years;
when the ground is covered for weeks
together with snow and ice, and the
mercury seems every morning to be
hunting especially for zero.
Being somewhat of an invalid l had
not had my usual amount of out door
exercise and in consequence was suf
fering from some Indigestion and the
accompanying ills, the blues, ennui,
hypochondrla, &c., &c.
/ had gone to the courthouse with
just five dollars, one two dollar note,
two one dollar notes and one silver
dollar, few coppers, sc. spent for
my railroad fare and some necessary
purchases all but the two dollar note,
one twenty five cent piece, three five
cent pieces, and a few coppers. While
at court got summons to appear
there the next day to serve as a petit
Juror and in order to be there had to
make a long drive in this fearful
or leave home at a. NJ, and
ride over three miles to meet the early
train so l arranged as far as possible
for my early start, but my duties kept
me up until IL p. NJ, when l turned
into bed, but not to sleep soundly, but
10 dream of hurrying and being too
ate and at a. m. hoped up looked at
,he time, lay down again to doze and
iream again Of an encounter with a
frightful monstrosity and wake up with
4 start at a. m, when I got up and
preparing for my journey
which was to me no Insignificant af-
fair. When l came to put on my pants
they seemed to be where / left them
upon retiring but on examination l
found there was nothing in the left
pocket, (where always carry my pock-
et-book,) but a piece of tobacco. In
the right pocket was my pocket book
and the three five cent pieces and in
the hip pocket, where 1 was never
known to carry money was my quar-
ter, but the bill was nowhere to be
found. Without the rain was coming
down in torrents but within the storm
of conflicting emotions as l sought
everywhere in vain for my missing
note was even greater. True it was q
small amount but as I have said it was
all I happened to have at that time
and railroad agent has queer way
of wanting money for a ticket and a
conductor a ticket for ride.so you see
these reflections did not help matters
much
With my wife discussed the prob
ability of some one entering our room
unseen, of partially hoisting the win
dow and getting hold of my pants, l
thought of the possibility of some of
the children walking in their sleep,
the loss of my money and incessant rain
combined to keep me at home. After
daylight again looked everywhere
turned all my pockets wrong side ont
examined doors and windows looked
in the mud for tracks of the miscreant,
thought over and over again my trip
of the day before, where and how had
spent every cent and secretly wondered
if my folks would ever think I had
spent the money foolishly. But all fol-
no purpose, then I vert TO work to try
and form some theory or find some
|1clue and had worked myself up to a
state of nervous excitement sufficient
to believe almost anything. So after
breakfast instead of going out to feed
sat down to try and think calmly, fol
square meal sometimes does wonders
for man, and talk the whole mys
terious affair over with the sharer Of
my troubles when what do you think
I put my left hand IN my pocket took
out my pocket book put my hand back
and pulled out the two dollar bill, where
it had resisted calmly all the time il
the upper part of the same pocket.
There is more than one moral to thi'
little story, but leave you kind read
er to find and apply them X w.
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