The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-01-04


the twentieth day. The remainder Of
the month was season Of fasting. It
was the afternoon Of Nov. 90 when he
found the pockptbook
lie had hrCn to my den in the Wal
den building 20 see whether | had any
money for dinner. But | had not been
at home. | had stepped across the
street for the purpose of borrowing u
dollar from Frank Kane.
Stuart had had Il light breakfast and
no luncheon ut all, and the hand of
gaunt starvation was knocking on his
solar plcXus. When he first saw the
pocketDook, he thought it was n hal
lucination bred of his need, but it
proved to be as real to the hand as to
the eye. Indeed, it felt fat. He drop
ped it into his pocket and hurried along
the street, dizzy with the amazing OPP
portuncnesS of the incident.
A dark doorway invited him. He
stepped toward it, glancing over his
shoulder as he did so and with his hand
upon the treasure in his pocket. Then
suddenly tho abSurdity of his conduct
made him laugh.
"Confound it," he muttered. "Fm
not going to steal the thing"
He returned to the sidewalk and in a
very open manner examined the wallet.
The gold letters proved to be sd. N
Within were some samples of fine silks,
and upon the other side folded tcle-
gram and half dozen cards. The tclc-
gram was addressed to Miss Dorothy
Newell. The cards bore her name. Be
yond question the purse was hers.
No ordinary sum of money, even had
he been privileged to keep it, would
have surprised Stuart so much or af-
forded him an equal pleasure. He had
found long sought opportunity.
Miss Newell was the sister of n man
whom Stuart had known at college
The acquaintance had been slight, but
Stuart had visited Ncwelrs room occa-
sionally and had seen Dorothy's por-
trait thcre-a charming face which had
stuck in his memory. 1t may have been
an element in his choice when chance
threw into his way the clerkship in the
Third National bank. Perhaps the city
where Dorothy Newell lived may have
seemed on that account an unusually
desirable place in which to begin his
carccr, yet in more than years resi-
dencc there he had made no attempt to
see Dorothy. The brother whom he
knew had not been at home during that
time, and, though a bold man would
have found q way, Stuart had not douC
so.
Stuart was poor, and he was not the
sort of man who knows what TO dc
toned TO II in his youth, and he was
always expecting to see the end of it,
for he stood under n bough that bore 4
great and OVerripc Inheritance. The
best expectations cannot quite take the
place of correct wearing apparel when
one is to call upon fashionable people
and the NeWeils were distinctly upper
crust AS for Stuart, his ancestry was
equal to the best, but his dress suit was
in pawn, and that is n serious socia
disadvantage.
''Well, this settles it," said he. "I'n
obliged to call now. l can't leave this
thing on the doorstep and ring the
bell"
He reflected with grief that it would
require almost So to redeem his even
ing clothes, and while this idea was ir
his mind his eye fell upon Il hitherto
unnoticed compartment of the purse
He opened it and discovered a five dol
lar bill. 1t was Il coincidence calculat
ed to affect Il mind already strained by
the alternating currents of joy ant
woe.
Stuart hurried back to my abode. fol
he felt the need of sympathy. HI
found me at home, but with no means
Of help except from Frank Kanes dol
lar. Upon that we dined, and mean
while we discussed the situation.
was agreed that Stuart could not cal
in the evening clothed in light color
ed business suit Of somewhat star
Ting pattern. After dinner we wen