The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-05-09
The LOAN or A NICKEL
loriginal.l

lady who sat mex to me opened a hand
satchel. but. not finding what she ex-
pected. was evidently much distressed.
Nearer came the puncher and more dis
turbed appeared the lady.
Fare said the conductor.
Il handed him 10 cents. Surprising
that ! MIS- paying for the lady beside
me. he punched twice and passed on.
will you kindly give me your adj
dress?" asked the lady. Il wish TO re-
turn your loan."
What loan?" / asked.
lyon paid my fare"
Rather say the conductor made a
mistake"
Your address. please"
/ took out my card with my address
engraved upon it and handed it to her.
The next day a messenger brought
me an envelope containing a nickel.
A couple of weeks later l received by
mail a ticket marked Complimentary,
to an amateur entertainment given for
charity. ! was puzzled. Such tickets
are not usually complimentary. Be-
sides. | was abundantly able to pay.
Curious to learn more of the matter, l
attended the show. which was given in
. small theater. My seat was one of
the best in the house, right in among
the creme de la creme. Beside me sat
q lady. who looked at me as if she
wondered how l. not in the swim-I
was a newcomer to the city-could
ha v got into that part of the house. |
l<olzaa nunr %hA .al;1na, -;%l 70 y.
gnette. but saw no one l had ever seen
before. When the performance was
over | left the theater no wiser than
when l entered it.
On reaching my rooms | put my
gloves in my overcoat pocket and felt
a small parcel. Unwrapping it. | opeu-
ed a little pasteboard box and took out
a scarf pin of a unique design. There
was nothing to identify it. and | con-
ciuded it must have been placed there
by mistake when my coat was hanging
In some public place. After that
thought nothing OF either mystery,
though | longed for one glimpse of the
woman ! had loaned a nickel.
Two years later ! was travelling in
a railway carriage in England. and.
though it was early in the afternoon.
| fell asleep. When | awoke | noticed
that there had been a change in the
fore me sat a lady. and the moment I
looked at her l saw that she was the
woman whose street car fare | had
paid. Her eyes were bent on a book.
she gave no sign Of being aware
the presence of one she had met be-
fore. Since she was not looking at me,
l bad plenty Of opportunity to look at
her.
Now, | defy any n to be looked at
by n in whom he or she is interested
and not betray consciousness of the
1t seemed to me that the lady
was reading very rapidly. waited
see how she would act when her
glance fell upon me. She did not seem
Inclined to put down the book and
when she did SO took pains to avoi
seeing me. My diagnosis Of her &C
was that she had recognized me.
but did not wish to give me a chance
TO open an acquaintance. Then the
guard put his head in and said:
''Tickets!'
Here was a pretty chance for re-
| fumbled In my pocket for a
ticket which purposely failed to find,
watching the lady's expression as | did
20. She showed no especial interest in
ny discontinue. but turned and whis-
1ered something to an elderly man. her
beside her.
what? Urn! Can / be of any as I
distance to you, sir"
Il am sorry to trouble you, but my
FUNDS are all in letters of credit and |
Permit me, sir" And. taking out
ais pocketbook, he asked. ''To what
Il am travelling for pleasure. and it
Doesn't matter. l shall stop where you |
top. draw money, and then l will not
myself by having to
END you b amount Of your loan"
you wish, sir" Then to the con-
ticket to Edinburgh, please"
Ind my fare was paid.
|. proposed to keep in touch with the
ravelers till could learn more about
lady, who gave no evidence what
yer OF seeing anything Ia the incident
o point to q former incident. ex-
hanged cards with her father with
hanEA
On the evening Of my arrival at Ed
nburgh | called on my b~enefactor to
eturn my loan. He had gone out, but
10 daughter responded to my card.
Is she entered the room saw her
4 quick glance at the pin I wore in
ny scarf. then look away in evident
ear that | had noticed her interest In
|. The pin was the one l had found
. my own coat pocket after the chart
= entertainment at the theater. A
udden revelation flashed through my
rain. 1t had been put in my overcoat
Ocket by the lady who sat next to me
> the theater. who was her confeder-
te.
Il am fortunate" I said. "in the op-
ortunity to thank you for a delightful /
vening several years g At q theater
for the beautiful souvenir you
ave me Of the occasion"