Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1906-03-09

forginal.l


tion fear you would never read my
story. ! could give you thousand
guesses and I don't believe they would
be sufficient
am a professional finder.
During shopping hours saunter
about In front of the stores where they
sell the most expensive goods and
watch for people, mostly ladies', to
drop articles, which pick up and for
the return Of which claim a reward.
Not very exalted profession. you
will say, yet Will show how 1t may
result in making people happy, for it is
best that lost articles should fall into
the hands Of one who makes It her busi-
ness to return them. W
One day l saw a young and very
pretty girl get into a carriage, and as
she did so a delicate gold chain she
wore about her neck caught on some
projection. broke and dropped in the
gutter. picked It up Immediately
after the lady had been driven away.
Attached to it was a gold locket. on one
side Of which was an embossed star
with five points, each point studded
with small diamond, large diamond
In the center. On the other side was a
single large ruby. l opened 1t. and on
the inside was photograph vignette of
young man.
left an advertisement describing II
with prominent newspaper, to appear
In the issue of the next morning. The
next evening received a note from its
owner informing me that IL / would
bring 1t to her would be very liberal
ly rewarded. never hurry in such
matters, knowing that the longer miss
ing articles are being restored the more
anxious the owners will be about them.
and the more liberal the reward. In
this case, however, 1 resolved to return
the locket the next day.
The next morning l received another
note, asking me to bring the locket to
an entirely different address from the
first l wrote to each to ask what
would be the reward If the locket was
returned. The lady replied urging me
to call upon her at once. she implored
me not to dispose of the locl1et to any
one else. The writer of the second note
wrote in a mans hand that the article
had very large intrinsic value to him
and intimated that l might name my
own price. ~
resolved to see the lady first and
called at the address, which found to
be handsome residence. found the
young lady whom / had seen drive
away in her carriage. She was entire
ly unable to conceal her anxiety to get
possession of the locket and asked me
what reward would induce me to re-
turn 1t. told her l could the better
make up my mind If she would confide
the reason why she so eagerly desired
1t. She looked very much confused.
but would not tell me. Then told her
that / was in some doubt as to the
ownership, since another had answered
my advertisement. This excited her
beyond measure, the blood mounted to
her cheeks, and she was greatly dis
tressed. She begged me to tell her
something of the other claimant, but
would give her no information and left
without making any promises.
l next called at the Office of the man
who had written me. was shown into
a private room; a man entered and
shut the door behind him. no sooner
looked at him than I recognized the
original of the photograph in the lock-
et | spared with him for delay, and
he finally asked me point blank:
WAS there a photograph In it?'
There was,y replied.
Describe IT," he said eagerly.
purposely described another man.
His face fell at once. have never
seen more keenly depleted disappoint-
ment.
THAT will do" he said and told me
to deliver the locket at the house
where the owner lived.
mo" l replied, II will not do that y
"Then will give you any price for II
in order that may send it there my
self. II cost $500. will give you
$1,000"
''Come to my apartments at O'Clock
tomorrow afternoon" said. ''and yot
shall have my decision"
AS soon as ! reached home l wrot,
the young lady to meet me there, fix
ing her appointment quarter Of al
hour before that of the man. She came
punctually. and It was one of the mos
trying acts of my life to make excuses
to delay her, as I purposed, till the ar
rival Of the man. At o'clock hat
them in separate rooms and few
minutes later ushered both into m.
drawing room. They stood looking a
each other In mute astonlshment Will
opened the locket. holding it befor'
each In turn. AS soon as the maj
caught sight Of his photograph his ex
preston changed from hauteur 10 de
light The blood rushed into the girl
cheeks, and she covered her face witt
her hands.
"Elsie," he said, when we quarrele'
1t wac agreed that you should keep thi
laoHof and xtotv auo,riiu fold mo fho