Gilpin observer., 1907-01-17
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s THE PURSE AND /
! THE PRISONER s
By ALFRED HURRY
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her HSure. Two bright blue eyes met
mine for an instant before their own.
er walked on. 1 stood still. l was
in love with that girl, whom ten sec.
onds before l had never seen.
l gazed after her till she was out
of sight. Then / gazed at the sacred
spot on the pavement where she had
stood, and behold, there lay a little
purse. I picked it up reverently and
hastened after her; but she was lost
in the throng of Broadway
l reached Twenty-third street and
turned and retraced my steps, and
presently l saw the girl again. She
was gazing into another shop window.
picked my way delicateIy through the
feminine crowd. My arm brushed hers,
| and the blood rushed from my heart
to my ears. She turned Our eyes
met. And, by all the saints in heaven,
her eyes were brown! 1t was not
she, but some other girl dressed ex-
actly like her.
My. hand fell from my hat and /
gasped an apology. / was wriggling
away, when hand grasped my wrist
and tried to wrest the purse from me.
l turned and beheld a large man in
ill-fitting clothes.
"Ah, would you?" he said Quiet"
He dug his knuckles into the back
of my hand. | restrained a fierce de-
Sire to inflict similar treatment on his
countenance, and said: Let go, you
ass! Can't you see I'm not a pick
pocket? l picked up this purse five
minutes ago, and"
Yes, I've heard all that before, sew
eral times; l don't want to hear it
again. Have you lost your purse,
miss?"
The girl with the brown eyes
searched for her pocket, found it, and
then felt in it.
Yes, l have:" she exclaimed.
l broke into a cold perspiration.
Wrenching my wrist free l held out
the purse. But this is not your
purse"
But it is. Oh, you bad, wicked
man! l felt you take it!'
This settled the matter. 1 was
marched off between two policemen.
The girl and the detective went in
cab.
When brought before the magistrate
she made pretense of being dis
solved in tears, and pathetically be-
| sought the authorities to release me.
But the magistrate-a white-haired,
fatherly old gentleman-soothin ex-
| planned to her how necessary it was
for the protection of honest people
that rogues should be punished. At
|
ting perjury for the sake of a paltry
purse, suffered the oath to be admin
istered and swore the purse was hers.
Silence, prisoner" said the father
| ly magistrate-still fatherly, but in a
different way; you will not mend
matters by blasphemy. A month.
Take him away"
l was taken away to cell.
In this impolite retirement I spent
the seven most hideous days and
nights of my life. But on the eighth
day came release. A warder entered
my cell and with more respect than
had yet received in the prison, told
me that my innocence had been dis
covered and that l had been pardoned
for the offense l had not committed.
My good name and my clothes hav.
ing been restored to me, l was re
Quested-a refreshing change from be
ing ordered-to step into private
room. Here / found three ladies'
majestic matron, the girl with the
brown eyes who had procured me a
weeks living free of expense. and
marvellous to relate, the girl with the
blue eyes, with whom | was still In
love. Both girls were, except fol
their eyes, exactly alike. Twins,
began to see.
The girl with the brown eyes had
tears in them. The girl with the blue
eyes had her handkerchief 10 her face
But this, she has since informed me
was because the humor of the affair
had just struck her. She was hidin,
what might have seemed to me inde
cent mirth. The matron said grave
ly:
"Sir, an awful wrong has been done
to you, for which l question whether
we can make adequate amends.
can, however. express my most deer
and sincere regret. But before | en-
deavor to explain, permit me to intro
duce myself. l am Mrs. Alexander
Featherstone. anu these are my
daughters, Mabel and Alice"
Pardon me. Mrs. Featherstone. "l
said, Il have already had the honor
OF an introduction to Miss Alice
Featherstone. and the result of the
introduction was such that. having
no natural taste for penal servitude
l would rather not pursue the ac
quaintance."
Your anger is just, Mr.. Felix. Blu,
you will at least permit me to explain
On the day on which this awful thing
happened my daughters wore new
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