The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-03-10

good luck with the pin with the poor
clasp,
| still had four pins left. and. after
my last experience / would not have
been surprised TO have been relieved OF
them at one fell swoop by ;he first
woman I encountered. NV surprise
therefore. was an agreeable one when
in answer to my usual inquiry. the
woman in question disclaimed all own
ership OF the bauble in my hand.
NO, it's not mine" she answered
Then. upon a closer scrutiny My. amt
st grand? and" she added. looking al
me admiringly, 'ain't you honest?''
No. not particularly honest" l re-
turned. anxious to hear her views on
the subject, but l don't want to keep
1t II l can find the owner
We'll. now that's what 7 call down
right honest and you're a foolish child
You'll find some one who'll claim it il
you ask enough people-Sure you will. .
she insisted. noting my look of dis
belief. You just put it in your pocket
and don't say another word about it.. .
She left me then. happy and contented
in her philosophy that nothing's wron &
unless you're found out.
One girl I met who must have had
as much fun out of the whole thing
as I did Perhaps, il she reads this
clOfSs size Will OHit1E itISClt. sNlc
was wearing that day dark red tailor
gown. She was fresh and sweet and
altogether good to look upon. Her en-
phatic refusal OF my pin gIaddened my
heart. She passed on and l lost sight
of her-but 1 have more TO say OF her
hereafter.
lust ahead OF me was an old woman.
we'll beyond the threescore milestone.
and to her I decided to offer my sixth
pin. Surely here dwelt honesty. This
was truly the home of ineorruntible
virtue. I went up to her slowly and
yet with confidence.
Pardon me-" 1 said, and I really
meant 1t this time. Pardon me, but
did you drop this pin?"
The old woman turned on me in a
Hash. nor waited even to see~the char
acter or nature OF what l had in my
hand. The wrinkled face wrinkled still
further. The knottcd fingers trembled
as they literally snatched the so cents
worth of tinsel from me. Yes. OF
course it's mine," she snapped You
know it's mine. You saw me drop it,
well, I have returned it to you,
haven't II" L ventured. What more
could I do?
'Humph. small thanks for such hon
esty as that grumbled the old woman.
as she hobbled away. l stood there in
the sunshine looking after her and won
dering If, after all. l had been mis-
taken and the pin had actually belonged
to her so well had she acted her part
But a hasty inventory OF my stock
assured me that there were but two OF
my original purchases left. rein
quished all claim to the one had just
lost with a cheerful grace. 1t was a
small enough tribute to the cleverness
of the grouchy old woman.
And then I looked around and found
myself face to face with the girl in
red. whom I thought I had lost some
time before. There was a merry
twinkle in her eye and 1 knew my play
was spoiled if she attempted to shadow
me. And that was exactly what she
planned to do. For the next half hour.
go where I would. the girl in red was
sure to follow. l had tried to get rid
of her in some way. Yet I could not
dispute her right to wander up and
down Van Ness avenue in my footsteps
If she so willed.
I must lose her somehow. In an