The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-10-20
A Matter Of Judgment.

clation1
whats judgment" said one Of q
party OF men sitting IA club cafe dis
cussIng the business of Il certain prOn,-
inent speculator. "bpi good lucky one
may deliberate pfofaapdly. btfkesal dIf-
ferent courses bosslble in 4frtain
case. adopt thht wlitsh common sense
would indcate andtyet 30 WONG
Judgment is like logic. Whldh grinds
out conclusions according 80 the pre-
Misses put ID lts hopper. Judgment
tells rs the best way Of action. hut
doesn't guaranteed. Il 10 be the success
ful way | once bad ~ illustration Of
this to my cOef.
Before golag down from the dress
ing room of Mr. Jack Wiiiiams' musical
4 stepped into the bathroom To rinse
nay hands There on the marhle wash
stand was large Old fashioned seal
ring
1.-TWO courses suggested themselves
ito me-one to take the ring downstairs
and give 4 to- the host. telling him
where / had found It. But It occurred
ito me that II the person who had lost
1T should return FOR It and catch me IN
the act of picking It up he might ac-
cuse me OF stealing It. I'm practical
chap and don't believe IN doing people
unqsked favors. Such kindnesses are
liable 20 verify .Esop's fable OF the
man who warmed a frozen serpent IN
his bosom and was bitten for his pains.
The other plan was to let the ring lie
where It was. m act that ! grant was
not as kindly as the other. but safer.
what do you think, gentlemen
II think" said one. that yOu ran no
/ especial risk In either case. but any
h possible distressing consequences 10
you would surely be averted by letting
the ring alone"
h The others agreed TO this.
VERY well" the frst speaker pro-
|. ceeded. 81 followed this course. left
\ the bathroom and the ring in it aud
went downstairs. There were no guests
in the dressing room at the time-in-
/ deed. there was no one. so FAR as
/ knew. on the second door. ] was late.
and the guests had arrived at the
foot OF the staircase met gentleman
named Stewart going up. I1e was evil
IDENTITY N . hurry. and It occurred 10
me thar Il was he who had left ;hc
ring on the waehstan6 ana that ne was
going up 10 get IT, lie looked at me
with an expression shat inllcatoI these
/ words. He has Just come from the
dressing room and possibly the oath
room, where | left my ring But We
are so prone 10 attribute to others what
is in our own minds that ! haNished
the thought
1T wss two or three lays after tx
incident | have related that ] received
call from Jack Williams. lie hem
med aud awe,' and beat aboet thC
bush for n time. then tolG me that a
his party Mr. StewRrt hGd- left il
4 the bathroom a ring that had beer
handed down to him through severa
d generations an1 which he would no
4 lave parted with for small fortune
He had missed the ring within n Few
minutes after lie had left IT, hayinl
II taken It Off his finger to wash aii
"A hands. and hurried back 10 get H. VII
Il Hams didut mention Stewarts havinl
met me at the foot Of the stairs. but
was sure Stewart had mentioned TIA
fact to him He said something NOR
Xappalling viz, that Stewart hurris,
hack 10 the bathroom aud the RIM
! was gone. aud maid 10 the ladies
dressing room told him that had jus
left the bathroom aud there had bee
90 guest on that SOor vt the time "a
cept me.
Here was a pretty how De do. Jac
smoofhed the matter over as softly II
possible, saying that he thought unde
the circumstances he should tell IN
what had happened, but Of course n
one would think for u moment OF su'
pecting me, and all that but kneN
well enough that / stood accused o
stealing the ring. told Jack that
had seen the ring aud left Il where
lay. He didn't say anything. but
knew by the way he looked that i
thought that instead OF having show
good judgment in leaving the rim
n where it was had acted either Ike
fool or q knave. You see. it's so niue
: easier to detect good and bad judgmeI
after than before the fact
Jack really believed that was il
nocent. and called on Mr.. Stewar
thinking that might convince him
well. He treated me with extraord
nary politeness-indeed. he WAS so p
lite that / knew he considered n
guilty. And there the matter rested
soon began to notice that my social a
quaintances we're looking at me as the
passed me with a peculiar stare.
few cut me. Others treated me with
studied reserve All this, gentlemen,
need not assure you. was maddening.
"Finaliy when ! could stand Il J
longer told Jack Williams that mn
put a detective IN his house. lie GO
scented, and one day lady who pu
ported 10 he his cousin arrived FOR
visit. The family and the servan
were the same as az the time OF Il
theft My detective LETT valuable thin
around, but none Of them disappears
There was q coiored man in The heu
who waites9 on the door and the lab