The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-21
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@ THE DAILY STORY G
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MAJOR ALpRlcH AND HIS WATct


Lawrence Alfred Clay)
When Clyde Lester, the portrait
painter, found Himself siIl.-ias idaTsfir car
on train between New York and
Philadelphia, and a handsome young
airl occupying q chai-sonly a few fee
a9shv. ,,heafe tsats he hal e. mora
rightstu study her prailf. He did II.
fd'a dreamy sort Of "a way and he die
NOT know that she had caught him a
ii. Fcs an hour or more he was think
ing how her face would look on can
vas, and for an hour OF more she was
saying o herself thatsiS was a youns
man who lacked @ntBgy and ambition
aud woul,i be sha2H Of only amone,
the dreamers.
As Jersey City was reached an<
tie passengers dsembarked for the
ferry the young girl became nervous
and hurriel out.
When Leste" reached her chair OF
his way out he saw here silver purse
lying on the floor. He picked ii Iii
aEd hurried out 70 find the loser
among the crowd hurrying 10 the
boats, but the young woman was no
anywhere to be seen He looked for
Ter as his boat headed across tC
Chambers street, but he decided SHE
must have taken the other ferry
When the purse was opened it wa
found to contain few dollars il
%e3;s mo- e ssys, aPas 3a a. fa,e
Grich, Trvington.' This information
Mould saw Mr. Lester the trouble o
advertising for an owner His moth
er and sis-er lived at Tarrytown. anC
he spent much Of his time with them
He would drop off at Irylngton am
return the purse He had been takel
by the girls face and wanted anothe
and nearer view of it. In hi
creamy way he thought of things tha
might happen. Il
When Miss, Jassiet etfAldrieh reached
home, wh.clFshel didsbecaase She hac
The fick @to 'ha8e d 'returnstfcket Tn
her glove, she told he father OF he
loss. The retired Maior Aldrich q
once began TO storm and roar. Sucl
criminal careessness he had never
heard OF before! No, it was worse
than carelessness. She had probabl,
fallen asleep In her chair and givei
some passenger a chance 10 pick he
pocket. While only $12 had been los
suppose ii had been hundred;
thousand? Surprising she had bee
carrying his medals and commission
Srpposing she had the family plat
with her? Could she remember tina
any of her fellow passengers locke
suspicious? 4t, fs gA@su n a.
Miss Jessie was provoked with her
self and vexed with her father, and
thinking she must urge some excus
IN extenuation, she replied. y
why, the e was a gentleman witt
dreamy eyes who hooked at me u
eteat deal, but ] can say-------"
He, was the pickpocket-" shoute'
the major M @N
But he wasn't near mes
Oh, but re must have been. Dreamy
eyes eh? A thousand 10. e. .ones lie, go
your purse!" 'sB y
But think he was poet.
Poet be hanged. He was rob
her He could put on any kind of
look he wanted to. I'd give hun
died dollars TO get my hands on him!
Two days lates Mr.. Lester wa
lourneying up TO Tarrytown A frient
shared the seat with him and was tolC
o, the purse. In reply he informe'
HE artist that Miss Jessies fathe'
vas Major Aldrich, retired and tha
lie knew the ex-oficer by sight The,
were talking of the major when the
reached Irvington. Glancing out o
the window the friend exclaimed:
why here is our old war hero
the platform!
/ Acting on impulse, Mr. Lester hur
( i:ed out of the car ANA approache
the ramrod with the grey mustach
/ He thrust the purse into one of hi
lands and his card into the other, an
and hurliedly exclaimed.
Your daughters purse-dropped o
! the floor of the car-tried 10 find he
bul couldn't happy 10 restore il.
And then the bell rang and h
swung himself on to the car. He wa
a little disappointed at not havin
come face to face with the gil, bu
rather glad 10 have the matter off hi
Nands The major did not come t
! himself until the train was out 0
sight. Then he inspected the care
al purse. Then he started for HON
ana reached It TO say 10 his daugl
4 ter.
"Ah, ha, ha, was right | al
always right. Your Raifles heard
WAS on his trail and he drops off th'
/ 3 ain to restore the plumber and pla
1 cate me- Mnmblede out somethin'
about finding your purse on the floor
I But perhaps he did. know ha
! /; in my lap Just before | got up Z
thief wouldn't bring it back and leave
an address card at the same time"
But he had an obiect-an object
/ He may have hoped 10 get into th
/ house and see how the windows wer
/ fastened Did | serve thirty years ir
+ the Amy not to know the little game'
/ oF confidence men and burglars"
The major went away to saw
board in two 10 repair the henhouse
He changed TO an old suit of clothes
: do IT, He changed back when the
work was finished His wife and
daughter had figu'e ed it out that tn
/ finder OF the purse was gentleman
and that the mystery of the return
would some day be explained, wher
The major. who had gone TO the post
office with letter after his work
came striding home with pale fac
and quivering chin. The two women
looked at him in alarm3