Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-26

and sister lived at Tarrytown and he
spent much of his time with them. He
would drop OF at Irvington and return
the purse. He had been taken by the
girls face and wanted another and a
nearer view OF it. In his dreamy way
he thought Of things that might hap
pen.
When Miss Jessie Aldrich reached
home, which she did because she had
the luck to have return ticket IN
her glove. she told her father Of her
loss. The retired Major Aldrich at
once began to storm and roar. Such
criminal carelessness he had never
heard OF before. No; it was worse
than carelessness. She had probably
fallen asleep In her chair and given
some passenger chance to pick her
pocket. While only $12 had been lost.
suppose 1t had been a hundred
thousand? Surprising she had been
carrying his medals and commission?
Supposing she had had the family
plate with n er.Could she remember
that any Of her fellow passengers
looked suspicious.
Miss Jessie was provoked with her
self and vexed with her father. and
thinking she must urge some excuse
in extenuation, she replied:
"Why, there was gentleman with
dreamy eyes who looked at me good
deal but / can't say"
she was the pickpocket!" shouted
the major.
"But he wasn't near me-"
ooh, but he must have been.
Dreamy eyes, Ell? A thousand to one
he got your purse!'
"But I think he was a poet
"Poet be hanged! He was a rob
Der! He could put on any kind OF look
he wanted to. I'd give a hundred dol
lars to get my hands on him!
Two days later Mr. Lester was Jour-
neying up to Tarrytown. A friend
shared the seat with him and was told
of the purse. In reply he Informed the
artist that Miss Jessie's father was
Major Aldrich. retired, and that he
knew the ex-officer by. sight. They
were talking Of the major when they
reached Irvington. Glancing out of the
window the friend exclaimed:
why here is our old war hero on
the platform!"
Acting on impulse, Mr.. Lester hur-
ried out of the car and approached
the ramrod with the gray mustache.
He thrust the purse into one of his
hands and his card into the other, and
hurriedly exclaimed:
"Your daughters purse dropped
on the floor Of the car-tried to find
her but couldnt-happy to restore
it,"
And then the bell rang and he
swung himself on to the car. He was
a little disappointed at not having
come face to face with the girl. but
rather glad to have the matter off his
hands. The major did not come to
himself until the train was out OF
sight. Then he inspected the card and
purse. Then he started for home and
reached it to say to his daughter:
"Ah, ba. ha. was right. am
always right Your Rallies heard
was on his trail and he drops off the
train to restore the plumber and pla-
cate me. Mumbled out something about
finding your purse on the floor
sBut perhaps he did. know had
it in my Ian just before got up. A
thief wouldn't bring it back and
leave an address card at the same
time
"But he had an object-an object!
He may have hoped to get into the
house and see how the windows were
fastened. Did serve thirty years in
the army not to know the little games
of confidence men and burglars?"
The major went away to saw a.
board in two to repair the hen house.
He changed to an old suit. of clothes
to do it. He changed back when the
work was finished. His wife and
daughter had figured 1t out that the
finder of the purse was a gentleman,
and that the mystery Of the return
would some day be explained, when
the major. who had gone to the post
Office with letter after his work.
came striding home with pale face
and ouivering chin. The two women
looked at him in alarm.
''Insult added to injury!" he
hoarse1y exclaimed.
what is IT."
II was made major after second
Bull Run for bravery on the field.
The regiment presented me with a
gold watch, suitably inscribed"
"We know"
Where IS tnaC Walcn-WHere!
'sHave you lost it?"
"Lost it! Lost it! No! That con-
temptible scoundrel picked 1t OF my
person when he restored the purse.
It's gone. Presented to me for bra
very. and it's gone"
''But-but-"
'tBut I'll catch the scoundrel! I'll
live to do it. I'll live to see him in
state prison for twenty years. There's
your dreamy eyes for you! BY the
bones of Gettysburg"
It was no use to talk with the
major. He was a roaring lion. He
stamped up and down and muttered
and mumbled and swore and he even
threatened to move out OF the United
States and take the oath of allegiance
to Nicaragua.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Lester had re-
preached himself for his haste. The
more he thought Of that profile in the
car the more he regretted. 1t was a
brusuue way of restoring lost proper
ty. Perhaps the major had not clear
ly understood him. 1t would be better
to drop off the train and go to the
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