Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-04-07
QUESTION
OF ETHICS

Papa" began Bobby one evening af-
ter dinner. ''if Teller was to find any
thing, what's he to do?"
His father looked over the top Of
his paper and regarded him absently.
oh, advertise, suppose he said.
THAT is, unless the thing he found
was already advertised as lost. Why?"
ooh, nothing" replied Bobby. 81
was just wondering. I knew Teller
once that found a dog"
WAS it valuable?"
Not so awful. You see, he was lust
a common yeller dog, with an awful
kept him.
(. Maybe some little child cried be-
cause her pet was lost" Bobby's ia
Their said. Did he have collar on?"
II don't know. Then knew mother
teller that found ten. cents, and it was
my ten cents and he wouldn't give it
back. That was Sam, and he says
finders is keepers"
Well, it isn't. If you found any
thing should be very much ashamed
of you if you didn't take it back at
once"
I'VE got place in Billy's cellar to
play ball." said Bobby, hurriedly. 1--WE
want to keep in practice, so we play
catch when it's bad weather. Billy's
swell catcher, all right"
ball.
We'll, this is another one,s said
Bobby. The one l had was fine, but
ittwent down a sewer hole. Billy had
another, but 1t rolled under a wagon
and got smashed. I would a. said It
was Billys fault, but he wanted the
driver to pay for it."
did the driver pay him?"
II should say not" Bobby replied,
scornfully. He belongs to the mean
est grocery in town, anyhow, that
driver. He won't ever let Teller
hitch or have ride, and when Harry
Simmons tossed SNOWFALL at him he
chased Harry two blocks. And they
don't ever put blanket on the horse"
4 think you would have been glad
If some one had brought your ball
back to you"e
ooh, but they couldn't" said Bobby.
ut was gone for good just as soon as
it hit the sewer hole. don't see why
they have those bars so far apart.
Most anything could fall in. Mamie
Kelly knows woman who lost solid
gold watch down one of 'em. Billy
says he bets it was only plated
well is It the watch that has been
found?"
mo, SIR; they couldn't ever get that
without taking up the pipes, could
they? Mamie Kelly says it was lost
whole lot of years ago."
"Oh, thought it was an occurrence
in modern history" said his father.
What has been found, then?"
"Well," Bobby began, nervously, "a
Teller know found knife. It's a
bully knife, with six blades, ahd only
two broke. It's just what anybody'd
want who didn't have one, Ike me. I
don't know why nobody gave me
knife for Christmas
That was serious oversight,
admit" said his father. Go on"
''Well-now-er-ca the Teller
keep it?"
1T belongs to somebody. Do you
know whose it is?"
II think maybe | do"
We'll, then, advise you to tell this
boy when you happen to meet him
that you know whose knife he found,
so that he may take it to the owner"
"Yes-but-" Bobby stammered.
You see, it's SANS knife, and Sam
says finders is keepers. I'd like ito
know why Teller should act different
to Sam than Sam did to me, He
kept my ten cents"
Now, look here, Bobby" said his
| father, seriously. "Of course you
haven't told me who found that knife,
but just suppose it was you, what
would you do?" *
Bobby gave his father a startled
look and then gazed at the spot where
his toe was digging hole in the rug.
Come, Bobby his father reminded
hint am waiting ..,s-s..
Well. said Bobby, slowly, Il guess
| If it was me, I'd give it back" Ssa@
yes, think you would X
Bobby reached for his coat, which
was conveniently at hand.
I'm be back pretty soon," he said,
hastily. Pm just going over to
| Sans" j