Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-11-28
THE WRONG
CLEW
By MARJORIE CLOUCH

their profession. Several had told
last when little wizened chap who
had been listening respectfully to the
others spoke up
81 would Ike he said, 'to make a
collection Of small incidents that have
led to great results. You fellows have
been telling how Il handkerchief or
button or something like that had led
to the recovery Of hundreds Of thou
sands, but that's only in one line. Ev-
cry time we meet Il new person some
marked event liz liable to come OF 1t.
Take the beginnings Of love affairs,
for instance. How many trlning Incl,
dents have brought two people Of oppo.
site sexes together, resulting in gen
GRAFTON after generation Of progeny.
Let me give you an instance. DO
you remember the 'bobtail street cars,
In which the passenger entered through
rear door staggered up to the front
and dropped n nickel between Inclined
planes Of window glass? Then the
driver pulled something that let the
Noil hoWh lIlO u DOA' wen, j WuS
riding In one Of those cars once when
every seat was taken. A mighty pref
ty girl got In and managed to get up
near the fare box, where | was sit
ting. ] was young then and. II I say
II myself, not such II miserable looking
specimen OF n man AS | am now, and |
dressed pretty well then too. so got
up and offered the young lady my seat.
She took 1t very smllingly and. getting
out her pocketbOk, put her dainty
thumb and finger In to get out her
fare. IL was late In the day, and there
was no artificial light In the car, so
she couldn't see very well and picked
over several coins before she selected
one.
81 was leaning up against the cash
box, and to save her the necessity OF
rising took the coin from her lovely
fingers. | could tell by feeling it that
Il was n nickel. so without looking at 1t
l dropped IT In the hopper. 1t wasn't n
second before the driver gave II pull,
and down 1t went into the box.
Suddenly the young lady started She
evidently remembered something. TAX
Ing out her portemonnale again she fin
gered over the coins In It for n few mo-
ments; then, looking up at me with
terrified expression, exclaimed:
Goodness graciousr
"'What's the mattcrT asked
"'You put Ave dollar gold piece in
that box
"'You don't mean it!' l was n good
deal disturbed ut the responsibility
was under.
"She got out handkerchief and be
gan to wipe away tears
Il opened the sliding front door and.
calling to the driver, told him what
had happened. asking him IL there was
any way by which he could get the
gold piece out of the box. He.said there
wasn't and showed me II brass paddock
on the opening. But he said that If the
lady would 20 to the end of the route.
about three miles farther on. the fare
gatherer would open the box. and II
there was five dollar gold piece In II
he would return It..
IL told the girl what he had said. and
she began To cry the harder. saying
that she was intending to meet her
mother ut II railway station n few
blocks farther on and they were going
ON train that would leave In twenty
minutes to distant city, where her
father was very sick and not expected
to live.
We'll | was In for It. | took $t.o5
out of my vest pocket and handed II
to her. telling her that was going to
the end OF the route and would collect
what was due, She gave me the pref
test little smile through her tears you
ever saw on II pair of vcrmilion lips.
l told the driver what had done and
he promised to see that | was repaid
from the gold piece in the box. | felt
very proud of myself. Time and again
the dear little creature looked up Mt
mo and every time with grateful
smile. When we reached the railway
station and she got out peering
through the window. | saw her throw
kiss to me"
"Cut out the rest of It," said one OF
the listeners. You met the girl after
ward ut a ball or somewhere and mar
rled her"
III you think you know more about
II than | do you can tell the rest OF
1t Yourself" snapped the narrator
Go on" said the others.
"Wcll, when | got to the end OF the
route told my story, the driver back
ed me up, and the collector agreed that
II there was II live dollar gold piece
in the box | should have It."
The story teller paused,
We'll did YOU get IT,"
NO; there wasn't any gold piece In
the box"
How about the STRIP"
"rhc girl never saw again for two
years; then | was called in 10 arrest
her for shoplifting"
There was universal groan. and
the story teller was abused for start
ing in to tell one kind Of yarn and
tollinr another