The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-05-09
a
Bill
By HARRY c. ASHMORE


tress Monroe, where | had taken a
spring vacation, | was attracted by
family who were bidding goodby to one
Of their number. young lady. Just
before the boat left gentleman. whom
l took to be the lady's father. bur-
riedly took some bills from his wallet
and showed them into her hands. Then
all except she went ashore and we
left them on the dock waving to her.
here was that about her appear
ance which interested me. and would
have been glad to make her acQuaint-
ance. but there was no one to Introduce
me, and while in the west the scraping
of acquaintance between the sexes Is
not considered improper, eastern girls
do not usually permit 1t. However.
on reaching New York, just before
landing, had an opportunity to do
her a favor. She was trying to find
quarter in her portemonnaie to pay a
porter.
She took out a bill and looked
about helplessly for some one to
change it for her. She held it in her
hand folded so that a figure 5 was
visible. From a roll Of bills / gave
her four zones and the rest in change.
She thanked me very graeiously and
handed me the bill she held. which l
put In my pocket without looking at 1t.
On reaching home and looking over
my cash pulled open bill and was
very much startled to see that 1t was
Of a $500 denomination. Knowing that
l had not in my possession any such
note when l started from Fortress
Monroe at once concluded that some
one had given it to me in change by
mistake.
A little hard thinking brought back
the young lady for whom had chang
ed a S. bill and l concluded she had
given it to me for S.. In endeavoring to
account for how she happened to have
such an amount in her pocket | con-
cluded that her father in the hurry of
her departure had given it to her by
mistake.
Be this as it may, l found myself
with $495 in my possession that didn't
belong to me. Moreover, l had taken
it from a very pretty girl whom l adj
mired immensely. But how was l to
return this balance? She had gone
from me to mingle with millions OF
people, not leaving me any trace by
which to find her. knew that she had
left relatives at Fortress Monroe, but
not their names, what hotel they stop
ped at, or whether they were still
there.
l wrote at once to the proprietor of
the principal hotel at Fortress Monroe.
describing the persons 1 had seen with
the young lady and asked him if he
could give me any information to
guide me in finding them. He replied
that since it was at the height Of the
season and persons were coming and
going all the while he could not pos
sibly know to whom l referred with
out names. l kept watch of the per-
sonals in the principal New York news
papers, but saw no advertisement in
tended for me-
l was puzzled what to do further.
Day after day passed and l saw no
way of returning the money. thought
it was quite journey, and I feared
the persons l wished to find had gone
elsewhere A month passed and
heard nothing from any one connected
with the adventure. My only hope-a
slight one-was that some day I might
meet the young lady and thus be able
to return what belonged to her. So 1
pinned the note in my inside vest
pocket. intending to keep it there that
in case ever crossed her path l might
have it ready. l fancied she lived in
the same place as 1, New York, and
though New York is big city. it was
possible that I might meet her.
A year passed, and the note had been
transferred from one vest to another.
Then an idea struck me. There was a
ghost of chance that the family had
met at Fortress Monroe might go there
again at the same season as before.
went there and looked through the hO-
tells.
Vain hope! The day after ar
rived l strolled into the fort to witness
dress parade. Who should l see seated
on one of the benches on the parade
ground with other young persons but
the young lady was looking for.
took out the note and, approaching
her, handed it to her, saying:
II beg pardon. but I think this be-
longs to you"
She drew back. surprised, almost Of
Tended. / explained further:
"a year ago on arriving at New York
changed what we both believed to be
five dollar bill. It turned out to be a
$500 bill"
Still. she did not understand me. 81
have no remembrance of any such
transaction. I would prefer that you
see my father about it, Colonel c.. COM
handing the post
bowed myself away and went to
Colonel C.'s Office. He listened to my
story with attention-indeed. with in
ond rban 6n;cho1 eo;5 - w..