The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-11-14
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
THE WRONG CLEW.

tanning to their profession. Several
had told yarns, each more remark
able than the last, when a little wdd-
ened chap who had been listening re-
speotfully to the others spoke up.
81 would like" he said, ito make a
collection OF small incidents that have
led to great results. You fellows have
been telling how a handkerchief o.
button or something like hat had led
TO The recovery OF hundreds OF thou
sands, but that's only in one line. Ev-
cry time we meet a new person some
marked event IS liable to some of it.
Tae the beginnings of love affairs,
for instance. How many trifing Incl
dents have brought two people OF op-
posite sexes together, resulting in
generation after generation of proge-
ny.
Let me give you an instance. DO
you remember the 'bobtaiP street cars,
in which the passenger entered
through rear door, staggered up to
the front and dropped a nickel between
inclined plains of window glass? Then
the driver pulled something that let
the coin down into a box. Well u was
riding in one of those cars once when
every seat was taken. A mighty pref
" girl got in and managed to get I'D
near the fare box, where / was sit
ting. l was young then and, if 1 say
II myself, not such a miserable look
ing specimen OF a man as / am now.
and | dressed pretty well then, too.
SO 1 got UP and offered the young
lady my seat She took it very sEnil-
lngly, and, getting out her pocketbook,
put her dainty thumb and finger in to
get out her fare. 1t was late in the
day, and there was no artificial light
In the car, SO she couldn't see very
well and picked out several coins be
fore she selected one.
Il was leaning up against the cash
box, and TO save her the necessity of
rising l took the coin from her lovely
myers. L could tell by feeling ftthat
IL was q nickel, so without looking at
dropped It in the hopper. 1t
wasn't second before the driver gave
a pull, and down it went into the box.
suddenly the young lady started.
Sne EVIDENTLY remembered something.
rang out her portemonnaie agaIn, she
fingered over the coins in it for a rev
moments; then, looking up at me with
terrified expression, exclaimed.
Goodness gracious!'
whats the matter?' l asked.
You put five dollar gold piece
in that box
You don't mean it'd u was a good
deal disturbed at the responsibility I
was under.
She got out handkerchief and he
gan to wipe away tears.
opened the sliding front door and.
caring TO the driver, told him what
mad happened, asking him if there was
any way by which he could get the
gold piece out of the box. He said
there wasn't and showed me a brass
paddock at the opening. Bur he said
unSt II the lady would go to the end
OF the route, about hree miles farher
on the faregatherer would open the
box' and II there was a five dollar gold
piece In 1t he would return it
Il told the girl what he mad said
and she began TO cry the harder. saw
ing that she was intending to meet
her mother at railway station a few
blocks further on and they were GONG
On train that would leave in tTentY
minutes to a distant city. where her
father was very sic and not exnected
to live. F0'eN1
We'll, was in for 1t. / took "a az
out OF my vest pocket and banded ~
10 her, telling her that I was po.nS -
the end Of the route and would collect
VIVA. "ula' vas due. She gave me the pref
eioe' nttIe smile through her tears YOU
TVer saw On pair of vermilion lips.
= "olo the driver what / had done. and
ne promised 10 see that was repaid
AIOn the gold piece in the box. l fels
very proud OF myself. Time and again
me oear little creature looked up at
nle and every time with a grateful
SuHae' When we reached the railway
soau0n and she got out, peering
through the window, I saw her throw
kiss to me-"
Out out the rest OF it," said one
OF the listeners. you met the qirI
a1Verward at a ball or somewhere and
married her" ---'
II you think you know more ahout
chan do you can tell the rest of
II Yourself" snapped the narrator.
go ON" said the others.
WeIl' when l got to the end of the
route told my story, the driver hack
Cd me- up, and the collector agreed
that II there was a five dollar o,old
piece In the box 1 should have it."
me STORY teller paused.
Well did you get it?"
~ NO; there wasn't any gold piece In
How about the grip
The girl 1 never saw again for two!
ears; then was called In to arrest
her for shoplift.ng."
1here was universal groan. and
the story teller was abused for start-
ing In to tell one kind of a yarn and
telling another. anu
Where does the love story, the
WE, the children and generations vet
uoorn come IMP" was asked.
Saes the saieslady that caught tho
shopAfter. She was a good iool,;nc
young woman. aid 1 took fancy to
nei, courted her and married her. The
Story comes out all right, only Won
ie.tows got on to the wrong clew';
A horse on us!" they all admitted
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