The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-07-30
Finding a
Treasure
1t Puts a Gentleman Into
Middle
By ARTHUR LANGLEY
wilkins was bored.
BY ARTHUR LANGLEY

wilkins was bored.
Throwing down a newspaper on the
table of the reading room Of his club,
be arose from his chair, stroiled out to
the cigar stand. lit cigarette, smoked
for few minutes, threw away the
stump. walked to the club entrance
and stood with his hands in his pock-
cts, wondering what next he should
do to kill time
"Cab!"
A vehicle was wheeled from the line
Of cabs standing before the club to the
curb opposite him, and he entered 1t,
telling the jehu to drive him to the -
theater. where he intended to buy tick
cts for that evenings performance.
On the seat beside him lay a lady's
hand bag wilkins took it up, looked at
1t, opened 1t and examined the con-
tents with a view to discovering to
whom 1t belonged. He found them as
diversified as those in boys pocket.
but there was only one article that
gave him any hope Of identifying the
owner of the property, a brown paper
parcel five or six inches long. two
inches broad and an inch thick Find
ing no address or other mark on 1t, he
concluded 1t to be shopping purchase
and put 1t back in the bag. But. desir-
ing to exhaust every means Of finding
clew to the ownership, he took it out
again and unrolled it. He found bills
to the amount of $4,000
His ennul left him instantly.
Not that he felt elated at making an
accession to his fortune. for he had no
idea of keeping his find, but that 1t
was evident the money had been left
inadvertently in the carriage by a wo-
man and there would be something for
him to do to trace her and return the
money.
Moreover. there was a daintiness
caused him to fancy the owner was
young. Then. again. middle aged
woman would not likely be so careless
as to leave small fortune in a cab,
and an old one would be no more like
ly to be riding about with so much in
her possession. At any rate. Wilkins
would have it that the lady was
young. and. having gone thus far. he
fancied she must be attractive. She
had doubtless been the last person to
hn nd
driver could tell him about her VIII
kins put the bag and contents under
his coat and when he left the cab
asked the driver for information con-
corning his last fare
wilkins was informed that she was
young lady who had been taken In
before a dry goods store and had been
driven to a bank. She had come out
of the bank and re-entered the car
rage. ordering him to drive to another
be Ill. She had staggered into the
store and disappeared He had wait
ed some time for her. but as she didn't
reappear he gave up waiting for her
and drove away
On thinking the matter over wilkins
did not believe there would be much
hunting involved in the case. The
loss would be advertised. and all he
needed to do was to watch the per-
sonal columns In the newspapers. This
he did for week. but not seeing the
notice he expected be concluded that
either the young lady had taken other
means to recover her loss or had been
Ill or possibly might have died. He
Inquired at police headquarters If any
such loss had been reported. but gain
care to make known his find, for he
knew that if he did there would be
many claimants. and it would be diff
cult to head off some of the more In
genius ones
The matter dragged along till VIII
kins began to be troubled at holding
30 large an amount of some other per
sons money. Then one day he con
dded the matter to his friend Brod
well. Brodwell said that he had seen
an advertisement of a large amount
Of money having been left In a cab
but just when he had seen the notice
he couldn't remember. nor could he
recollect the newspaper In which 1t
had appeared
wilkins made search through the
newspapers issued since he had found
the money. hut they were so volumi
nous that he failed to find what he
looked for This WAS discouraging
he began TO fear that his keeping the
money would get him into trouble
Probably the matter had been put into
the hands of detectives who might be
on bis track He was inclined to turn
the matter over to the police. but fear
ed bis reasons for keeping 1t scorer
would not be accepted At any rate
he might suffer In the opinion of the
public. who would know all about the
affair.
Being an imaginative man, he per
mitted himself to brood over the stu
alton. Instead of a romance he had
caught a tartar. He began to wish
the money was in the bottom of the
sea Indeed. he thought of putting it
there The bills were burden to him
He didn't like TO nut them In the bank.
for the deposit ~ such a sum might
excite n suspicion that would lead to
the fact getting out that he had large
sum In his possession which did not
belong to him. That discovery might
lead to very unpleasant consequences.
He kept the money in his safe deposit
box
But even In so secret a place he did
not feel easy He was haunted by all
sorts of fears. Surprising be should
loose the KEY to her box and were ar
rested for keeping money that did not
beMng to him. In that case he would
not be able to make restitution.
One day OH taking cab at his club
he noticed that his driver was the man
in whose vehicle he had made the find
Wilkins FASTENED to ask him If he
had heard of or seen the young lady
who had gone into store and had not
returned He said that he had. She
had caused inquiries to be made for
him and finally found him. She had
tainted in the store and remained un
conscious for some time. He had been
closely questioned by man in her In
terest and was quite sure he had been
shadowed by detective Asked whom
he had driven next after the young
lady, he could not remember.
wilkins was all in a futter at this
information He realized that he must
take some action in the matter, but
feared anything he might do would re-
dound to his injury. When a man is
ratified he usually goes wrong. vii
| kins asked the cabman to give him