The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-11-07
MABEL'S TROUBLE.

One look told the whole story. At
the bank door stood Mabel, the tears
rolling from her brown eyes clear
down to the deep dimple in her chin
and in her hand was the small pock-
etbook-quite empty.
Its too bad" exclaimed grand
pa, where did you lose it,"
Il was just going down to the post
Office" sobbed Mabel, "to wait for
Toggles the way you told me and
held tim most sure | held it
tight in my hand all the time, and
then when l got there the money
was all lost out
Where do you suppose you could
have dropped it,"
Il don't know and again the sobs
came. Il looked all the way back
everywhere l looked and it wasn't
there"
We'll look together" said grand
Hand in hand they walked from
the bank back to the post-office, look
ing carefully on both sides, but not
one single piece Of money was to be
found.
Some one must have picked it
up" was grandpa's explanation. $50
many are going back and forth and
of course they would not know you
had just lost it,
At the post-office they found Tog-
giles waiting
whats the matter?" he demand
ed. did dog chase herr"
mo" answered Mabel, and she
told him the story.
How much did you have?"
He thrust one small hand into his
trousers pocket.
1.-TWO d1mes and a nickel"
Mabel was almost ready to cry
again.
HIM" unused Toggles. Give cents
is all I have"
But that will be enough to buy
the candy" suggested grandpa. Five
cents worth it seems to me is all two
small children ought to eat at one
time. And I'll put in five cents more
to buy the present for mother. That
needn't be expensive; the part that
will please her the most is to know
that her little folks thought about
her."
That was the way they arranged it
and 1t wasn't Of course the same and
Mabel could not quite forget, but in
the buggy on the way home grandpa
told funny stories and Toggles talked
about other things, and when at last
they drove into the yard she was
quite happy little girl again.
Near supper-time grandpa and Tog-
giles had their talk about it. They
were sitting in the hammock watch
ing the clouds gather, for it looked
as II 1t were going to rain.
Wasn't it too bad about Mabel
losing her money!" said Toggles.
Indeed it was" answered grand
pa. II felt very sorry for her"
And wouldn't it have been nice, u
Toggles went on, eff some rich man
had come along just then and said
Never mind, little girl, don't cry any
more; here are two dimes and q
nickel?'"
man to say that" returned grandpa
81 had that much right in my peck.
ct"
Did your cried Toggles. '"Why
Then he stopped for it did not seen
to him that his question would b.
very polite.
why didn't I give it to Mabel?'
Toggles did not answer, but grand
pa went on. "Well, wanted to yer.
much. More, 1 think, than I hav,
wanted to do anything else this sum
mer, but it just didn't seem to M
best"
won't it be unpolite if talk t.
you about it?" asked Toggles.
mo. You may tell me just wha
you think"
We'll, it seems to me that to sto
Mabel's crying and make her all hap
Ply again would have been very goo
thing, and if I had had two dime
and a nickel, would have give
them to her right then"
"Your papa lost some money NO
very long ago." said grandpa.
81 know. He told me about it."
SHOULD I have given him bac
what he lost
Toggles thought for while.
t'I think it would have been to
much" he said at length.
ST couldn't have done it."
"But papa can earn more none