The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-05-28
:. :. A Look At The Real Thing :. :.
By Gardner Hunting in Youths Companion

Larry wondered what the feelings
OF the loser of the pocketbook would
be when he should get that letter.
He would certainly be very glad; he
ought to be very grateful. That
thought led Larry to wonder what
relation reward usually bore to
the value of the article restored.
He figured on his blotter just how
much ten per cent. OF forty two hun
dred and eight dollars would be,
then five per cent, then seven per
cent. The amounts looked very
small. 1t seemed to him that if he
had lost four thousand dollars. he
would be willing to give-well. say
quarter of it, for it's return. No.
thousand dollars would be too
much-really, it would be; say five
hundred. He covered the whole
corner of his blotter with figures.
He went into the hall. and slipped
his letter into the mail chute. He
kept the wallet in his pocket and a
guarding arm against it. When
closing time came at five o'clock, he
was slow TO decide what he had best
do. He had thought of leaving the
money in the safe at the Office, but
that would mean explaining the
matter to the bookkeeper, and he
did not want to tell anyone. He
was afraid that in some way he
might lose control of the situation.
And he was little afraid that the
bookkeeper might ask him why he
had not turned his find over to the
post-office people, or notified the
police; or why he had not looked up
the name of the supposed owner in
the telephone book, and got into
immediate communication with him.
Larry would resent those questions.
he knew. Why? Well, because this
was his own business, and he would
handle it in his own way.
So he started home. He was
thinking over all the excellent rea-
sons that justified him in his course,
and he was hurrying, quite as if
there were need for haste, which
there was not. He saw car leav-
ing the corner. Instantly he ran
for it. The car started fast, and he
he had to run hard in order to catch
it.
AS he jumped upon the platform,
he jostled a man, and paused to
apologize. Then he paid his fare.
went into the car, and sat down.
After he reached his seat, he felt
for the pocketbook. 1t was gone!
1t was impossible! How could he
have lost it? How could such sum
of money be lost and found and lost
again in such a short time? OF
course it was impossible. Never
theless it occurred.
He must have lost it as he ran for
the car. He had doubtless bounced
it from his pocket with some vigorous
fling of his elbow. 1t had fallen into
the street-that great sum of money!
Larry jumped off the car and,
running back, looked vainly for the
pocketbook.
At six o'clock he was still search
ing; he inquired of policemen. news
boys, shopkeepers. anyone who might
know something about it. And he
found nothing. He felt like a thief
now. He was sure that the money
was hopelessly lost. The chance of
its falling into honest hands and be-
ing returned to the owner again was
small. If an honest person had
found it, some news of it would have
been forthcoming before now; he
WINGED at the thought. No, the
thing was gone. And, as for him.
self, his letter announcing his
knowledge of the whereabouts of
the pocketbook was now on its way
to the owner perhaps already in
his hands.
Not only did he feel that he was
guilty, but he foresaw what the
owner would conclude, when all the
inevitable disclosures had been made.
The question why he had done just
as he had done would need an
answer. Why had he kept the
money longer than was necessary?
In shame he acknowledged that
he had thought to benefit more by
that method than by direct, prompt
action. He had hoped to get part
of the money for himself. He had
wished for all he could get. and he
had meant to get all he could-out
of another mans misfortune! If he
had not planned for his own profit,
the money would doubtless have
been in the rightful owners posses