The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-02
The Pearl
Scarfpin
1t Proved a Dead
Civeaway.
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

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Jack Herkimer was very pleasant
fellow. He was popular with both men
and women. Flaxen haired. blue eyed,
natured. careless OF everything except
the feelings of others, he drew about
him so many friends that he found 1t
difficult to avoid distressing them from
an inability to accept and return all
the favors they lavished upon him.
One day Jack was sitting in street
CIR when a young lady got in. She
sat for few moments oblivious to the
fact that persons are not expected to
ride in street cars for nothing, then
made Il dive for her portmanteau, sup
posed to be- contained in the bag she
carried. There was a succession Of
dives, each more spasmodic than the
last; then she arose and started to
leave the car without stopping it.
Jack interposed. Pardon me-" he
said, placing himself In front Of her,
lifting his hat and smiling benignly;
If you are without change for your
fare | will pay 1t for you. There is
no need to get Off"
He held in his hand a quantity Of
large change and picked out II nickel
from among the. coins. The young
lady, apparently treasured, refrained
from her attempt to commit suicide for
the want Of cents and sat down.
But she was still too flustered to thank
Jack for the loan. The conductor re-
ceived the fare, passed on, and the
young lady sat trying to regain her
equanimity. Presently thought struck
her all of sudden. 1t was that 1t
behooved her to make some arrange
ment for the payment Of the debt.
She was young woman and had not
the experience adequate to the occa-
sion
"How am l toto get 1t back to
youY she asked Jack.
There's no need to get 1t back to
me at ALL" he replied. with that win
ming smile Of his. But If you insist
upon doing So He hesitated. He
would have liked to add. "I'll call for
it If you'll give me your address," but
it occurred to him that IL the young
lady did not consider this taking an
advantage of her youth there were
doubtless members of her family who
giving his own address, at the same
time begging her not to take the tron.
BILE to return SO small an amount.
BY this time the girl had so far re-
covered her comIa'sure as to say.
"Thank you very Enuch." She would
have liked to return Jacks smile. for
It was catching. but she was only six
teen years old and had been brought
up to give no encouragement to u
stranger.
Jack. who was-feasting his eyes on
her beauty. passed far beyond the
point where he had intended to leave
the car. When the girl arose to alight
she was apparently in doubt whether
or not it would be proper for her to
nod an adieu to the handsome young
fellow who had tefriended her. She
decided In the negative. and Jack, who
was about to go ost before her in or
der to hand her off the step. sat still.
The episode was ended. but left very
pleasant sensation in the young mans
breast
That night when Jack went to sleep
he was paying the girls fare again and
again and assuring her that nickel
was of no consequence and she must
not think of returning it to him.
The next day Jack received an en-
velope addressed In mans hand.
writing containing a bit of paper and
postage stamps to the amount OF
cents. On the paper within In the
same hand as the address was the
word "Thanks" Evidently the girls
father or brother had taken the matter
Off her hands. Jack felt sorry. He
had hoped to receive from the young
lady something that would have given
him the semblance of an excuse to
take another step toward an ocquaint-
ance. This return of his loan by one
other than the creditor herself ended
the natter And i'm q week Jack, who
had bouquets of smiles thrown at him
from pretty girls. forgot all about It.
One day little box. addressed in
feminine band. came for Mr.. Herkimer
by post. Jack was the recipient or
so many favors from young ladies that
he naturally supposed it to be from
some girl with whom he was spoons
He did not recognize the handwriting.
but quite often his favorers who wish
ed to conceal their identity bad adj
dressed him through an amanuensis'
and he thought nothing OF 1t. Opening
the box. he found nesting in cotton
scarfpin set with single pearl.
Jack ran over all the girls to whom
he had recently made love-that is. all
he could remember-with q view to
getting clew as to the sender He
formed an opinion that she was one or
three. but he could not tell which one
He would await Developments. being
well aware that no woman was likely
Il. H..