Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-17

tunes, NOTWITHSTANDING the lmpaJlenCe
to get rid of her, she fingered to say:
But | have letter from my min
ister."
you might as well have one from
a pumpkin field
But l don't bleach my hair nor
paint nor powder
But you'll soon get the hang of it."
At one or two other place they sat
her down at typewritertto test her
work. After five minutes she was
courteously bowed out.
1t took Miss Kitty Clarkson less
than two weeks to learn that what
the doctor, the old maid, Mrs. John
son and she herself knew about the
big city could be held in very small
thimble. She walked about the streets
for days and days. She called at Of
fees and stores and factories. The
only place offered to her after she haA
been turned away hundred times
was a situation in box factory at 81
per week She took, it but in an
other month would have been penni-
less but for a streak of luck. One ev-
.ening in coming from the factory she
found forty dollars in the gutter Yes,
there were four ten dollars, bills, and
they were wet and stained.
Miss Kitty did not advertise for an
owner. One in thousand might
have done so, but she was not that
one. At the noon hour next day she
placed the money in bank Two
weeks later she had to draw out SIS of
it to make even, and it was at the
paying tellers window she first caught
sight of Brian Van Vert. He was a
young man, and he was so courteous
and kind as to draw her particular at
tention. She had never drawn a check
in her life, and had to be shown how
1t was an uphill fight with the girl,
but she hung on in hope of a better
thing. She had not been able to
send home a dollar yet, nor to earn
her own way, but the landlady had en-
couraged her.
After bit Miss Kitty had to draw
out more money. More talk with the
paying teller. At the end of three
weeks the girl made up her mind to
accept defeat and return home. While
at work for the $4 per week she had
advertised and sought in other ways
to better herself, but without avail.
1t seemed as if there was conspiracy
against her. Yes, she would withdraw
her balance and go back to mother
and say she had failed.
A bank makes no mistakes-that
is the mistakes are not made public
The receiving teller of the bank
wherein Miss Kitty deposited her $40
entered it on slip for the bookkeeper
as $780, The girl was given pass
book with that sum entered upon it.
She wondered over the odd cipher, but
was too timid to ask questions At
the close of the days business the
bank was short $3.50, but it was not
traced to the Clarkson pass book, nor
accounted for otherwise, and the re-
ceiving teller had to stand the loss.
When Miss Kitty had made up her
mind to go home she knew that she
had $40 in the bank In writing out
her check she made it for 5000. She
she thought of it in the book. She
received the. money and rolled it up
and put it In her bag and exchanged a
few pleasant words with the teller
and passed out. She never expected
to see him again. The money was not
counted until she reached her board
ing house. For few minutes she was
dumfounded She had 5000 instead Of
$40. How could the teller have made
such a mistake, for mistake it surely
was?
If the girl was not technically hon
est in the other instance she meant to
be in this. She had her hat on to re-
turn to the bank when she saw that 1t
was after the closing hour and she
must wait She was one of the first to
enter the institution next morning,
however, and as soon as she had stat
ed her errand she was escorted to the
presidents room. There the mystery
was solved and the overplus money re-
stored.
The president was kindly man,
and he drew Miss Kitty's hard luck
story from her, and said at it's con-
clusion:
Il could get you place, but you
can only about meet expenses, no
matter what place you get. It's hard
work, and poor pay and about half
enough to eat for most of them.
am going to give you this $40 and
tell you to go back to your village"
and what?" she asked
"Wait, my dear
what for?"
"For the man that will come
"But-but--"
But she went and waited, and with.
in a year he came. 1t was the paying
teller. If the bank made mistake, ne