The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-12
THE LETTER JOE LOST

Joe paused by the clump or lilac
bushes and felt in his pocket for the
letter which he taken from the post
| office. 1t was not there!
He dropped his handful of bar
berry sticks and a bunch of yellow
! cowsiips beside the stone wall. and
hurriedIy searched through all
his pockets. Then he started back
toward the postoffice.
Hello. Ed"' he cried. almost run
ming into his chum. Haven't found
letter. have your
mo. Whered YOU lose it,"
IF I knew 1t wouldn't he lost,
would it?" asked Joe, scornfuliy:
Come on back with me. Ed, and
help find it."
Grandpa would say you might as
we'll look for a needle in a haystack."
laughed Ed. why. Joe. we went
down in Bard's meadow to pick cow
slips. across the brook and climbed
Laurel Hill to get harberry wood
for our bows and arrows, tried to
! catch that turtle down by the pond
and stopped to see Harry's puppies. =
That's So" agreed Joe. "ani
probably the wind has blown 1t away
But I'm going to look, anyway.
don't see how 1t ever got out of my
pocket"
The two boys fastened back TO the
corner. where the little country post
office occupied one corner of Bea-
mans grocery store. They asked all
the children whom they met II they
had found letter. Then they Wis
tied the meadow. laurel Hill and the
pond 1t was gettine late, and Joe
had not vet been home from school,
We may as wall give up. Ed"
declared Joe at last Il will GO
through Harry Marbles back yard
and II Il isn't there, I'll have to tell
mother that I've lost 1t, noticed
/ that II was from Avon. Aunt Annis
often writes to mother so I guess Il
wasn't very important"
We'll. you are foolish" cried Ell
Tell your mother and SEQ what
lecture you'H get I'd saw nothing
about It. Least said soonest mended.
grandpa says
Perhaps You are right" replied
Joe doubtfully. Telling mother
won't help matters any 1t liz lost
and that's all there Is about it"
supper was waiting when Joe
reached home
Where have you been. Joer" ask
ed his mother Il was getting wor-
ried"
Been cutting sticks for arrows
/ stopped 70 see Harry's puppies, and
picked these flowers FOR YOU" ex-
/ planned Joe
The flowers arc bright and spring
! like. but remember that YOU must
/ not loiter so long on your way from
school" said mother, hrmly
/ Thoughts OF the letter haunted
/ Joe. Conscience kept whispering
/ You ought to tell. You ought 10
Il hate the word Ought" said Toe
TO himself He ate very little supper
Are YOU sick. Joe?' asked his
! mother. anxiously
! Well don't feel real good" ad-
mitted Joe
You have been playing around the
I ponds and damp places n you are
/ not careful. YOU will get sick"
After supper Billy ThuSston ran
! over and invited him to ride to
Brockton in his uncle's automobile.
But mother said NO" very .decid-
eddy. and sober faced Toe went
very slowly Up stairs TO bed
Two weeks later. toes mother was
mending his school coat. Something
made a cracking noise inside the lin
ing as she was sewing UP a hole IN
the pocket.
Reaching IN. she pulled out the
letter for which Joe had searched
Come here. Joe she called, after
she had read the letter Did you
take this from the postoffce?"
''Yes'm. Who found it, I thought
it was lost and II wouldn't do any
good 70 tell YOU" atammered Joe.
looking red and confused.
II found It" replied his mother,
You slipped 4 into hole In The
lining instead Of into your pocket.
You should have told me- about 1T
but you wouldn't have found It
any sooner, mother argued Joe.
II might have thought TO look in
the lining Your father lost the latch
key that way once After he got a
ladder and climbed into one Of the
windows, he found the key safely
hidden in hts coat lining Hut If YOU
had told me that Won had lost a let =
ter from Aunt Rcttie. should have
written To her at once. ! am sorry.
Joe, but keeping a secret from mother
mas cost you a weeks pleasure.
| Auntie's letter was an invitation for
YOU TO spend your. vacation week in
Avon. Cousin Richard had a birth
day party on the ffteenth. 1t was
not wrong 10 lose the letter. for ac-
cidents will happen. but YOU did 10
! wrong in not telling mother at once
Toe looked ready 10 cry It was A
! keen disappointment.
Uncle Frank has new automo-
bile and Richards party was sure 10
be dandy. School begins Monday
and it's all over" he said slowly. II m
| sorry ! did not tell you all about
It. mother 7 might have known you
would plan some way to make It
all right"
That night Joe told tho rest of the
lost letter story to his chum.
Just think OF all the fun I lost
by being afraid to tell mother, Saw,
Ed he concluded 1--WE made up my
mind that 1t doesn't pay fellow to
keep any secret from his mother
Nellie NJ. Leonard, in Zion's Herald.
see her thus.