Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-18
The Letter Joe
Lost

LOS I
Joe paused by the clump Of lilac
bushes and felt in his pocket for the
letter which he had taken from the
postoffice. 1t was not there!
He dropped his handful of barberry
sticks and a bunch of yellow cowslips
beside the stone WALL. and hurriedly
searched through all of his pockets.
Then he started back toward the
postofflce.
Hello, Ed" he cried, almost run.
ming into his chum. Haven't found a
letter, have your"
mo. Where'd you lose IT."
If knew 1t wouldn't be lost, would
it?" asked Joe, scornfully. Come on
back with me. Ed and help ind it."
Grandpa would say you might as
well look for . needle In q haystack."
laughed Ed why, Joe, we went down
In Bardis meadow to pick cowslips,
across the brook and climbed Laurel
hill to get barberry 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, "and prob
ably the wind has blown it away. But
I'm going to look, anyway. don't
see how it ever got out OF my pocket"
The two boys fastened back to the
corner where the country postofice &C.
cupied one corner Of Beaman's groc-
cry store. They asked all the children
whom they met II they had found
letter. Then they visited the meadow,
Laurel Hill. and the pond. It was get
ting late, and Joe had not yet been
home from school.
I'VE may as well give it up, Ed" de-
cided Joe at last. II will go through
Harry Marbles back yard, and II it
isn't there I'll have to tell mother that
I've lost it. I noticed that It was
from Avon. Aunt Annie often writes
to mother, so guess it wasn't very i'm.
portant."
"Well, you are foolish!" cried Ed.
Tell your mother and see what lee
ture you'll get! I'd say nothing about
it. Least said soonest mended, grand
pa says .4
Perhaps you are right" replied Joe
doubtfully. Telling mother won't
help matters any. It is lost and that's
all there is about it,
Supper was waiting when Joe reach
ed home.
Where have you been, Joe?" asked
his mother. II was getting worried"
Been cutting some stick for arrows,
stopped to see Harry's puppies, and
picked these flowers for you," explain
ed Joe.
"The flowers are bright and spring.
like, but remember that you must not
loiter so long on your way from school,
said mother, firmly.
Thoughts of the lost letter haunted
Joe. Conscience kept Whispering,
you ought to tell! You ought to-
tell"
Il hate the word ought" said Joe
to himself. He ate very little supper.
Are you sick, Joe?' asked his moth
er, anxiously.
well, 1 don't feel real good" adj
mitted Joe.
"You have been playing around the
ponds and damp places. II you are
not careful, you will get sick"
After supper, Billy Thurston ran
over and invited him to ride to Brock
ton in his uncles' automobile. But
mother said No very decidedly and
a sober-faced Joe went very slowly up
stairs to bed.
Two weeks later, Joe's mother was
mending his school coat. Something
made a cracking noise inside the lin
ing as she was sewing up hole In the
pocket.
Reaching in, she pulled out the let
ter for which Joe had searched.
Come here, Joe, she called, after
she had read the letter. Did you take
this from the postoffice?"
"Yes'm. Who found it? thought
it was lost and it wouldn't do any
good to tell you,' stammered Joe,
locking red and confused.
Il found it," replied his mother.
"You slipped it into hole in the lin.
ing instead of into your pocket. You
should have told me about it,
But you wouldn't have found it any
sooner, mother, argued Joe.
Il might have thought to look In the
lining. Your father lost the latch-key
that way once. After he got ladder
and climbed into one of the windows,
he found the key safely hidden In his
coat lining. But if you had told ne
that you had lost a letter from Aunt
Annie should have written to her 1T
once. l am sorry, Joe, but keeping
a secret from mother has cost you q
weeks pleasure Auntie's letter was
an invitation for you to spend your v"-
cation week in Avon Cousin Richt y
had a birthday party on the fifteenth.
It was not wrong to lose the letter, Tor
accidents will happen, but you did
wrong in not telling mother at once
Joe looked ready to cry. 1t was
keen disappointment.
Uncle Frank has new automobile,
and Richards party was sure to be
dandy. School begins Monday and It's
all over" he said, slowly. I'm sorry
I did not tell you all about 1t, mother.
I might have known you would plan
some way to make it all right"
That night joe told the rest OF the
lost letter story 10 his chum.
Just think of all the fun l lost by
being afraid to tell my mother! Say
Ed" he concluded, Give made up my
mind that it doesn't pay for fellow
to keep any secret from his mother"
How Lena Spent the Fourth
of July