Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-25
The Fifty Dollar Bill;
BY WILSON CLAY MlssIMER.

BY WILSON CLAY MlssiMEH.
Copyright. Paget Newspaper Service.
Her trip had been planned hurried
ly and her packing had been done IN
haste and confusion, and when she en-
tered the Pullman and the porter had
found her berth for her, she was oil
An iutter. 1t had been one or those
Ilast-minute trips to New York to do
|oome shopping, decided on because
|her husband had made her a present
of a fifty dollar bill which, with the
money she had already laid aside, was
Ieufflcient for her to make the journey
|now instead Of later as she had in
tended. Tho matter of the money
(which her husband had given her was
merely one Of the odd little surprises
he was generally lavishing upon her,
land she had stuck the bill with q pin
anto q pin-cushion and decided then
and there not to postpone her trip |
any longer and had begun packing |
Immediately.
Settled at last, tho hurry and ox-
,citement of the last hour seemed to
Faade away to q mere nothing, and
lchanged from q bit of annoyance to
% rather pleasant memory. Reminis-
(cently she rehearsed the scenes In
liner mind. She remembered how fut-
tered she had been, how she had or
bdered the maid about to do her bid
ding, how she had literally thrown q
sew clothes into her travelling bag,
thow she had taken a most hurried
hA nN,,ld rn-
member distinctly having at the last
minute snatched up the flfty-dollar
bill from the pin-cushion and thrust
hng n loose into her handbag. And
NOW after all the confusion and ex-
,citement and worry, here she was
.uafe aboard the train, and apparently
lnone the worse for the rush.
There were not many people In tho
car. Two middle-aged gentlemen sat
three or four seats in front of her,
4eatedly discussing some topic which
she could not overhear. Opposite
was a rather young woman, oddly
dressed, whose eyes seemed to wan
der restlessly through the car. Be-
hind, a mother and two small children
were conversing tiresomely, the moth
or endeavoring to answer patiently
@he questions of very talkattve son.
When the train started Mrs. Rock
well purchased a magazine and pass
ed an hour or two in its perusal. Then
becoming thirsty, she started down
Ehe aisle for the water cooler, and 1t
was while drinking a glass of water
chat she remembered having left her
handbag in the seat and she realized
ehat this was a most careless thing to
do as It contained all her money. Hur-
irving back she saw with some relief
chat the bag was still there. and sit.
,ting down, Mrs. Rockwell, obeyinG
uome strange sudden impulse opened
the bag and looked in. The nfty-dol
Gar bill was not there!
She sat up rigid and stiff. gazing
straight ahead of her. She had been
robbed in the marvelously short time!
tShe could scarcely believe her senses
aShe searched the side compartments
of the bag, found her other money
(which she had packed away carefully
Fbut there was no sign OF the ntty
dollar bill. She did not know what tc
do. She glanced about her cautiously
and found the eyes of the oddly-dress
cd woman upon her; when Mrs. ROCK
well looked at her she immediatel!
glanced away.
Mrs. Rockwell was not a woman o
very decided character, and was rath
or easily excited. She lacked the acu
men which enables one to act quickly
and she lost much time sitting rathe
.dazedly gazing ahend Of her. She wa
at q loss what to do. There was moth
ang particularly SUI picious In the al
4itude of those near her, yet the onl
person who could possibly have ha
the time and the chance to look int
her handbag was the woman acros
Ahs aisle. But Mrs. Rockwell did nc
relish the task of accusing her oper
and had Just decided 70 ssl th