The Hattiesburg news., 1915-11-03
LOST And FOUND
BY ANNE sRoAo4uRsT.

and deep breathing in the cool air are
better cure for the blues than taking
"a good cry" Elinor went out as soon !
as she had finished her dinner and |
walked until the darkness drove her
in. AS she nearcd her boarding house |
she saw at the edge of the curb !
picked up. AS she saw no one near
who could have dropped it, she took |
it to her room.
Fifty dollars! Just what hoped |
| to win in that contest!" Then Elinor
saw that the purse also contained
some cards. "If don't know whose
it is / can't return it; and if don't
look at these cards / won't know,
but
| ITO a man who carries a purse of
this quality and who uses engraved
cards fifty dollars probably means
very little," she unused, but to me it
means winter suit and a months
board.'' Slowly she began to tear
the cards, but as the tough paste
board began to yield to her trembling
fingers she stopped abruptly.
"Horrors!" she gasped. "I said I
must win, and this is losing even my
honor. Oh, / hate you." And she
swept the money from her and looked
at the cards.
"Mr Joseph Stanley Norton" she
read, but the name meant nothing to
her. She looked in the telephone book
and found the following: "J. Stanley
Morton, Broker. 515 City Blk. Bldg"
No residence number being given, she
could not notify him that night
Elinor had no opportunity to tele-
phone during her busy morning, so
she went during her noon hour next
day to deliver the purse to its owner
AS she entered Elinor saw that the
only occupant of the room was tall,
wellbuilt man whose dark head was
bent over typewriter statement
lying on the table before which he
sat. Hearing the door close, he turned
upon her a kindly glance from a pair
of dark gray eyes.
"Are you Mr.. Joseph Stanley Nor
TONI Elinor began.
, "Yes." The deep voice had slight
Il ~ iibih6 LihOStlOh. 4
: "Here is something of yours that ]
I happened to find last night" She
handed him the purse.
"Why what pleasant surprise to
/, find the purse, and how kind of you
to bring it to me-! thank you sin
cerely. Now, won't you sit down and
+ tell me all about it."
Elinor sat down and told him briefly
: where and how sheS found the purse
IL I'm going to confess to you," sale
Morton, that this very day I've beer
thinking that honesty is an unknown
quantity these days, SO, you see, yol
i have restored to me far more thar
!, my lost money; you've restored my
lost faith in humanity" He was lean
ing toward her with the friendlies
a look in his clear eyes, but the sudder
change which swept over Elinor puz
zled him. 's
e Don't, please don't!" she almos
o walled. "If you knew how near
r came to keeping it you'd hate me
Oh, must tell somebody" ant
grasping the arms of her chair as 1
u to support herself, and looking int
her lap, she told him just what sh'
II first thought of doing with his money
e AS she talked her cheeks faded from
q crimson to white. Then she rose t.
leave. Stanley Morton had been sit
I ting with his elbow on the table ant
e his right hand shielding his eyes, bu
y he rose quickly and stood betweel
it her and the door, with his right hant
,e extended and sympathetic smile IL
i. his eyes.
"Please let me say that I under
stand fully, and that l honor you
bravery as much as your honesty
Many of us are passively homes
when it's convenient, but you are ac
lively honest even when it means
hard fight. You've made the worl
ie seem righ. again for me, and ncV
ie won't you promise me that IL I ca
h ever make things easier for you yo
s,l will let me serve your" The man
IN sincerity was unmistakable, an
: up atshim frankly
you've already made things easie
~ by forgiving me, and you've unde
nj stood, and that is what counts mos
you know" 1t was only after she ha
on gone that Stanley Morton realized ths
Of she had not told him her name {
:. given him any clue about her work.
One morning, month later, &
Elinor was at her work in the boo
re store she turned from the shelves wit
IN half dozen books in her arms and
he near-sighted customer, intent upon
M book he held. collided with her. sea
,so tering the books in all directions.
| nanflarnan WIN WAS roachir