Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-06
ADVENTURES IN BEGGING

Everything considered. I think this world is inhabited by very decent lot of people, remarked the feminine ad- yenturer.
 sHow so?" queried her cynical friend Has the thief returned those silk stockings that were stolen from your line last week?"
 "No-o. Not yet. But, just the same, I've had an experience that's l1Tted my stock of faith in human nature.
 "Proceed,' murmured the cynic. I suppose the butcher admitted that he's been robbing you all these years when he weighed his thumb along with your meat. Or perhaps it's merely that your landlords reduced the rent be- cause the building is older than tt was last year. I'm all attenteioni"
 This experience had to do solely with women" the feminine adventurer resumed placidly.
 Tt was like this: Tie other. day I had letter from my aunt in the country asking whether I could get her a copy of the Daily Whisper for the 18th; hers had gone astray some how, and it contained the last install- ment of The Pitfalls or Pearlina," which she had been pursuing patient ly for some three months. We'll, I tried at several news stands to sget it, but they had all returned their unsold papers for that week. Of course l knew that I could secure n copy by going to the Whisper office, but it wasn't convenient for me to go down town that day, and I hated to put off getting the paper because I'm well enough acquainted with Aunt Sarah to know that she'd be fairly holding her breath until she found out what happened to Pearlina.
 Well, I was starting home again after my fruitless tour of the news stands when I had bright idea There are probably lots of people right in this neighborhood who have that paper and haven't a speck of use for it, I said to myself, I'm going to ask at every home on this side of the street until I get iL.'
 "But you didn't::" gasped her friend Begging from perfect strangers,"
 "But did" affirmed the lady adven- turer serenely. q began at the very first house on the block It was a nice house; so were all the others on sthe block-not millionaires' places, you know. but pleasant, honey houses that belonged to the families who lived in them. I rang the bell and a young woman in a pretty house dress came to the door. Do you take the Daily Whisper? I asked, and then saw that I hadn't begun right, be- cause the young woman's face said as plainly as words, Another solcitor.'
 "'But Pm not a solicltor,' I said quickly. I'm merely trying to get a copy of the Whisper for the 9th be- cause it has the last installment of a story in it, and l can't find 1t at the news stands at this late date
 Her expression changed.
 ""The Pitfalls of Pearlina! she said. T was reading 1t, too--and wasn't it fine? But I don't take the Whisper; mother subscribes to it and read hers. Mothers out of town, though, so don't know how to help you. Pm sorry We'll, she was just as human and sweet as any friend I have, even if she was perfect stranger. We chatted> awhile and she asked me in. but said I must be on my quest and she laughed and wished me luck.
 There was @ nice, motherly woman at the next house, and she took the Whisper, but after she'd hunted she found that she didn't have the copy wanted; and at the next place were two maiden Ia dies who were dreadful sorry, but tkey took only the Bee. l was almost at the end of the block before I found my newspaper. It be- longed to the sweetest old grandma 1 lady, who insisted on my coming in and having a glass of homemade grape juice while she hunted for the last installment Of The Pitfalls of Pear1ina.' She found it at last on one of he pantry shelves and in the mean time we had quite a visit. She asked me to come and see her when could stay longer, and ' gave her my ad- dress, and when Aunt Sarah is in town next time I'm going to have them meet.
 Tt was past dinner time when l