The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-07-23
By A. F. @. COPEL

from the throat of policeman.
Il wish to make you present-of
considerable value" said the voice.
Sinkers was paralyzed with aston
ishment. After moment of staring,
first at his staring wife and then at
the door, he asked "Huh?"
| II said that l wished to make you q
present" repeated the voice. 1t was
! well-rounded, well-kept voice, that
might have come from a well-rounded,
well-kept man. 81 come in all kindli-
ness and good will Of course if you
do not care to open the door I will go
away At the same time, l think [
have something to offer you that you
may be glad to have"
Some fool charity worker" the
girl suggested to Sinkers in stage
whisper. might as well let him in
The man outside laughed, laughed
heartily. mo, I'm not charity
worker, fool or otherwise" he said
I'm merely, as l said, friend. And
I'm absolutely harmless. You might
open the door, anyway, and hear what
l have to say"
| Sinkers was not much moved by
the unknown arguments. eff you've
got anything to say, say it through the
door," he recommended. Get me?"
Thanks for the suggestion; prob
ably | can say it through the door
the door," admitted the man outside.
he was evidently very good and for
bearing man. Il merely wish to say
that l lost that purse you found, that
l saw you pick it up, that followed at
a discreet distance"
Il didn't find any purse; don't you
go getting gay!" interrupted Sinkers
with righteous Indignation
| "And that / made inquiries on the
first floor about you,' continued the
81 learned that you had just returned
from-from a place that may make
it difficult for you to secure imme-
date employment; and therefore !
wish to present you both purse and
contents with my very best wishes.
That is my first present to you"
There was silence for moment, and
then the question, Can you hear what
say?"
81 hear you," said Sinkers. II
didn't find no purse; but gas along
if you like it; l can stand it if you
can"
Il wish also to remove from yor
any faint of not having come by the
money honestly" proceeded the voice.
"Since my card is inside, if you didn't
return the purse you might be open
to the suspicion of having been not
Quite-honest. I wish you to start to-
day with clean slate. That is my
second present to you. Do you under.
stand what mean?"
Sinkers replied, after short,
thoughtful pause: "Say, DO, you got
wise up! You want to get me to split.
l found that purse, then you'll toddle
up with a cop. l didn't find no purse!
Nor it won't do you no good to bring
a cop up here"
81 don't blame you for your sus-
picions," interrupted the man. 81
blame your experience with life, which
has hardened you. l shall report my
loss to no cop, | came, as | said, in all
lfriendliness and good will. In these
time I wish to do all can to promote
lpeace on earth, good will toward men
Now I'm going; l shall only say that
| hope you will have peaceful Sunday
and that the good will and gentle
ness of Christ will soften your heart
toward your neighbors; for your heart
seems to have been hardened, and that
lis worse for you than for others. Good
Ibye."
Sinkers and his wife, without NOV
ling, listened in dead silence to the
sound of the mans feet announcing
his descent of the stairs. After that
sound was gone they continued to stare
at each other.
"a religious mutt" commented the
girl, offering the suggestion subject
to Sinkers' approval.
Sinkers walked over to the table,
sat down opposite his wife, and de-
clared solemnly: "That was white
gink!"
He looked at the money, and it
stirred him to added solemnity:
"That was a dead white, pure snow
white gink, by God" He gathered up
the bills and put them into his pocket;
the danger he had just run of losing
them seemed to have made them, and
1.-The occasion, almost sacred.
The girl was half convinced. Amt
he lust gone for cop?" she asked.
"He was on the square; he won't
come back with no cop" declared
Cinkarc "He was a white glnk. He