CHAPTER XXV.
ADVERTISES A ARTICKEL WOT WAS FOUND.—WIMMIN'S WAYS.—
CLAMED.—IN DURANSE VILE FOR STEELIN A SHALL.—HAPPY
EXPLERNASHUN AND INTERESTIN TABLOW.
“The lady wot dropped a artickel of warin appairel in the Post Offis, last even-in, can have them by callin on the Devil at this offis and provin property.”
The abuv is a advertisement wot I had put in the Buster this mornin, and all day long I've ben kep busy attendin to the ansurs. The fust lady wot cum in had dropt a plume outer her hat. She giv me a full descripshun of it, wot it cost, and said she knowed it was hers wot I'd found; and then I showed her the artickel and axt her if that was it. She blushed up orful red, and sailed outer the offis like I'd insulted her. Yesterday muster ben a orful bad day for wimmin loosin things in the Post Offis, cos there's bout two hundred ben to the offis. Sum lost there teeth, uthers there bangs, clokes, slippers, overshoes, gloves, skurts, hankercheefs, bussels, and most everything wot a woman could pile on her; and I had to show every one of them the artickel wot was found, and axt them if that was it, and, curius enuf, every one went off mad and indignant. On towards nite I was jest beginnin to wonder wether, in a case like this, onhesty was the best pollysee, or wether it wouldnt of payed better for me to hav tuk em home to ma; wen a madin ladie, of doutful age, come in to the offis, and sed: “Yung man, have they got C. D. marked on the band.” I sed: “Yes, marm.”
“Well, they must be mine, cos my name's Carryline Duncan, & I alwus mark my cloes C. D. for short. I didn't kno I'd lost 'em til I got hum, after I'd ben down to the Post offis sendin a letter to Tom; that's my feller wots ben to China for ten yeres.”
Then I giv em to her, and puttin them under her arm, she walked out as happy as culd be.
I thot I was thru with my trubbel with wimmin's warin apparel for one day, so I started hum. I'd ony got to the corner of Spruce street, wen a grate strappin perliceman cum up to me, and clappin me on the shoulder, sed: “I've got you, sunny, this time; cum along, now, or I'll be after makin you.” I seen discreshun was the better part of valler, so I let him leed me. Wen we got to the stashun he preferred a charge of larceny gainst me. Then they axt me if I had eny bodie wot'd go my bale, so I got 'em to send for Mr. Gilley. Wen he arrove, he cum up to me, the teers streem-in down his cheeks, and sed: “Georgie, I'm sorry to see you in such a posishun, but you'd better pleed gilty, and axe mercy of the cort, cos they've got a sure case agen you. If you'd ony bin sharp enuf to hide the property, it wouldn't ben so bad.” Jest then the lady wot the shawl was stole from, come to identerfy it. Mr. Gilley & me was lookin on. The lady looked orful close, and sed that looked jest like her shawl, wot was all black, ony this one didn't hav no yaller stanes on the corner were she dropt the lemon juce on to hers. Mr. Gilley looked at it close, and purty soon he sed: “Why, Georgie, that's our offis towl.” Then I seen all thru it in a minnit, cos there was the towl wot I'd been carryin home to get washed, and the per-liceman, seein the end stickin out from under my cote, and knowin that a black shawl had been stole, arrested me as the theef. Then they had a big laff, and Mr. Gilley set em up for the crowd. He sed he knowd I was orful honorary, but he never culd b'leeve that I'd steel enything.