“Why, here’s a story about a woman who lost a big wad of money yesterday.”
“What’s that?” asked Jack, with sudden interest.
“She and her husband had been saving up and pinching themselves for the last twenty years to save enough money to buy a house where they could spend their old age in security and comfort. They did buy a house, but the city took it on a valuation because it stood in the way of the new bridge, and they received sixty seven hundred dollars. They left this money with the Blank Trust Company, on Wall Street. After looking around some time, they bought another house, and yesterday the woman drew the money from the trust company to pay for it and for the new furniture and other things they wanted; but when she got home she found that she had lost the envelope containing the money somewhere on the street, but just where she has no idea. She’s about crazy over her loss. Gee whiz! If that isn’t hard luck, I don’t know what is,” concluded young Simpson, emphatically.
“Where does she live?” asked Jack, in a tone of great excitement.
“It’s down here somewhere,” answered Frank, looking over the article. “Here it is, No. —— Prescott Street, Bronx.”
“Let me have the paper,” cried Jack, grabbing it eagerly.
He glanced over the article with feverish interest; then he rushed into Mr. Bishop’s office and pointed it out to that gentleman.
“I guess there’s no doubt but this woman is the person who lost the very money that you picked up yesterday. The amount, as well as other particulars, corresponds. Go around to the Blank Trust Company and have them describe the woman and the notes they paid her. The cashier will probably have a memorandum of the banks that issued the large notes, at any rate. If the list corresponds with those in the envelope in the safe, you had better take the package up to the address given in the ‘World,’ and if the woman can describe the money with reasonable accuracy and her description coincides with that furnished by the trust company, you will be pretty safe in restoring to her the sum she lost. I am very glad, for the poor woman’s sake, that you were the one who found her money.”
Jack followed the manager’s suggestions, and the result was that they were both satisfied they had located the rightful owner of the $6,700.
“Start right up there now, Jack, and get back as soon as you can,” said Mr. Bishop. “The cashier will hand you the carfare.”