"Found, A Purse.--Owner may have it by giving description and paying
the cost of this advertisement.--Apply to 25, Bangley Gardens, S.W."
"It's too vague," objected the constable.
"I purposely made it as vague as I could, thinking that if I left all
the details to be filled in I should render it certain that it could
only be claimed by the actual owner, and, to make sure it should be
claimed by him, I had it inserted in all the morning papers."
The constable smiled the smile of superiority.
"If you had let me know what you had done I'd have sent my men down in
time to protect you. A vague advertisement like that appearing in all
the papers is bound to attract the attention of half the riffraff of
London, who are always ready for a little game of trying it on, not to
speak of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, who are losing their purses
every day."
"I have discovered that fact--a day after the affair."
"You ought to have taken it at once to a police-station. Everyone
ought to take the things they find. It would save them a lot of
bother."
"That, also, I perceive too late. I was under a different impression
at first. I know better now. Perhaps you will allow me to repair my
error and confide it to your keeping at this, the eleventh hour. Then
I shall have pleasure in referring all further applicants to you."
As he placed the purse in the inside pocket of his tunic the sergeant
grinned.
"Don't think you'll get rid of them by giving it to me now, because
you won't. Look at the street. There's a pretty sight for you."
It was a pretty sight--of a kind. The usually deserted Bangley Gardens
was filled with a clamorous crowd. It distinctly comprised all sorts
and conditions of men--and women. Two or three policemen, standing at
the foot of my steps, were doing their best to keep the people back.
It seemed incredible that all this bother could be about a purse. If
ever I found another I would know the reason why.
"I shall have to leave some of my men to keep the people circulating,
and to save you from annoyance. I shouldn't be surprised if you have
them worrying you for several days to come. If you take my advice
you'll put an advertisement in to-morrow's papers, to say that you
have handed the purse to us."
I did put an advertisement in the next day's papers, though it was not
couched in the terms which he suggested. For the joke was that
scarcely had the sergeant turned his back when I took up, half
absent-mindedly, a telegram from the heap which was constantly
arriving, and found it contained this message--a tolerably voluminous
one:
"To 25, Bangley Gardens.
"Referring to advertisement of purse found in to-day's _Times_, Lady
Hester Hammersmith, of Hammersmith House, Grosvenor Square, on
Thursday afternoon, between three and four, dropped, probably outside
Cane and Wilson's, green silk network purse, secured by two gold
rings--emerald in one, sapphire in the other. At one end of the purse
were four ten and one five-pound notes; at the other, about nine
pounds in gold and silver. As Lady Hester Hammersmith values the purse
apart from its intrinsic value, and is greatly troubled at its loss,
if this is the purse found, please wire at once. Reply paid."