Lost and Found

1916

Ralph was kicking up the dust along the road on the way home from the little corner store. Then he came upon a bundle lying in the road, where perhaps it had been dropped from a passing automobile. It was a long, knobby, interesting bundle, and he picked it up and ran the rest of the way home.

He gave mother the spool of thread, and then took the bundle out to the barn without saying anything about it. Then when he opened it he found a bow and a dozen arrows. Now for a month Ralph had been wanting a bow and arrows, and hinting to the family that they would be an acceptable gift. So far no one had taken the hint.

Yet here they were, almost as if they had dropped out of the sky. He handled them lovingly. He felt there was nothing else in the world he wanted so badly. He fitted an arrow in, and shot at the old straw hat that hung on the barn door. The arrow pierced the hat. It was a fine bow. He wanted to take it to the orchard and put up a mark to shoot at. But suppose the boy that really owned it should see him!

Then Ralph was ashamed. The bow was not his. He was hiding in the barn because he didn't dare let anybody see it. And the real owner probably was wishing for it very much. Ralph hushed that voice that said, "Finders, keepers."

"Things that you find don't belong to you unless you've tried to find the real owner and can't do it," said Ralph stoutly. And he knew that was right. He went outside. Nearly all the boys of that end of town were at the ball game over in Singer's pasture. Ralph went to one group after another. "I found a package in the road," he said. "Whoever lost it can have it if they describe it so I know it is theirs."

In the third group Jamie Rainess jumped up and ran to Ralph. "Say," he whispered, "was it a bow and arrows? I lost one today."

"Yes," said Ralph; "come over to the barn and I'll give it to you."

"That's the one," said Jamie as soon as he saw it. "My! but I felt awful to lose it. I'm glad to get it back. I just didn't know what to do about it."

But such an astonishing thing happened two days later. When Ralph came home from grandma's there was a shout of "Surprise!" and the house was full of boys and girls who had come for his birthday. And the present from Jamie was the same bow and arrows!

Just suppose Ralph hadn't given it back! — Christian Standard.