Short Stories From Life — Lost and Found By John Kendrick Bangs
-- I --
The week-end was over, and Begbie had returned to town, restless, and strangely unhappy.
There was within him a curious sense of something lost, and yet, now and then, the intimation of another something that seemed to be gain wholly would flash across the horizon of his reflections like a ray of sunshine attempting to penetrate a possible rift in the clouds.
He unpacked his suit-case listlessly, and compared its contents with the catalogue of his week-end needs which he always kept pasted on the inner side of the cover of his suit-case.
Everything was there, from hair-brush to dinner-coat--and yet that sense of something left behind still oppressed him.
A second time he went over the list and compared it with his possessions, to find that nothing was missing; and then on a sudden there flashed across his mind a full realization of what the lost object was.
"Ah!"
he ejaculated with a deep sigh of relief.
"That's it!
I will write at once to my hostess and ask her to return it."
Action followed the resolution, and, seating himself at his escritoire, Begbie wrote: "The Mossmere, New York.
"August ----, 19--.
"My Dear Mrs. Shelton: "Upon my return from the never-to-be-forgotten series of golden hours at Sea Cliff I find that, after the habit of the departing guest, I have left at least one of my possessions behind me.
It is of value perhaps to nobody but myself, but, poor as it is, I cannot very well do without it.
It is my _heart_.
If by some good chance you have found it, and it is of no use to you, will you be good enough some time soon, when you have nothing better to do, to return it to me?
Or, if by some good fortune you find it worth retaining, will you please tell me so, that I may know that it is in your custody and is not lying somewhere cold and neglected?
It is the only one I have, and it has never passed out of my keeping before.
"Always devotedly yours, "Harrison Begbie."
-- II --
It was on the morning of the second day after the mailing of this letter that Begbie found a dainty-hued missive lying beside his plate at the breakfast-table.
It was postmarked Sea Cliff, and addressed in the familiar handwriting of his hostess.
Feverishly he tore it open, and found the following: "Sea Cliff, August ----, 19--.
"My Dear Mr. Begbie: "What careless creatures you men are!
I have found ten such articles as you describe in my house during the past ten days, and out of so vast and varied a number I cannot quite decide which one is yours.
Some of them are badly cracked; some of them are battered hopelessly--only one of them is in what I should call an A1, first class, condition.
I am hoping it is yours, but I do not know.
In any event, on receipt of this won't you come down here at once and we can run over them together.
I will meet you with the motor on the arrival of the 12:15 at Wavecrest Station.
"Meanwhile, my dear Mr. Begbie, knowing how essential a part of the human mechanism a heart truly is--_I send you mine_ to take the place of the other.
You may keep it until your own is returned to you.
"Always sincerely, "Mary Shelton."
"P. S.
--Telegraph me if you will be on the 12:15." -- III --
Ten minutes later the following rush-message sped over the wires: "New York, Aug.
----, 19--.
"Mrs. Shelton, Sea Cliff, L. I.
: "Haven't time to wire you of arrival on 12:15. Am rushing to catch the 9:05. "Harrison."
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