One windy day in March Kitty Miller was on her way to school,
when she spied in a store window, a great pile of lovely red
apples.
"Oh", she said, "how lovely! if Mamma could only have one!"
Kittie's mother was very poor. She had been a dress-maker ever
since Mr. Miller died, and had worked so hard to earn a living
for herself and Kitty that she had become sick. She was obliged
to lie in bed all day, and when Kitty was away at school, the
house was very lonesome to the invalid.
When Kitty reached the school that day her thoughts were full of
her sick mother and the lovely apples.
She was usually a good scholar, but to-day she made so many
blunders that the teacher looked at her in surprise. The little
girl could only sit at her desk, with her book before her, and
dream of those red apples. When school was dismissed, Kitty
started slowly homeward. She had gone only a short distance when
she saw a gentleman in front of her drop his purse. Running
quickly forward she picked it up. It felt quite heavy in Kittie's
little hand.
"There must be a good deal of money in it," thought Kitty. "How
I wish I could keep it. Then I could buy Mamma a red apple and so
many other things she needs."
But she knew this would not be right, so she hurried after the
gentleman. Touching him on the arm, she said, "Please, Sir, you
dropped your purse."
"Thank you, dear," said the gentleman taking the purse.
Then noticing how poorly dressed she was, he said, "Why did you
not keep the purse, my child?"
"Because that would be stealing," replied Kitty. "But," she
continued honestly, "before I thought I must give it back to
you, I did wish I could keep it, for then I could buy Mamma a
red apple."
The gentleman smiled kindly and said, "You are a good little
girl to return my purse. I would like to give you a little
present and then you can buy a red apple."
He handed her a silver dollar and then bade her good-by.
Kitty was so surprised that she started hastily for home,
forgetting all about the red apples until she stood in front of
the store.
The store-keeper happened to look out and saw the same little
girl who stood looking so longingly in at his window in the
morning. He quickly picked out the biggest, roundest, reddest
apple he could find and taking it out to Kitty said, "Would you
like this, my dear?"
She took the apple, looking so pleased and thanking him so
prettily, that the good man thought of it for many a day. When
Kitty reached home with her treasures she found her mother
fast asleep. So she put the apple and silver piece on a plate
where her mother could see them when she awoke.
When Mrs. Miller was told the wonderful story, she kissed her
little daughter and said, "You see, dear, it always pays to be
honest and truthful."