The three flew up the steps, but soon returned with long faces and
tearful eyes.

"We have not found it, Mr. Swan," they said.

"But if it is only a trifle, why need you care?" asked the landlord,
laughing heartily. "But," he added, "there are sometimes important
things left by travelers, for this morning our chambermaid found in one
of the rooms this handkerchief in which is tied three small
pocketbooks," and he held it up out of reach of the boys.

"It is ours," cried the boys gleefully. "Give it to us, please," and
they reached for it.

"Hands off!" laughed the landlord. "How am I to know that the purses are
yours, when you said you had left a trifle? So it cannot be your money;
for money is no trifle to a traveler. In truth nothing is more useful to
him. It will supply him with a bed, comfortable room, good meals, and
with it he can pay something for having his dusty shoes cleaned after a
day's walk. Now do you think money is a trifle when with it you can have
bed, meals, and service such as brushing dusty shoes? All these things
can be had for a piece of paper, or a coin that you can hide under your
tongue. Then is money really a trifle? Even if there is not much money
in these little purses, yet what would you do if they were not returned
to you?"

"Oh, please forgive us that we have been so foolish," pleaded Fritz.
"The purses are ours and we came back to get them, and we can tell you
of every penny that is in each of them. I have a--"