This is a ture story. When you read it, try to remember it. If you are a woman, it can happen to you.

　　A woman called Mrs. Carter was buying some things in a big shop in London.

　　She bought a dress and coat, and one or two other things. After that, she went to another part of the shop to have something to eat. She sat at a table with another woman and put her handbag on the floor by her chair.Soon, she and the other woman started to talk. Then the other woman got up to go. Her handbag fell on to the floor, and Mrs. Carter took it up and gave it to her. Then the other woman went away.

　　Mrs. Carter finished eating, and put her hand down to get her handbag. It was not there.

　　Poor Mrs. Carter was very troubled. She looked under the table, and on the floor, and under the chair, but the bag was not there.

　　The shop-keeper came to help her.

　　"I am very sorry," he said, "This is a bad thing to happen in my shop. I will let you have some money to get back to your home."

　　"Thank you,"said Mrs. Carter."I don't know what to say Mr.Carter. There was still some money in the bag. I had to do more shopping this afternoon. I still want some more things. Now I can't get them."

　　"Mr. Carter will let you have some more money," said the shopkeeper.

　　"I don't know," said Mrs. Carter. " We are not very rich, and there are a lot of things to pay for in a house."

　　She left the shop and went sadly home. When she got there, she had to go to the people in the next house and ask them to help to get into her house. Her door key was in her handbag, and Mrs, Carter got into the house that way.

　　Later on, Mr. Garter came home. She told him the story and he was very angry.

　　"Why don't you take care of your handbag?" he said. "You must never put it on the floor. The woman at the table took it. She made you look at something else, then she took it. Now all that money is gone. I can't give you any more. I have other things to pay for."

　　"I'll tell the shop not to send my dress or my coat," said Mrs. Carter. "I'll ask them to take them back. That will help."

　　Poor woman, she was very unhappy.

　　The next morning she was working in her house and she heard the telephone. She answered it and a man spoke.

　　"Are you Mrs. Carter?" he said.

　　"Yes," she said, "I am Mrs. Carter."

　　　"This is Dickens and Edgar speaking," said the man."We have found your handbag. Someone has left it at the shop, in a box. We don't know anything about it. They left the box this morning and went away quickly."

　　"Oh! that is good news," said Mrs. Carter."I am glad. I was very troubled about it. Is the money still there?"

　　"Yes," said the man. "Everything is still there, just as you told us. A woman stole it, then she was sorry and brought it back today. Will you come and get it, please？"

　　"Oh! yes," said Mrs. Carter. "I'll come as soon as can. I have one or two things to do first, but I'll leave the house in about an hour from now."

　　"That will do very well," said the man. "We will see you later."

　　Mrs. Cater was very happy. She telephoned to Mr. Carter to tell him the god news, but he was out. He had to see a man about some work in another place. Another man spoke to her and told her this.

　　"It doesn't matter," said Mrs. Cartter. "This is Mr Carter's wife speaking. I have found my handbag. Someone took it back to the shop. I'm going to get it now. Will you tell him that, please?"

　　"Yes,"said the man, "I'll tell him." He'll be very pleased to hear it."

　　Mrs.Carter finished her work and went out. She went to the shop,and up to the same room. The shop keeper came to speak to her.

　　"I've come to get my handbag,"said Mrs. Curter.

　　"Your handbag?" said the shop-keeper."You said so.Someone brought it this morning."

　　"But it is!" said Mrs. Carter."You said so. Someone brought it this morning."

　　"I'm very sorry," said the man,"but I never said that, I haven't spoken to you today."

　　"But you telephoned me, " said poor Mrs. Carter,"this morning."

　　"No one telephoned you from this shop this morning, " he answered.

　　"And my bag isn't here?" she said.

　　"No one telephoned you from this shop this morning," he answered.

　　"And my bag isn't here?" she said.

　　"No, I'm afraid not," said the man.

　　"But who teleponed me?" said Mrs. Darter.

　　"Was it a man or a woman?" asked the shop-keeper.

　　"A man," she answered.

　　"He was a friens of the woman at your table," said the man." "You must go back to your house very quickly. I will telephone the police and ask a policeman to meet you there."

　　Poor Mrs. Carter's handbag was the name of the house and the street. Also the door-key.

　　卡特太太在伦敦一家大商店里正置一些东西。

　　她买了礼服和大衣，以及其他一两样东西。之后，又去商店其他地方买些吃的。她和另一位妇女坐在一张桌子旁边，将手提袋放在椅旁的地板上，很快，她和另一位妇女开始交谈起来，然后，那一位妇女起身要走，并且她的手提袋掉到了地板上，卡特太太替她捡起交给她，她就离开了。

　　卡特太太吃完东西， 伸手去拿袋子，可是袋子不翼而飞了。

　　可怜的卡特太太十分懊恼，她找遍桌子下，地板上，椅子下，但就是没有找到手提袋。 店主走过来帮助她。“很遗憾，”他说，“我们店发生这种事情真糟糕，我给你一点回家的钱吧。”

　　“谢谢，”卡特太太说，“我不知该对卡特先生说些什么，那袋子里还有些钱，今天下午我本来还得买别的东西，但现在不可能了。”

　　“卡特先生会给你钱的。”店主说。

　　“我不知道，”卡特太太说，“我们并不富裕，维持一个家庭，许多东西都要花钱的。”

　　她离开商店悲哀地回家去。 但她又不得不请邻居帮她进屋，因为她的钥匙放在丢失的手提袋里。

　　邻居搬来凳子，放在窗下，窗子的顶点是开着的，卡特太太正好从那里进去。 之后，卡特先生回来，她把发生的事告诉他，他十分生气。

　　“为什么不小心你的手提袋？”他说，“你不该把它放在地板上，桌旁的妇女拿走了它，她引开了你的注意力，拿走了它，现在钱没有了，我不能给你钱了，我还要支付其他东西。”

　　“我让店主别给我送礼服和大衣了，”卡特太太说，“我要他们带回去，这样办对事情会有所帮助。”

　　可怜的太太，她很不愉快。

　　第二天上午，她正在做家务，接到了一位男子打来的电话。

　　“是卡特太太吗？”他问。

　　“是的，”她说，“我是卡特太太。”

　　“我是狄更斯与艾迪加，”男子说，“我们找到了你的手提袋，有人把它放在商店里用盒子装着，其他事情我不知道，今天上午他们留下盒子很快就离开了。”

　　”噢，真是好消息，”卡特太太说：“真令人高兴，袋子丢了，我正烦恼不堪，钱还在吗？”

　　“在，”男士说，“东西都在，一个女的偷了它，她感到内疚，今天又送回来了，你能取它吗？”

　　“噢，好的，”卡特太太说，“我马上就回来了，我还有一两件事要做，大概一小时后我离开家里。”

　　“太好了，”男子说，“待会儿见。”

　　卡特太太非常高兴，她打电话告诉丈夫这个好消息，可他不在，别人告诉她，他到别处找一个人谈工作去了。

　　“没关系，”卡特太太说，“我是他的妻子，我的手提袋找到了，有人又把她送回商店了，我就去取，请你转告他，好吗？”

　　“好的，”那个人说，我会告诉他的，他听到这个消息，一定会很高兴的。”

　　卡特太太做完事就出门了，她来到商店她呆过的地方，店主走过来和她讲话。

　　“我来取我的手提袋。”卡特太太说。

　　“你的手提袋”店主说，“你的手提袋不在这儿。”

　　“但是，”卡特太太说，“是你这样说的，说有人今天上午送回了手提袋。”

　　“很抱歉，”那人说，“我从没这样讲过，今天我没和你讲过话。”

　　“但你给我打了电话，”可怜的卡特太太说，今天我没和你讲过话。”

　　“今天上午本店没人打电话给你。”他回答。

　　“那我的袋子不在这儿？”她说。

　　“没有，是没有，”那人说。

　　“但那是谁给我打的电话？”卡特太太说。

　　“是男的还是女的？”店主问。

　　“是男的。”她说。

　　“他是和你坐同一桌子的那个女人的同伙。”店主说，“你必须马上回家，我马上给警察局打电话，要警察去你那儿。”

　　可怜的卡特太太回到家。

　　但是，晚了，许多东西已被偷了。

　　卡特太太的手提袋里，有房子名称，有家门钥匙。