What did a young man and woman do when they found a lady’s purse on a street in Edgartown last Saturday night?

The purse was mine; I hadn’t realized — until too late — that I’d lost it. The items inside were important to me: my cell phone, my eyeglasses, my driver’s license. Credit cards. And more. All was replaceable; though not without an initial jolt of anxiety. I doubted it would be returned. My name was there, but not my address; I had moved to the Vineyard only the week before.

What happened next remains a mystery. I only know that on Saturday night, when the young couple could have been out somewhere having fun, they instead made their way to Katama and showed up at the house of my friends. I have no idea how they found them — their full names or address were not in the purse. Perhaps they traced my friends’ local phone number from my contact list. Or maybe they recognized one from a photo that was in the phone, too. I do know they arrived at the house long after dark. “Do you know Jean Stone?” they asked. “We think we found her purse.” They did not leave their names; they wanted no reward.

But I’d like to thank them publicly. Whoever they are, however they managed to track down my friends, they have reinforced my choice to make this my new home, It’s the people, after all, who make the Vineyard great.

Jean Stone
Edgartown