Henry Snowden pulled in to the drive-up window at the Burger King in Deltona, Florida, Friday before last. He ordered, paid for his meal, and eased away from the window. When he finally pulled over to eat, he got the shock of his life.

There was nothing wrong with his burger or fries. His drink was cold and good. But the clerk working at the window had shoved two bags out the window at the 31-year-old man. Snowden discovered $4,170 in the second bag. And you thought it was another fast-food franchise that dispensed “happy meals,” didn’t you! What happened was a mistake by a store employee and a challenge to Henry Snowden’s character.

The particular Burger King in question puts its day’s receipts in one of the same bags it uses for food orders. The idea is to have an inconspicuous burger bag rather than an inviting bank deposit bag sitting there in case of a robbery attempt. But the clerk working the window that fateful day mistakenly reached over and picked up both Snowden’s bag and the deposit bag a store manager had just plopped down.

What was the response when Snowden opened the second bag and found all the money? He knew that taking it back to the restaurant would be the right thing to do. “But I’ve got to admit I was definitely tempted!” He said. So he returned the money Saturday morning. “I’m glad I was able to do the right thing,” he said. “And I feel better than I’ve ever felt.” A good conscience will do that for a person!

Rubel Shelly The FAX of Life