On Aug. 19, my friend and I thought that making a trip to Moraine State Park in Butler would be a nice way to spend the day. After a leisurely picnic lunch, we decided to rent a boat. We chose a fine-looking motor boat. The girl who worked at the dock, wearing a Slippery Rock T-shirt, gave us instructions on how to maneuver the boat. She told us that if we encountered any trouble, we should call the office. Of course, both of our cell phones were in the car, and anyway, who would have difficulty driving a motor boat?

We were speeding along on Lake Arthur, having a great time, when all of a sudden there was a "clunk."

The motor rose out of the water. The boat wouldn't move. We were stuck in mud and shallow water. After several attempts to start the boat, my friend waved his beach towel for help.

Several people saw us, but only one man responded. He carefully steered his boat up to ours, pulled his large motor up, dropped his small tiller motor down so that he could get closer, and pushed us with a long pole out to deeper water. We two senior citizens were quite relieved, and thanked him profusely.

He was such a nice young man and so kind and helpful. We didn't get his name, but he was driving a boat called the "Sea Nymph," which, incidentally, he had just bought. It was his first day out on the lake as its new owner, he told us.

So, if he sees this, we would like him to know how grateful we were, and that he saved our day. With his help, we made it back to the dock on time.

-- PATRICIA GRAHAM, Carrick

I was on the bus one Friday on my way home. When I looked in my purse to get my wallet, it was nowhere to be seen. I jumped off the bus and retraced my steps, getting a nice "No, I didn't see a wallet" along the way whenever I inquired.

I ended up at the Downtown restaurant I'd just left, Keystone Cafe on Sixth Avenue. But it was closed by the time I returned.

The security guard in the lobby (not-so-politely) informed me that the owner was gone, there was no way to get in contact with him and I would just have to wait until Monday. Well, that wasn't good enough for me.

I ran across the street to the owner's other restaurant, Sixth Avenue Cafe, which was still open. A very nice employee called the owner, Ali Naderi, who was down in the Strip District, shopping. I gave her a few details of the small talk that Ali and I had exchanged that day, so that he could recognize me.

As soon as Ali finished shopping (I hope he finished), he returned to the locked restaurant and helped me look for my wallet. Not finding it in any visible areas, I pulled the garbage out, thinking perhaps I'd dropped it in when I threw my trash away.

Much to my surprise, Ali actually got down on the floor and helped me pick through the garbage, (yuck). But we still couldn't find it.

Of course when I got home, the wallet was sitting right there on my coffee table, where it obviously had been all the time.

I always knew Ali to be a very kind and gentlemanly business owner (he's been in business Downtown for 28 years). But I was so moved by how he actually 1) came back to the restaurant and then 2) went through the garbage.

I found a special present to thank him for his kindness. Being Ali, he just said, "Oh, you shouldn't have." But yes, I should have, for what he did for me that day.

-- A.V. ROBINSON, Schenley Heights