Why Is St. Anthony of Padua Invoked for the Finding of Lost Items?

One popular story is that a brother friar of St. Anthony stole a commentary the saint had written. The saint prayed for its return, and the friar was waylaid by a sudden storm that frightened him so badly that he thought it the wrath of God for his sin. He turned around and ran back to St. Anthony to return the manuscript. Since then, so the story goes, St. Anthony has had a special talent in the recovery of lost items. Whether this story is true or simply a pious legend is not something we know for certain.