The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-20
SOMEBODY'S BAG.

ciated with the Waterloo Bridge
mystery. Well, I am about to tell
you much more dreadful story, Tor
one which seems to me to be so,)
about another carpet bag, the owner
of which the much-vaunted sagacity
of the police has also failed to dis
cover. In both cases, however, as
though in revenge for their own in
capacity, theylhave not hesitated to
cast slur upon innocent individuals.
My neighboT B. and myself were re-
turning, one November afternoon,
from our club, where had looked in
as usual, just to get glimpse of the
evening paper, in order to take the
last telegraphic intelligence to my
wife at home, when, finding ourselves
late for onr respective dinners, we
hailed hanson and got into it; it
being arranged that I should drop B.
within a streets length of his own
house.
"Hullop cried my companion, di-
rectly we had started off; "why here's
a carpet bag which somebody has left
behind him."
'sHalves!" exclaimed I, with q sud
den and uncomfortable impulse, the
springs of which lay far enough away
in those days of boyhood, when the
rights of property are so imperfectly
understood.
"No, no." replied B., severely; ''it
is not yours, my friend. You know
it was I that found it."
"Really, my dear B." returned I,
'you quite surprise me. You must
be aware that it belongs to neither of
us, but to the unfortunate person
who had engaged this hansom.",
Every true," assented g., but a
little regretfully, as I thought, at the
view had deemed it right to take;
for, however divines may preach and
(which is worse) the law my dictate,
when one has found q thing, one
does seem to have some sort of q
claim to it. If 1 were asked to point
out what is par. excellence the law of
nature, I should answer-it is that
which is called on land "the right of
trover," and on the sea-shore that of
"Flotsam and Jetsam." Here was q
carpet bag left by the tide of human.
ity-or at least by one careless wave
OF it-and here were we, its finders
for it is ridiculous that B. should
have priority of claim, just because
he happened to plump down without
hurting himself) upon the property
in question, which might just as well
have been on my side of the hanson
as his. The question arose then, how
were we to deal with it?
''It will never do to give it up to
the cabman, eh?" observed B., ten
derly; she'll keep it for himself, to q
certainty"
"Quite out of the question:" as
sented I. "The poor fellow who lost
it would never have a chance of re-
covering it,
''I think 1 had better take it home,
and advertise in the IEnses," suggest
ed my friend.
"No, my dear fellow" said T,
firmly; "you shall never be troubled
to walk with that great black leather
bag" lit was an uncommonly large
one,) Through the streets. The cab
takes me, You know, to my own door,
so I'll take it to my house."
every WE'LL" said b., slowly hand
ing over the property into my charge,
with the air of co-trustee, who,
while executing some undoubtedly
lawful deed, yet cannot help regret
ting that the person who acts with
him should happen to be an attorney.
''You'll take great care of it, won't
you?"
'tOf course, I will," returned 7.
Indignantly. ''I shall either adver
tise it in the Times, or take it to the
police office the first thing in the
morning"
"Just so," said B., who had now
arrived at his journeys end. II
shouldn't ut all wonder if we saw a
reward offered for it tomorrow in the
second column. If we were poor
people, this might be- qn;te God
send, might it not?"N
This made us both laugh.
A"You shall have halves" said 7,
"whatever it is"
And SO we parted, with another
shout of merriment. But when
glanced through the little window, L
saw B. looking after me with an il.
tensity of expression, which, although
we are always sorry to wish each
other good-by, I never noticed il his
friendly countenance before.
It may be asked, perhaps, how it