The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-10
Mr.. POISON and HIS WIRES Saratoga
Trunk.
rrsa,n The burlington Hawkeye.l

from the Burlington Hawkeye.J
Dobson and family get home yestefday.
When they got out at the deIot ne askea ms
wife for the check for her truns. She COULDN'T
and Il. She looked IN her pocket. 1t wasn't
,here. In the satchel, No. 'Twassi't IN her
mat. nor in the big band.boX; nor IN the
little band-ocx; no, and 1t wasn't IN Tue
travelling basket, nor In either OF the pun
dos We'll, where in thunder was IL Dob
COR wanted to know. DWELL now. Dohbie
dear Won know that didn'tlo It," sobhed
Mrs 5obson; and Dobson tackled the trifi'ng
articles Of luggage that Mrs. Dsbson bad
with her in addition to her trunk, and his
own crip.sack with its dirty shirt and box
Of collars rafting around in it, and started
for the street-cars. saying they wo'hd
look up the check at the house, and
he'd come back for the trunk. they
got home, and Do6son spread everything
out on the floor, opened every bundle, and
box, and parcel, and turned it upside down;
shook every article that had been eTnpted,
aud there was no check. 1t was discouraglDg.
But suddenly Mrs. Dobson remarked that
she laid the check on the window OF the car
as they csme through Peoria. Dooson was
inclined 10 be mad about il. but his wife
told him he ought to be glad that she hadn't
lost it, and be would have to 60 10 the defo.
ANYHOW after the trunk, and he would find
the check there; and with this bit OF philoso-
ply he was appeaSed, and hurried OIL 10 the
der OF. He Just missed the strect'ca car, ana
footed it merrily down to the deTo;, ana
sought out'thc man who cleaned the cars OH
their arrival, and he hadn't found the cheek.
That looked bad. but it might be on the WIN
dow yet, and so they went into the car anu
looked. 1t wasn't on the window. Dobson
went over all the windows and examined
them through a pocket maSniylhe-
glass, bat there was no sign OF u
check on any Of the WINDOWS. IL Is
yery certain, if it hadn't been so near sun
day, that Dobsen would have got angry anu
said things he would afterwards have been
sorry for. but he only talked Spanish TO him.
self few minutes and the man didn't I'M
derstand Spanish, so that was all right. Ihen
he went to the baggage.room and tried to
get his trunk without a check. The bag
rageman said be couldn't give up the trunk
without the check. Dobson got indignant;
wanted TO know if be looked like scoun-
drel: offered to identify himself; ito give
any security for the trunk. lie hnaiy over
persuaded the bagga9eman, and went up
tewp for friend He came back, and every
thing was all D. Il. Now, where was the
trunk. He could pick it out among thou
sand. He turned around, and there were
two trunks as like is two peas, anG one OF
them WAS Mrs. Dobson'S. He hestated.
The baggageman grew suspicious. DobSon
couldn''. for the life Of him, tell which one
he ought to take, and finally the baggageman
told him he coudu'e take either until one of
the checks was presented. Nothing for him
now but to go out home again. He caught a
car. and was soon in Mrs. DobSon'> presence
in properly excited frame of mind 81 " to
learn that Mrs. Dobson had found tie neck
and sent it down town by neighbours boy,
who was doubtless at the office door waiting
IN the cold now. Dobson was in despair. The
bow had walked down and D0bs0n walked
down so as to meet him, and the boy rode up,
passing Dobson on the way. DobSon left the
office for the house again, declaring that the
trunk might 60 to Halifax, but when ne got
home and Mrs. DobSon pleaded that to-mor-
row was Sunday, and what should she wear.
| D0bson was overcome, and as ne now nao
| the check in bis own pocket he conclu0ed 10
reconsider the resolution ana 60 AFTER tue
trunk. He did, and somewhat recovered his
composure as be rode down in the car JDg.
| ling the check against his keys. But when
be got down town it was $3.50, and be couldn't
find dray nor an expressman anywhere, so
he hired loafer on corner to help him
carry the trunk to the street.car for half
dollar. They went down and got the trunk
and came back just in time to see the last car
streakipg out up the track, and the hummer
said his contract was filled and be
wouldn't renew; and there was Dob.
son after 10 O'Clock at night down
town with a Saratoga trunk, and Mrs.
Dobson at home waiting for her Sunday
clothes. Dobson buckled into that trunk
with desperate energy. He tried to carry it,
but it threw him. He pulled it along, but
that was soon too much for him. Then he
got behind it and rolled it along, and the
first thing he knew it had rolled down a
dozen steps. Then he got in front Of it and
rolled it, and the next time it rolled down
stairs he went too. He was demoralized, so
was the trunk. Things were coming out
here and there. Dobson took some garments
and tied on the lid and took the middle of
the street. The erratic old trunk sud-
denly disappeared from Dobson's vision.
1t had dropped into Hawkeye creek.
! He got it out. He wrestled and toied with
thai trunk with vigor that was heroic.
PRECIPITATION poured from every pore. He
worked aud pulled, and pushed, and tugged,
and lost bis nat and his temper, and broke his
watch chain, and wet his feet, and caught a
fearful cold, and tore his clothes, and tried TO
carry everything that fell out Of the trunk,
and got home just as we were going to press.
Perhaps Mrs. Dobson will 90 to church to.
day and worship, but Dobson-well, he'll
not 90 to church at any rate.
|