Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-10-28

pounds.
| went to the police station, told
them what [ had seen and what my
suspicious were. They listened at
tentively to what l said, and told me
that must be mistaken; that the
lady in question was well known, the
widow of an officer who had died just
after coming into large property III
the country. She had two sons. One
had been in the navy, and had lost
his life in wreck of the Royal Chart
er about a year previously. The
other was expected home every day,
and had been away almost ever since
the end of last October.
It was impossible, they said. to
make inquiries in such direction;
dissatisfied and disappointed, found
myself compelled to leave matters as
they were: but on my return to Lon
don | wrote to the head of the police
once more. and / reiterated my con
victions SO forcibly, that he evidently
was impressed by what | said. The
result of my letter came, after brief
acknowledgement from the Inspector,
in the visit of a gentleman four days
afterward.
was standing in my shop; 1T was
dull morning in November, and the
visitor who came in spoke first to my
assistant, who referred him to me, and
then;n moment | recognized my
fellow-passenper Not wishing to
make everything quite public, led
the way to the inner room when
/ reserved to myself, and handed the
gentleman a chair He was too ex-
cited to sit down, but began his story
at once.
You remember the day l travelled
with You from Holyhead, sir"
"Perfectlv. | have too,good reason
to remember it
80 have |. / had been on the
Anglesea coast all the night before,
searching for some relic, perhaps the
body of my drowned brother. L had
only twenty four hours and was
obliged to hurry back, with only a
few bits of wood and iron gathered
frem the wreckaye which strewed the
beach; these l put into small black
bag"
"A black bag p said L; had you a
black bag ?"
Listen, said the gentleman. Il saw
that you had one, and remarked
that it was like mine-so much so
that at Chester, where you got out
and l did not. you may remember you
took my bag with you instead of your
own. L felt sure you were coming
back, for you left your coat and UNI
brella i'll the carriage, so did not
follow YOU"
'Yes," said /, getting excited, but
that does not account"
swat almoment,' said the gentle
man. II know perfectly well what
YOU would say; it does not account
for my not advertising your bag, or
making some sort Of a sign all this
time'-quite so; you will understand
presently how it happened"
sat down and begged him to do
the same.
"When got out at Crewe, | took,
as L supposed, my bag. When l
reached homo / found that my poor
mother, whom | had left in the most
utter grief and prostration at my
brothers death, had not rallied at all.
/ told our doctor, who was there, that
my search for any personal relic OF
my brother had been fruitless, but
that | had few bits of iron and
wood from the wreck"
THE doctor advised me to say
nothing to her about it; not to tell
her even that L had these sad relies.
l put the bag just as it was into a
cupboard in my own room, and locked
it up. That very day / had to leave
England. / had a business engage
ment which took me to Australia Ii
I broke the engagement it would
have involved my mother in consld :
cradle pecuniary loss. She knew l
had to go, and as she did not urge
me to stay, and as my sister and her
husband were with her, left the
house that very day, and journeyed
back north to Liverpool, just in time
to catch my steamer, bound for Mel
bourne.
II only returned yesterday morning.
The first thing 1 heard after greeting
my mother was, where is the bag you
brought with you from Moelfra 2
"In my room,' said
"Get it for me- she said.
"Without another word, though l
wondered how she had heard of it. l
went to my room. unlocked the cup
board. found the bag just as had
left it, and took it down stairs.
II was just going to open it, when,
to my still further surprise, my
mother said, Are You quite sure that
this is your bag, Arthur p
II looked at her in astonishment.
We'll, mother / said, i am as sure
aiah m IN being can be of anything
Ibid you open it after You cam o
home, dear ? l thought for a mo-
ment, and then said. No, am certain
1 did not. could not bear it,
"'Then,' said my mother, 'be pre-
pared for surprise. think that
you will find that you have some one
else's bag
Il did not answer, for / was trying
to unlock the bag. 1t is very odd,
l said, my key won't open it,
MY mother rang the bell, and in
walked the inspector" Here my Wis
itor ceased speaking, and walking
hastily to the shop door, beckoned to
some person seated in hanson ceb