Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-14
AN ODD ADVENTURE.

AN ODD ADVENTURE.
Tom Mercantile was in love and in
debt-two circumstances which consid-
erably disturbed his equanimity. His
pecuniary embarrassments were less
serious than his love affair, for the for
mel were of a temporary nature, while
the latter threatened to be permanent.
The combination made him restless and
%anNiousto avoid the society of his fellow
men, so he packed up his portmanteau
and started off to refresh his weary soul
by a weeks solitude by the sad sea
a Slocum-super-Mare was his
destination, but when he arrived there
die found, to his intense disgust, that the
quiet seaport town was in a state of tur-
MOL, being on the eve Of, a contested
election. Not being pleased with this
state OF things, he moved on the next
day to Morriston, a small fishing village
q few miles up the coast.
Tom was in an unsociable frame of
mind, and he never ever looked at his
4ellow-passengcrs. The compartment
in which he travelled was full, but he
resolutcly buried his face in the news
paper, and read steadily on. till he
reached his station. When the train
slackened speed at Morriston, he
dragged his portmanteau off the rack
and alighted on the platform with a
blessed sense of relief at the prospect of
a few days of absolute quietude.
The aspect of Morriston was emf
nently calcuted to soothe his nerves, for
at that period of the year be had the
place all to himself. There was no
other guest at the little inn'where he
took up his quarters; the native popula-
ton was represented by a few children
and old men; the bathing machines
were drawn up high and dry above the
deserted beach, and the most complete
Hesolation prevailed. Tom Morcambe
wandered for an hour or two along the
eeashore with perfect satisfaction, and
then returned to the inn.
! He undid the straps of his portman-
eeau and unlockeditin an absent frame Of
mind, but without any misgivings. He
even began to throw the contents, pell-
mel, upon the bed. when suddenly he
awoke to the fact that there was some
thing wrong. A gaudy pair of worked
and, upon further inspection, he per-
ceived that the portmanteau, though it
was the counterpart of his own, evident
BY belonged to some n else. =.
1t Immediately occurred to him that, in
his hurried exit from the train, he had
appropriated a strange portmanteau by
mistake. At first he was disposed to
blame his own carelessness, but he was
not in a mood for reimbursement. He
Ehen commenced to launch hearty i'm
precautions at the head Of the other fell
low, and to speculate on what had be-
come OF his own property.
From the polntof equality Of exchange
thcre was not much to choose between
Ehe two portmanteaus and their respec-
tive contents; but when Tom reflected
That his contained, amoag other things,
a precious photograph and a lock of
golden hair, he became angrily con-
WINGED that he had the worst Of the bar
gain. He was seized with a feverish
anxiety to recovery his property, and
finding among the strangers luggage a
sealed letter addressed to a MI. Bur
rows, of Chichester, a town about thirty
miles of, he resolved to 90 on there i'm
mediately. Doubtless he would succeed.
with the assistance of Mr.. Burrows, in
%oClAS VIC pc1SOu WHO WAS lnC DCaref
of the letter.
He accordingly travelled to Chichester
by the afternoon train, which improved
his temper by taking the longest time
on record in doing the journey. When
he reached his destination he found he
could not get back to Morriston that
night, SO that he had to put up at q
hotel. ,..
Without a moments delay he called
at Mr. Burrows residence, a modest
house in the suburbs of the town. When
the servant opened the door he handed
her the letter rather unceremoniously,
and requested to see her master; but the
girl explained that Mr.. Burrows was not
Rithin, and that she did not know when
he would return, so he contented HIM
self with writing the nam of his hotel
on one of his cards, and leaving a mes
sage that he would call in the evening.
| He returned to his hotel in an un-
amiable mood, but having done ample
justice to a capital dinner, he recovered
his good humor. After all, his own
portmanteau would turn up, sooner or
Later, and meanwhile he need feel no
6cruple about making use of the
strangers property. This reflection oc-
Cured to him while smokinga soothing
cigar after Il decent bottle Of %claret, and
he consequently resolved to postpone his
visit to MI. Burrows till next morning.
|. But just as be was thinking OF going