The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-07-14

knowing that his property would be per-;
fectly safe had gone direct to the city.
/ handed over the bag to the sentry
who relieved me without mentioning to.
him anything of the circumstances of
the case; and when he returned from du-
ty at eleven l eagerly asked him If the
valise had been called for.
"No," be replied SIT is still lying be-
hind the wall"
/ went on sentry again at one o'clock
and no one had called for it. 1t was the
height of the London season and Hyde
Park presented its customary CAV aps
pesrance; hut the imposing array OF
splendidly-appointed eqnipages. dashing
eqnestrians and fashionabIy dressed La
dies aud gentlemen, which at other times
to- me was most interesting spectacles
that afternoon passed by unheeded as all
my thoughts we're centered on the spec
ulations regarding the fate OF the owner
Of the bag. Before being relieved at 8
l had II conveye to my room in bar.
racks. and after coming off guard placed
it for greater security in the troop score
That evening before "stahles," when the
orderly had read out the duties for the
second day, he said, addressing me j:
"Jones, you have to attend the orderly
room Tomorrow"
"Why ?" l inquired.
"You have been reported for neglect
ing to salute Capt. Sir Carnaby jerks as
be passed you while on sentry this af-
ternoop."
said nothing bv way of excuse This
teinous charge was in all probability
true. ! believe ! might have omittel to
'present" to Her Majesty the @ ,een her.
self, il she had passed that afternoon In
her state carriage, 80 distracted was l by
the engrossing subject of this vaise.
After stables l left barracks for my
customary walk, and purchasing copy
ct the Echo from Juvenile news-vender
l read the particulars OF the fatality oi
the morning. Friends had identified the
body which was that of gentleman
named Nixon, who had resided at Bays.
water.
IN xon! That corresponds with the
initial m on the bag" / thought to my.
self, now perfectly convinced that the
deceased was the person / had seel ia
the morning. / also sscertaiued from
the newspaper report that man had
been apprehended on suspicion of hav
ing attempted to rife the pockets of the
clothes of the drowned man, and who
had been roughly handled by the crowd
before policeman could be procured to
take hin into custody. After moments
ref action ! decided to call at tho address
given in the paper in order to arrange
about the restoration of the bag to the
relatives of the deceased.
Reaching the house knocked softly
at the door and stated my business to
the domestic who appeared, by whom ]
was shown into room and immediately
sfterward was waited upon by young
lady, the daughter OF the deceased, who.
naturally enough, was perfectly overcome
with grief. explained to her 10 feS
words the object of my visit.
81 am uncertain whether poor papa
had had valise Of that description when
he left this morning. she said; 'but pos.
sibly you may recognize him from the
photograph" submitting one she took
from the table for my inspection.
l experienced strange sense of relief
the features In the photo we're those oil
a person bearing no resemblance what
ever to the Individual who had left bis
bag in my charge.
The young lady thanked me heartily
Tor the trouble had taken in the matter
and l left the house OF mourning and re-
turned to the barracks in very mysti.
fed state Of mind.
"Could the owner OF the bag be the
thief who was caught 10 the act Of plum
dering the deal mans clothes p asked
myself, but Immediately dismissed the
idea from my mind as being absurd and
improbable.
Next day | attended the orderly room
and received q severe admonition from
the commanding officer. Fortunately
for me, as it happened, Sir Csrnsby had
been in plain clothes, 80 nv offense in
the eye of martial law was of compare.
lively venial character. Immediately af
forwards I considered it nv duty to re.
port the circumstanc g attending the va.
lise to the adjutant, whr in turn commu
nicaied with the police authorities al
Scotland Yard; aud that evening, pursu
ant to instructions received, bad the
bag conveyed to that establishment AT
ter | had explained how i. was placed ia
nv charge it was opened in my presence
by an official, and was found to contain
just q suit Of clothes aud few newspa-
pers, bnt no documents Of any kind as
stated by the owner.
After this the bag ceased to interest
me, as the valueless character Of the con
tents caused me to speculate less on the
unaccountable conduct of it's possessor
In never returning for it. may mention
that I read an account in the evening
paper regarding the alleged thief who
had been apprehended on the Serpentine
bank under the circumstances before al
Iuded to. By the name of Judd he bad
heen taken before magistrate aud re.
manded for week in order that inqui-
ries might be made concerning him.
Sometime afterwards l was on Queens
guard, Westminster. had just mount
ed my horse and taken up position in
one OF the two boxes facing Parliament
street, when gentleman stopped oppo'
site me and scanned me curlously Ad-
dressing me he said: Don't you remem.
Der me p.
There was no mis'aking the voice it
was that Of the owner Of the bag! 9th
erwise he was greatly sltered, as he had
denuded himself OF the luxuriant whis-
kers and mustache which he wore when
/ saw him previously.
"What has been wrong ?" I asked.
"Oh, / was seized with fit that NOR
ming when / came out of the water and
was taken home in an unconscious state
I have been very unwell ever since, and
have left my house for the first time to-
dsv l made Inquiries at the barracks
about you, and as the soldier spoke to
seemed to know about the bag left with
you he directed me here"
"Weil, sir, had quite msde up nv
mind that you we're the gentleman who