, 1892-02-18
THE GLADSTONE BAG.

had breakfasted with the colonel at
his club, one of those dreary, large es-
Establishments which remind you of an
overcrowded cemetery, where the TOWN.
ers of the land get rich OF their divi-
dends. Outside it was rainy, damp and
misty; inside the members were regard
ing each other with disdain and calcu-
Iating what effect the humidity of the
atmosphere would nave on the varnish
Of their patent leather boots.
Suppose we get out of this" said the
Colonel briefly as he regarded the street
from the broad club window.
where tor said l.
Paris" he said laconically.
Done" said l.
And her the bag was ordered to be
packed and the journey began.
We left Waterloo station and we were
trying, like old sailors, to transform a
railroad compartment into a comforta-
BILE smoking divan. 1t was then l first
noticed the colonel's Gladstone bag. 1t
had been reposing peacefully in the rack
above my head, and | threw it down in
hopes of using it for a pillow. Some
how it slipped and fell to the floor.
Look outr" said the colonel. IF
you dropped that bag a year ago that
way | wouldn't have given much for
your chances of living; no, nor mine
either"
saw then there was a history in the
bag, and said, "WhyY'
at isn't a long story, but may keep
you awake. I'll tell you about it. When
| left the army and returned home from
India | was not very well off. l had
studied explosives in the east and some
one at the club recommended me to a
French company which had been formed
about the same time toperfect anew ex-
plosive which, they were assured, would
be favorably considered by the war
Office. The salary was good and the
subject interesting, SO | accepted their
offer.
81 established my laboratory outside
of Versailles and went to work with q
will. In my experiments, however, /
found myself all at once out of nitro
glycerin, which | needed absolutely. l
wrote to the company. No dynamite to
be had. Then | went up to the French
war office and saw the secretary. He
was sorry, 80 very sorry, but at the
present time, in the disturbed state Of
the country, etc, he regretted that it
would no be in his power to furnish
nitroglycerin to private persons. How
ever, he would do what he could, and he
gave ne a letter to Colonel Majendie,
chief of explosives in London, who, he
said, would surely honor my request.
THAT night | took the club train to
London, and next morning at 10 o'clock
found me at the chiefs Office. / pre-
sented my letter and stated what l
wanted. The chief regarded me with
suspicion you must remember 1t was
during the dynamite scare in England),
and the more l explained the less he be-
lieved me. Various officers were intro
duced, n after the other, for no other
purpose, l believe, than to take down
my personal characteristics as a profess
sional dynamiter.
"At last the chief said that, in accord
ance with articles SO and so, sections
this and that of the office rules, he would
be reluctantly compelled to refuse my
request.
Then | got tired.
81 told the chief | wanted the explo-
can't said he. L WILL said |, and
CdlIJ IL tnIOuBn LOuQOn w. MutbutI
you like it or no. Well see,' said Ma
jendie. You will see,' said l, and | left
him.
"That night when 1 walked homo to
my chambers | felt rather discouraged.
There was ten pounds of nitroglycerin
which | must have, and Lord only knows
how many people Majendie might put
In the way of my securing it. / wan
dered about London aimlessly for o
week, and at last, when just about to
despair, luck turned. Near Birmingham
| heard a company had been formed to
work q mine and used explosives.
took the next train from London and
went there. There was a little village
lear the place, and from it | drove out
to the works. | shall never forget it.
When | got to the mine | met a hungry
looking man, who asked me roughly
what | wanted. | saw he was the per-
son / was after.
"'Come n side,' l said.
"'You use dynamite herey
Eyes, for explosives
"'Do you wan eco?
Yes
"'Then get me ten pounds of nitro
glycerin if you an
81 gave him the money and he put il
in his pocket.
"'Wait here was all he said.
THAT evening l drove back to the lit.
tie country hotel with my treasure in
the Gladstone bag. l put it in the room,
locked the door and slept outside, for
| knew the fumes of the nitric acid
would escape through the bag. In the
morning | got up early and took the
train for London with my precious
cargo. At London it took but a short
time to rush into a compartment of the
Paris express, which was just departing.
Here my real trouble began. | put
my precious bag on the frame in front
of me. The carriage was crowded, and
1 began to doze after the train 7tarted.
Suddenly l looked up. A fellow pas
senger had seized the bag and was
about to throw it to the floor to make
room for some of his own luggage.
luckily ! seized it in time. II ! hadn't
SICKNESS AMONG CHILDREN