Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-02-04
the box is for you, as it is a valuable

the box is for you, as /. is valuable
one
Ireplied that I was the only indv.-
dual in the city OF exactly that name,
aud my profession vas that OF author
ship, bu. certainly knew 0. 40 box o:
its way TO me.
''lt is strange that you have no al.
vices concerning it." said Crosby, "ou,
after all i. may not be 50 s.ran ,e. = !
understand il is intended for presen.
and perhaps the party wao sen. i.
wanted TO surprise you. Quite likely
you will find a letter il the box thai
will tcll you who it's from. There's ue
freight to pay on it; it vas pat oo
board by our own agent either in Hong
Kong or Shanghai for some friends Of
theirs. The agents explained that it was /,
present, and said they told the sender there
would be no charge for freight. l
came in the hands Of the captain, ~
was not put on the steamers manifest.
II am very much obliged to the cap.
tain of your steamship anal to YOU
agents. answered., .'and also obi ,e ]
to my unknown bencfnctor. WAcn
receive the box certainly hope to knpw
more about it.
Then the conversation turned on the
stcarmcrs voyage, which nv visitor
said had been quite eventfnl, as at one
time they had a good chance to 90 t.
Davy Jones locker ave caught s
pampcro off Madrina Point said No.,
"that blew away evsV sail and ie
stroyed four of our boats. We were
sailing along as nicc as yol please whoa
bang came that pampcro like a shot from
, cannon. Every rag OF canvas we had
,ut was swept away like the swapping of
lour finger and the boats went smashing
nto splinters.
"About as bad as typhoon," re.
narNeC
"a typhoon." he exclaimed; "whv,
was worse while it laste | worse than
.typhoon or West India hurricane.
luckily it didn't stay more than ten min
ties or me and your box would have
,cen ut the bottom
Then he .1eDtiopcl other incidents Of
he voyage, ratified of with great glib
1css the names Of their stopping places
and referred to little pecuiarities OF some
If the ports Of the far East, which GER
:alnly seemed to show an acquaintance
With them. He mentioned, in the mos,
casual manner, that while coming out of
The Ly-ee-moon passage Of Hong Kong
tIarbor they narrowly escaped collision
with a French steamer which was lust
going in, and he spoke Of an incident Of
their stay at the Tanjong Pagar docks
~ otht9"l'ASs AAio NOhS was
fairly dotted with marine terms, but les,
SO than the talk of the sailor as the
dramatists usually prcsca. hin. on TIC
stage.
He chatted on with creatc7se and fo-
a time had me quite OF my guard. Tnea
it occurred to me that his manner was
decidedly more iaunty aud free than
that Of the first officers or even the cap
tans Of tram ; steamers under the E7--
lish flag. His accent was no. specifically
British, and his manner Of twriIn, an
envelope, which l had given him to
show my full name aud adires=, was
that OF a mau more accustomed - the
handling of papers than OF one in hi.
purportei position. a suspicion arc.e
IN my mind that be was not ali his fancy
and statements painted him, and while
he was talking 50 eugaglngsy | caIcaT-
ored to take him H." Bl. | cou no.
imagine what his object was, assuming
that be was a counterfeit, inasuIca as
he had distinctly stated sha. there was 10
charges for freight; he also sai1 there
were no custom house du. e, the officials
a. Philadelphia having consented tia:
the contents o. the box, being in.endc
as present, nigh: enter the Unite.
S-ates free OF char-e, as ,nol,A sae7
were for the Metropolitan Nlse.a ..
AIT or other public Institution.
Fifteen or twenty minutes pa.7e
il general tax, and then there came q
slight .lull il the conversation. Icaaa,ei
ny position il nT chair il ;ae eaaeavos
10 hin. that il was aoou. time 70 briay
the interview 20 an end; be TOOK the hin.
AID rose 10 20, re renark!ag, a. ne d.i 50,
tha. he would send the box by express