The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-03-24
our on A PIoNEER,s TRUNK.


San Francisco one afternoon in the sum
mer of 81. Although the occasion was
an auction, the bidders chances more
than usually hazardous, and the season
and locality famous for reckless specula-
ton, there was scarcely any excitement
among the bystanders, and lazy, halt
humorous curiosity seemed to have taken
the place of any zeal for gain.
1t was an auction of unclaimed trunks
and boxes-the personal luggage of early
emigrants-w which had been left on stor-
age in hulk or warehouse at San Francis
co, while the Owner was seeking his
fortune in the mines.
The difficulty and expense of transport,
often oblging the gold seeker to make
part of his journey on oot,restricted him
to the smallest impedimenta, and that OF
q kind not often found in the luggage OF
ordinary civilization. As consequence,
during the emigration of 40 he was apt
on landing to avail himself of the invita-
ton usually displayed on some OF the
doors of the rude hostelries of the shore:
crest for the Weary and Storage for
Trunks" In majority of cases he
never returned to claim his stored prop
erty. Enforced absence, protracted
equally by good or evil fortune, accumu-
usually far exceeded the actual value of
the goods; sickness, further emigration,
or death also reduced the number of pos
sible claimants, and that more wonderful
human frailty-absolute fOrgetfulness of
deposited possessions togeth-
or to leave the bulk of the property in
the custodans hands. Under an under
stood agreement they were always sold
at auction after given time. Although
the contents of some of the trunks were
exposed, 1t was found more in keeping
with the public sentiment to sell the
trunks unlocked and unopened. The
element of curiosity was kept up from
time to time by the ncautious disclOs-
ures of the lucky or unlucky purchaser,
and general bidding thus encouraged
except when the speculator, with true
gambling instinct, gave no indication in
his face of what he had drawn in this
lottery. Generally, however, some sug-
gestiOn in the exterior of the trunk. a
label or initials; some conjectural
knowledge of its former owner, or the
idea that he might be secretly present in
the hope of getting property back for less
than the accumulated dues, kept up the
bidding and interest.
A modest looking, well worn pOrtman-
teau had been just put up at small
opening bid, when Harry Flint joined
the crowd. The young man had arrived
a week before at San Francisco, friend
less and penniless, and had been forced
to part with his own effects to procure
necessary food and lodging while looking
for an employment. In the irony of fate
that morning the proprietors of dry
goods store. struck with his good looks
I I, .N,,n
if he could make himself more presenta-
BILE to their fair clients. Harry Flint
was gazing half abstractedly, half hope
lessly, at the portmanteau without MOTTO
ing the auctioneer's persuasive chal-
lenge.
In his abstraction he was not aware
that the aucrioneers assistant was also
looking at him curiously, and that pos
sibly his detected and half clad appear
ance had excited the attention of one of
the cynical bystanders, who was ex-
changing few words with the assistant.
He was, however, recalled to himself a
moment later, when the bOrtmanteau
was knocked down at SIS, and consider
ably startled when the assistant placed it
at his feet with grim smile.
That your property, Fowler, and
reckon you LOOK as if you wanted it back
bad"
"But-theTe's some mistake" STAN
mered Flint, 81 didn't bid"
mo, but Tom Flynn did for you. You
see spotted you from the first, and told
Flynn l reckoned you were one of those
chaps who came back from the mines
dead broke. And he put up and bought
your things for you-like square man.
That's Flynn's style, it he is gambler"
But" persisted Flint, "this never
was my property. My name isn't Fow-
Ter and never left anything here.
The assistant looked at him with a
grim, half credulous, half scOrnful smile.
''Have it your way" he said, but |
oughter ell we, old man, that I'm the
warehouse clerk, and | remember you.
I'm here for that purpose. But as that
thar valise is bought and paid for by
somebody else and given to you, it's
nothing more to me. Take or leave il"
The righteousness of quarreling over
the mere form Of his fortune here struck
Flint, and, as his abrupt benefactor had
as abruptly disappeared, he hurried off
with his prize. Reaching his cheap lodg-
ing house he examined its contents. AS
he had surmised, it contained full suit
of clothing of the better sort and suitable
W HIS uIDdu ueeuS. lneT0 WIS d rev
articles of jewelry, which he put relig-
iously aside. There were some letters
which seemed of purely business char
acter. There were few daguerreotypes
OF pretty faces, one of which was singu-
larly fascinating to him. But there was
another, of young man, which startled
him with its remarkable resemblance to
himself! In flash of intelligence he un-
derstOOd it all now. IL was the likeness
of the former owner of the valise, for
whom the assistant had actually mistaken
him! He glanced hurriedly at the en-
velopes of the letters. They were adj
dressed to Shelby Fowler, the name by
which the assistant had just called him.
The mystery was plain now. And for
the present he could accept his good
luck and trust to later fortune to justify
himself.
Transformed in his new garb, he left
his lodgings to present himself once more
to his possible employer. His way led
past one of the large gambling saloons.
1t was yet too early to find the dry goods
trader disengaged; perhaps the con-
seriousness of more decent, civilized garb
emboldened him to mingle more freely
with strangers and he entered the saloon.
He was scarcely abreast of one of the
faro tables when man leaped up with
an oath and discharged revolver full in
his face. The shot missed. Before his
unknown assailant could fire again the
astonished Flint had closed with him and
olnfohaI ha A