The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-11-07
BLISS BOUGHT AT AUCTION.

Come, Courtney lend me your ears
for half an hour, for Pm in a pickle,
exclaimed Fred Sawyer to his friend
come up to my quarters. l have
something to show you, and-no jok'
ing-1 need your advice"
If you take it, it will be for the
first time" laughed gooh-na tured
Courtney. Lead on, and don't lose
any time in relieving this suspense.
Pm not fond of riddles, you know"
why, yesterday dropped into the
Saleroom at a London station. You
know. they Sell off the uncalled-for
luggage 1T intervals and a sale was
just going on. a number of boys We're
there, and we each commenced to bid
for trunk. l selected rather a small
one, and-Here we are! Come right
in. and view the burden Of my woes -
He led the way into a pleasant
apartment, and pointed to a small
leather trunk which stood in the mid
die Of the room.
open it, if you want to-" he said
1--WE had enough of the COMPOUNDED
thing. It's full of womans stuff, and
what do you suppose I can do with it?
I haven't an aunt or a cousin in the
wide World.'
keep it till your married, Fred.
These seem to be good clothes,' said
Courtney. peeping into the box, and
lifting dainty garments, with a half
reverent touch, in spite Of his laugh
Ing face.
"Humph! The idea of such advice
from you! Why, old boy, shall not
marry for ten years-five anyway
md I'm not going to risk keeping
these things here and being taken for
Il lady burglar Mrs McGatfrey would
smell murder in the air, and hunt
around for the skull bones. No, I'll
dump the trunk in the river; that's
what I'll do
''Phaw! You're too sensible for that
These things cost money, lots of it.
imagine, and you paid something for
them, in the bargain. You might sell
them to the second-hand-. No, I've
got better scheme than that. Why
not go through the trunk systematic
ally, find out the owners name and
address-there are surely letters or
something write to her, Offering
her the whole thing for reasonable
sum-
''Do an act of charity, and yet turn
an honest penny. Anyone would
know you are Scotch. But l must go
back to the store, and. Here! YOU
have all the time there is: suppose
you so through it for me? All l ask
is that you will keep Mrs Mccartney
out Fare-dieu!' And off he went.
Courtney locked the door; but the
smiles soon left his face as he pro-
ceeded with his task. He wondered
if the little, battered trunk had been
lost in some Of the dreadful catastro-
Plies he had read Of; he imagined the
owner killed and her body, as we'll as
luggage, unidentified in the horrible
excitement.
They were girlish things-dainty
wells and ribbons, einghams, Silks
and snowy linen. He fingered over a
small, worn slipper, and felt a thrill
akin to that awakened in Cinderella's
prince.
mo clue yet" he m1rmured. "Per-
haps there are letters in this box"
It's catch was bent, but he wrenched
it open, and out f1ew-a photograph!
He sat down plump in box of laces
and stared. On the other side were
his initials, and a date he had been
trying three years to forget, "June ?,
1890"
Nell Burr's trunkv' he exclaimed.
"Oh, my little girl, what has happened
to you? Maybe someone. No,
here are your initials on this belt
buckle, and your gloves were No. 6,
and this slipper will just fit your dear,
little FOOT
The young man grew excited and
rapturous over each article; presently
he lifted package of letters from one
corner. :" ~ x
"My own-and they express the
greatest happiness life ever brought
me. They are like the leaves that
f1utter down in the November rain. I
wonder why she kept them. How
many there arcv'
christening the cord, he turned the
letters over. and found many of the
envelopes scrubbed upon by a famll-
lar hand. There We're items jotted
down to be remembered in answering,
and scraps of poetry which had, not
long since, reached his eye, and been
ever since cherished in his memory.
Upon the last one-for they were all
numbered-Was written in ink this
girlish confession: "Al Courtney. I
love you, but will never marry anyone
cn inconstant." ...0..
Resting his head on the empty trav
IN silence, he exclaimed
II was foo1-a consummate fool
aud now, perhaps she's dead"
A noise outsidearolsed him, and in a
bewildered way he surveyed the gar
ments strewed on every side, and
gaZed mOurnfljl1v at the heal1tifl1l ha +
through which he had run one foot,
and the box Of laces he had uncoil-
eciously used for a cushion. Fred
would be coming in few minutes.
He began repacking the things with
ruthless haste, and, slowing the let
tiers in his own pockets, was lying
lazily on couch, reading the paper,
when his chum entered.