The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-06-01
GNiboooux 5cutiue\.
A BAG OF MYSTERY.
IT UPSET THE EQUILIBRIUM OF A CAR.
LOAD OF BROOKLYNiTEs.
The Peace of Mind Which the Resident ef
Brooklyn Puts on With His Sunday
Clothes Greatly Disturbed by the Strange
Young Mans Actions.

There was an odd little episode in a
Brooklyn ."olley car of the FIatbush line
on a recent Sunday afternoon, which
gave rise tc an amusing comedy of coz
fict between the natural Curiosity Of
human nature and the civilized obliga
tiou to restrain 1t.
Tho Flatbush and Flatlands line runs
away out into the region Of corn1ields,
truck farms and forests, lately gathered
into Broollyn's municipal area. When
the Car started from the end of the route
1t had a one passenger, Il pleasant
faced young man who carried a large
leather handbag. He was well dressed,
but his clothes We're covered With dust
and his shoes with mud, suggesting that
he had been roaming across lots in the
rnral wa-t!s. As the car approached and
passed Prospect park it filled up with
Sunday ~stroliors.
The young man sat beside the stove,
with his bag on his knees. After awhile
lie opened tbs bag Il triie. shook it
gently and pccr.i attentlvely inside.
~. iiN lsS - B-ti't IA IN III "
lie gently stirring up its contents. The
passengers sitting directly opposite to
him became Interested in his Goincs,
but he GiGnt look Up. After shaking
the bag from SIDE to see for a little
while he bent over aud became interest,"
ed III some mysterious l2s!ness which
for the rest of the trip absorbed his en-
tir3 ,t+r-t1,, ,",.l H., tl,., 6 -, T,Jlo,-
passengers.
ilo reached down into the bag with
his right hand, lifted out something
carefully III tho hollow of his palm,
weighed it carefully. held il to his ear,
shook it, held it to his ear again and
then decisively reached around and put
it into his overcoat pocket. Then he
reached into tho bag again and Went
through the same motions, except that
this time he placed the something care
fully in Il corner of the bag. First one
and then another of the passengers be-
came interested in tho young man and
his performance until very soon every
II was peering closely, some almost
painfully, over ut him and his bag. But
he never looked up. By and by the con-
ductor came in and walked nervously
the length Of the car several times, peer
ing into tho young mans bag as he
xpassed. But the bag was open only a
fritle, and he could see nothing Of its
IcontentS. BE went outside and discussed
the matter with a man vino stood On
the platform.
The young man, intensely absorbed
in his performances and seemingly al
together obvious OF the intense inter
est of the other passengers i'll him, kept
steadily on, lifting ont invisible some
things, weighing them, listening to
them, shaking them and sorting them
over. Once in awhile he lifted out bits
of twigs and leaves and threw them on
the floor. The passengers eyed them
over attentively, but could make moth
ing out Of them. Soon they began wilis-
pering II to another about the mystic
rious doings of the Young man, and the
women moved %nervously around, and
IL or two men looked as though they
were determined to ask the young man
for an explanation if he looked up. But
he didn't look up. Once in awhile a
passenger got out and tried hard to peer
into the bag as ho passed it. but useless
~. The situation was painful and was
also intensely comical to one passenger
who was almost as much Interested i'll
watching the i'll concealed curiosity and
strained nervousness of the passengers as
IN trying to fathom the mystery of the
young mans performance. Probably if
it had been any other day than Sunday
some one would have plucked up cour-
age to ask a simple although maybe im-
pertinent question and so relieve the
general strain. But the restraint i'm
posed by Sunday clothes held every one
back.
Finally when the car was entering
Fulton street. the young mai suddenly
looked out of the window. closed the
bag with a nap and hurried out of tho
car. There was a movement on the part
Of the other passengers, partly of alarm
at the escape Of the young man with
the mystery unsolved and partly perhaps
of relief at the end of the suspense. One
man made a quick jump after the mys-
ferrous young man and caught him for
4 few second as he was about to leave
the car.
"What've y get: Whatever doing:n
he asked, regardless of all proprieties.
The young man looked surprised and
then smiled and said:
"Oh, cocoons, chrysalides, moths, you
know. I've been gathering them out in
the country, and | sell them to the nat
uralists. Then he jumped off the car.
The impulsive, inquisitiye man re-