Smyrna times., 1895-10-02
Mystery of a Trunk.
BY LEE M'CRAE.

exclaimed Fred Sawyer, to his friend.
Come up TO my quarters, can't you ?
[ have something TO show you, and
no jOking-I need your advice"
IF you take it, it will be for the first
time" laughed good d-natured Courtney.
LEAD on, and don't lose any time in
relieving this suspense. Pm not fond
of pickles, you know?"
"Why, yesterday 1 dropped into the
railroad office. You know they sell of
the uncalled for baggage every once in
while, and a sale was just going on.
A number of the boys were there, and
we each bid off a 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 pleasant apart.
merit, and pointed to a small leather
trunk which stood in the middle of the
room.
open it, if you want to-" he said
i've had enough of the cOnfounded
thing us full of woman's stuff, and
what do YOU suppose l can do with it,
l haven't an aunt or cOnsin this side
the ocean"
keep it till you're married, Fred.
These seem to be good clothes, said
Courtney, peeping into boxes, and lift
ing dainty garments with half-rever-
ent touch, in spite of the laughing face.
"Humph! The idea of such advice
from you! Why, old boy, 1 shall not
marry for ten years-fve, any way
and Pm not going to risk keeping
these thiugs here and being taken for
a smuggler. Mrs. McGafFrey would
find them in spite of rything-smell
murder in the air. No, I'll dump the
trunk in the lake; that's what l will
do"
"Pshaw! 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
a better scheme than that Why not
go through the trunk Systematically
find out the owners name and address
there are surely letters or something
and write TO her, Offering her the
whole thing for reasonable sum?
DO an act of charity and yet turn
an honest penny! Any one would
know you are Scotch But I must 20
back to the store, and-say you have
all the time there Is; suppose you 20
throug it for me? All | ask is that YOU
will keep Mrs. McGafTrey ou. Fare
dieu !" Aud of be went.
Courtney laughingly locked the
door; but the Smiles soon left his face
as he proceeded with his task. He
wondered if the little battered trunk
Lad been lost in some of the dreadful
catastrophes he had read of; he ina
gined tine owner killed, and her body
as well as baggage unidentified in the
horrible excitement.
They were girlish things; dainty
wells and ribbons, ginghams, silks, and
piles Of snowy linen. He fingered over
small, worn slipper, aud felt thrill
akin to that awak kened in Cinderella'a y
prince,
mo ciew yet," he murmured. "Per-
haps there are letters IN this box"
Its catch was bent, but he wrenched
it open, and out few-his own photo.
graph
He sat down plump in box of laces
and stared. On the other side were
his initials, and date he had been
trying for three ears to forget, "June
2, 1890"
Nell Burr's trunk !" he exclaimed
"Oh, my little girl, what has happened
to you? Maybe some one-uO, here
are your initials on this belt buckle, and
your gloves were number six, and this
slipper would 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.
MY Own-and they express the
greatest happiness that life ever brought
me. They are like the leaves that
hutter down in the November rain.
wonder why she kept them How
many there are
christening the cord, he turned the
letters over and found many of the en-.
velopes scribbled upon by familiar
hand. There were items iOtted down
to be remembered in answering, and
scraps of poetry which had not long
since reached his eye, and been eveI
since cherished in his memory. Upon
the last one, for they were all mum.
bered, was written in ink this girlish
confession "Al Courtney, love you
but L will never marry any one so in.
constant ~
Resting his head on the empty tray
in silence, he exclaimed: "I was foo
"a consummate fool land now, per-
haps, she is dead ~
The noon whistle aroused him. and
IN bewildered way he surveyed the
garments strewed on every side, and
gazed mournfully at the beautiful hat
through which he had run one foot
and the box of laees he had uncon-
sciously used for a cushion. Fred
would be coming in a few minutes. He
began packing the things with ruth.
less haste, and slowing the letters iu
his own pockets, was lying lazily or
the couch, reading the paper, when
his chum entered.
"Well !" he cried, what mystery die
you unearth?"
mo mystery at ALL" was the de-
liberate answer; "but the stuff, as you
call 1t, Is worth something, and would
strike girl as a real bonanza; SO I've
notion to buy it of you and present
it to my sisters. What will you take?'
"Oh, come! You're just doing thai
to help me out. l know your benevo.
lent old heart. No, I'll follow youl
first advice, and hunt up the owner
1t would be quite romantic, and, be
sides, you limited that l might make {
dollar by it. You found her name anC
address there, didn't you ?"
"Yes," AL reluctantly answered, "a
found her name and address, but it i,
hardly likely you could find her after
so many years. You know they keeE
baggage a long time before it is sold }
Pm not sure about that" said Fred
i've thought about it all the morning
and the idea grows on me. It will be
rare fun to try anyway. What die
you say the name was ?n
but, no doubt, this girl was killed
baggage is seldom lost except by
some such accident, and-and maybe
she is an old woman"
Just as if that would made an act O.
charity less meritorious Old women
don't usually wear white lace hats
though. You must have found some
thing precious in there-Iewelry. OF
something-which makes you anxious
to martyrize yourself. It's mine, how.
ever, and am not as anxious to part