St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-01-11

Il
quite romantic, and. besides, you hintet
that I might make . shilling or tw,
by it. You found her name and addres,
there. didn't you?"
YES" Al reluctantly answered.; 81
found her name and an address, but il
is hardly likely that you could find hel
after SO many years. You know, the,
keep luggage . long time before it il
Sold"
I'm not sure about that" said Fred
1--WE thought about it all the morning
and the idea grows on me. 1t will b,
rare fun to try. anyway. What did 70,
say the mc'was?"
But no doubt this girl was killei
luggage is seldom lost except by som,
such accident, and maybe she il an ole
woman"
Fred laughed immoderately.
''Just as if that would mske an ao,
Of charity less meritorious. C2d WON
en- don't usually wear white lace hats
though. You must have found sorae
thing precious in there-jewelry, OF
something-which makes you anxiou,
to martyrize yourself. It's mine. how
ever, and I'm not as anxious to par
with it as l was-not till I've looked
through it, anyway"
| As he turned the key Al remembered
that his own photograph was lying In
J a conspicuous box. and exclaimeds
"Wait until after dinner, then; I'm q
half starved"
Perhaps it would he better" was the
answer. and they passed out together.
When fairly downstairs AL said he
had forgotten his handkerchief, and
few hack three steps at time to get it
Securing the picture and placing it in
an inside pocket, he said to himself:
''Snrely there's nothing else to give
me away. But must wheedle him out
of the trunk"
After dinner Fred ''went through"
the contents Of the trunk, making boy
ish remarks concerning each article as
he threw it aside. Al inwardly WINGED
at these remarks, and could scarcely re-
strain himself from knocking him over
on the spot.
"What makes you 80 crusty p queried
Fred, suddenly, AZ one of his choicest
Jokes was met by q grun 'H'm!"
There's no fun in you, and why you
want this stuff beats me. Your sisters
would turn up their noses at second
hand clothing, il it is pretty. But It
isn't worth fussing over, so take Il
1iong. No doubt it would prove white
elephant on my hands sooner or later =
Not until the trunk was safely in his
room could Al breathe freely; even
then it was no easy matter to keep II
out of his sisters sight. They both
made q pet and coniidant of their ono
brother, and had . fashion Of dropping
into his room at all hours to tell him Of
their schemes and woes. He had pushed
the trunk under . mahogany table in
the corner, the old-fashioncd cover Of
which reached almost to the floor.
When he told them he Was going
away for little business "trip" they
beset him with questions and petitions
to be taken with him, finally declaring
that they would clean house while he
was gone. and sort out his trash"
So behold him. in the dead Of night.
carrying the white elephant" up the
narrow attic stairs, humping his head
on every rafter and getting cobwebs on
his mustache. He covered 1t with old
clothing, pushed . big box in front Of
it and then crept downstairs. feeling as
guilty as If he had been concealing some
crime. At breakfast the girls both
talked at once about the burglar who
tried to get in, and how they pounded
ON AIS door and could not even get an
answer.
At noon he was on, and a. the train
whirled onward he became possessed
with fears. She might not be Ut
Hastings; she might not care for him
after these three years; she might even
be married or dead.
Arriving at his destination at last, he
only stopped to leavehis bag st the hs,-
tel. and walked rapidly to familiar
house in the suburbs. Ringing the bell
he inquired for Miss Bnrr in . matter Of
fact way, n If he had seen her the day
before. He watched the girls face ~
he spoke, and saw NO trace Of surprise.
She simply said:
"Miss Burr may not he able to 80
you. but come In, and will ask"
= Presently he was shown into q small.
sunny f6om. where, on couch. lay the
one girl he had ever loved. He meant
to explain at once the cause Of his fool
ish going and eager coming. all ofwhich
he had framed into frank, beautiful SEN
tences; but somehow they forsook him,
and he fell back ON the commonplace.
She received him with quiet words OF
welcome, and then said:
Pardon my position, but I am such
an invalid that It u trial to sit up"
IAN invalid!" he echoed. family.
"Yes." she answered. did you not
hear Of my accident several months
ago? On coming home from . visit !
stopped for day or SO in London ho-
tel. The building caught iire . few
hours after /. entered IL. Tho horror
Of the scene il 80 stamped = branded
would be . more appropriate word
ON my memory that 1 cannot bear 70
talk Of it. lost everything except the
ulster which was wrapped about me,
and would have lost my life but tor the
brave fireman who broke my fall. Oh.
no, am not seriously injured" she con-
tinued, il answer to his half-spoken
question, though have been Ill ever
since. 1t was such . shock, you know.
BY deft questioning he succeeded IN
making her say:
"Yes, lost my trunk. 1t was left at
the station Il expected to 80 In day
or two), and the deposit ticket was de-
stroyed with my pocketbook. Railway
people are necessarily particular about
identifying luggage, and for weeks l
was too i'll to even remember It. 1se-
sides. l had only gone for . short out
ing. and It held nothing Of much value.
except scEae keepsakes that were dear
to me-"
4 deep flush stole over her face q
these words: he watched it for deli
.,s~~,,~ r,,o,u>uf and than 1mthered her