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


BLISS BOUGHT AT AUCTION
Come. Courtney, lend me your ear!
for half an hour. for am in a picket
exclaimed Fred Sawyer to his friend
'Come up to my quarters. Ihave some
thing to show you, and-no joking
need your advice"
IF you take it, it will be for the frs,
time, laughed good-naturedC Courtney
lead on. and don't lose any time in re
lieving this suspense. I'm not fond oi
riddles. you know"
why. yesterday dropped into the
ealeroom. at q London station. Yol
know, they sell or the uncnlled-for lug.
gage at intervals, and sale was Just 90.
ingon. Anumber of the boys were there
and we each commenced to bid for a
trunk. l selected a rather small one
and Here we are! Como right IN
and view the burden of my woes.''
He led tie way into pleasant apart
ment ands painted to a small leather
trunk whfoh stood in the middle Of the
room.
"Open It. If you want to-" he said
1--WE had enough of the confounded
thing. It's full of woman's stuff, and
what do you suppose 1 can do with II! :!
haven't an aunt or cousin in the wide
world"
keep 1t till you're married. Fred
These seem to be good clothes" said
Courtney, peeping into the box and lift
ing dainty garments with a half-rev-
erent touch, in spite of his laughing
face.
"Humph! The idea Of such advice
from you! Why, old boy. shall not
marry for ten nyears-dve. anyway
I'm not going to risk keeping these
things here and being taken for a lady
burglar. Mrs. McGa1frey would find
them in spite of everything-smell
murder in the mir, and hunt around for
the skull bones. No, I'll dump the
trunk in the river; that's what Ill do. =
"Pshaw! You're too s ensible for
that. These things cost money-lots of
it, iinagine-and you paid something
for them in the bargain. You might
sell them to the esecond-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. Anyone would know
YOU are Scotch. But must 60 back to
the store, and Here! yeu have all
the time there is; suppose you go
through it for me? All ask is that
you will keep Mrs. Mctiafrey out.Fare-
dieu!" And off he went.
Courtney laughingly locked the
door; but the smiles soon left his face
as he proceeded with his task. He won
dered if the little battered trunk had
been lost in some Of the dreadful catas-
trophies he had read of; he imagined
the owner killed and her body IN well
as luggage unidentified in the horrible
excitement.
They were girlish things dainty
wells and ribbons, ginghams, silks and
snowy linen. He fingered over a
small, worn slipper. and felt a thrill
akin to that awakened in Cinderella's
prince.
No clew yet,- he murmured. Per
haps there are letters in this box"
Its catch was bent, but he wrenched
it open and out dew-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 try
ing for three years to forget: "June
%, 1890"
"Nell Burr's trunk" he exclaimed.
''Oh. my little girl, what has happened
to you? Maybe some one. No, here
are your initials on this belt buckle,
and your gloves were number six. and
this slipper would just fit your dear lit
tie foot"
The young man grew excited and
iapturous over each article; presently
he lifted q package of letters from one
corner
Ny own-and they express the
greatest happiness life ever broueAt
me. They are like the leaves that int
ter down in the November rain.
wonder why she kept them. How nany
there are!"
unfastening the cord. he turned -
letters over and found many Of the
envelopes scribbled upon BY familiar
hand. There were 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 oil num-
bered-was written in ink this Rirlish
confession: M Courtney, love you.
but will never marry anyone SO incon-
sfant."
Resting his head on the empty tray in
silence. he exclaimed:
Il was fool-a consummate fool
and now. perhaps. she is dead"
noise outside aroused him, and in q
bewildered way he surveyed the gar
ments stre,ved on every side. and pazct1
monrnfully al the beautiful hat through
which he had run one foot. and the box
Of taces he had unconsciously used for
cushion. Fred would he coming ~
few minutes. He began repacking the
things with ruthless haste, and. stow
ing the letters in his own pockets, was
lying iazily on the couch reading the
paper when his chum entered.
50 A1} ~
you unsarth :"
No mystery 1t ALL ~as the deliber-
wer; but the stun. as you cali
~ is worth something, and would - !.
4 sular gold nlins to gin. rr . no
ttop e bug : from you and present Il
1oAy sisters. WbAt Vim go takeY.
qQlne:: ~ tre just doin~ ~ "a