Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-01-11
BLISS BOUGHT AT AUCTION.

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Come, Courtney, lend me your ears
for half an hour, for I'm in u pickle"
exclaimed Fred Sawyer to his friend.
Come UP to my quarters. l have
something to show You, and-no Jok-
lng-I need your advice"
IF you take 1t, it will be for the
first time" laughed good-natured
Courtney. Lead On, and don't lose
any time in relieving this suspense.
Pm not fond of riddles. you know
why, yesterday l dropped into the
saleroom at London station. You
know. they Sell of. the uncalled-for
luggage at intervals and sale was
just going on. A number of boys were
there, and we each commenced to bid
for a trunk. / 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 1t, IL you want to-" he said.
"Tye had enough of the COMPOUNDED
thing. It's full of woman's stuff. and
what do you suppose | can do with 1t?
l 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 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
and I'm not going to risk keeping
these things here and being taken for
a lady burglar Mrs Mccartney would
find them. in spite OF everything
smell murder In the air. and hunt
around for the skull bones No. III
dump the trunk In the river: that's
what IN do"
'Phawi You're too sensible FOR that.
These things cost money, lots of 1t.
imagine, and you paid something for
them, In the bargain. You might sell
them to the secondhand No, I've
got a 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 | must go
back to the store, and. Here, you
have all the time there Is; suppose
you 90 through 1t for me7 All ask
Is that you will keep Mrs. McGaffrey
out. Fare-dieur And of 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-
phes he had read OF; he imagined the
! owner killed and her body, as 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 CindereIla's
prince.
"No clue yet" he m1rmured. per
haps there are letters In this box"
| Its catch was bent, but he wrenched
I II open, and out fiew--a photograph
He sat down plump In box Of laces
! and stared. On the other side were
/ his initials, and date he had been
| trying three years to forget, "June 2.
1890"
\ "NeIl Burr's trunk he exclaimed.
"Oh, my little girl, what has happened
| to your 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.
| "My own-and they express the
greatest happiness life ever brought
me. They are like the leaves that
hutter down In the November rain.
wonder why she kept them. How
many there arer
christening the cord. he turned the
letters over. and found many Of the
envelopes scrubbed upon by famil.
lar hand. There were items jottsd
down to be remembered In answering.
and scraps Of poetry which had, moi
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
girllsh confession: "Al Courtney,
love you, but Will never marry anyone
so inconstant"
Resting his head ON the empty tray
In silence, he exclaimed
II was foOl-a consummate foolt--
and now. perhaps she's dead"
noise outsidearoused him. and In a
bewlIdered way he surveyed the gar
ments strewed on every side, aud
gazed mournfUlly at the beautiful hat
through which he had run one foot
, and the box OF laces he had uneof
sciously used for a cushion. Fred
would be coming In n few minutes
He began repacking the things with
ruthless haste. and. slowing the let
tiers In his own pockets. was lyini
lazily on couch. reading the paper
when his chum entered.