The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-01-08
BOUGHT AT AUCTION

op 10 my quarters. ] have something Ia
show you, and-no joking-I need your
| advice"
g. II you take It, IL will be for the first
time" laughed good natured Courtney.
Lead on and don't lose any time In re-
neving this suspense. I'm not fond oi
riddles you know"
"Why, yesterday dropped into the sales
room at a London station. You know,
they sell of the uncalled for luggage at
intervals, and sale was just going on.
number OF the boys were there and we
each commenced TO bid for trunk. /
selected rather a small one and--here we
arel Come right In and view the burden
of my woes"
He led tho way into a pleasant apart
ment and pointed TO small leather trunk
which stood In the middle of the room.
open IL, II you want to-" he said.
i've had enough Of the COMPOUNDED thing.
It's full of woman's stuff, and what do
you suppose l can do with itS haven {
an aunt or a cousin in the wide world"
Keep IL till you're married, Fred.
These seem to be good clothes" said
Courtney, peeping into the box and lifting
dainty garments with a half reverent
touch, In spite OF his laughing face.
"Humphl The idea OF such advice from
you'll Why, old boy, shall not marry for
ten years-five anyway-and I'm not GO
Ing to risk keeping these things here and
being taken for a lady burglar. Mrs.
Gaffrey would find them in spite Of every
thing-smell murder In the air and hunt
around for the skull bones. No, I'll dump
the trunk In the river, that's what l will
do"
"Pshaw You're too sensible for that.
These things cost money, lots of il, i'm
agine, and you paid something for them
In the bargain. You might sell them TO
the secondhand-no, I've better scheme
than that. Why not go through the trunk
systematically, find out the owners name
and Ambassadors are surely letters or
something-and write to her, Offering her
the whole thing for reasonable sunni
DO an act Of charity, and yet turn an
honest penny. Any one would know you
are Scotch. But l must go back to the
store. and Herel You have all the time
there Is; suppose you go through 1t for
me. All ask Is that you will keep Mrs.
McGaffrey out. Fare-dieul" And off he
went.
Courtney laughingly locked the door,
but the smiles soon left his face as he pro-
ceeded with his task. He wondered il the
little battered trunk had been lost In some
Of the dreadful catastrophes 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 thrill akin to that awak-
ened IN 6 pderella's prince.
oIescIew yctr ne siin., X, " Per-
haps there are LEVERS In this box. "-'-s-ss,z
Its catch was bent, but he wrenched it
open and out Hew-his own photograph.
He sat down plump in box of laces and
stared On the other side were his initials
and u date he had been trying for three
years to forget June 2, 1890"
Nell Burr's trunkp' he exclaimed
"Oh, my little girl, what has happened to
your Maybe some one No, here are your
initials on this belt buckle, and your
gloves were No. 8, and this slipper would
just 1T your dear little foot
The young man grew excited and rap
turous over each article. Presently he lift
ed package Of letters from one corner.
"My own-and they express the greatest
happiness life ever brought me- They are
like the leaves that futter down In the
November rain. wonder why she kept
them. How many there are''
christening the cord, he turned the let
ters over and found many of the envelopes
scrubbed 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 ever since cherished in his memory.
Upon the last one-for they were all mum.
bered-was written In ink this girlish con-
fession, al Courtney, / love you, but
will never marry any one so inconstant.
Resting his head on the empty tray In
silence, he exclaimed:
II was fool-a consummate fool-and
now perhaps she Is dead
A noise aroused him, and In bewildcr-
ed way he surveyed the garments strewed |
on every side and gazed mournfully at the |
beautiful hat, through which he had run
one foot, aud the box of laces he had un. |
consciously used for cushion. Fred |
would be coming in a few minutes He
began repacking the things with ruthless |
haste, and slowing the letters In his own |
pockets was lying lazily on the couch read. |
ing the paper when his chum entered.
"well" he cried "what mystery did |
you unearthr'
"No mystery at all, +" was the deliberate
answer but the stuff, as you call it, il
worth something and would be a regular
gold mine to girl. I've notion TO buy
IL from you and present IL to my sisters.
What will you takef''
"oh come! You're just doing that to
help me out. know your benevolent old
heart. No, I'll follow your first advice
and hunt up the owner. 1t would be quite
and besides you limited that
might make u shilling or two by It, You
found her name and address there, didn't
your"
YES Al reluctantly answered. II
found her name and an address but IL Is
hardly likely you could find her after so
many years. You know they keep luggage ]
u long time before IL Is sold"
I'm not sure about that" said Fred
I've thought about IL all tho morning
and the idea grows on me. 1t will be rare
FUN to try, anyway. What did you say
the name wasy''
But no doubt this girl was killed.
luggage Is seldom lost except by some such
accident, and-and maybe she Is an old
Fred laughed immoderately
Just as III that would make an act OF |
,harity less meritorious. Old women don't
usually wear white lace hats, though.
You must have found something precious
u there--jewelry or something-which
makes you anxious to martyrize yourself.
is mine, however, and am not as anx
Gus 20 part with IL as was--not till I've
Ooked through IL anyway"
As he turned tho key Al remembered
hat his own photograph was lying in
onspicuous box and exclaimed.
Wait until after dinner, then. am
aif starvedf'