Evening journal., 1905-05-05
AN EXCHANGE
OF BAGS

ICopyright. 1904, by T. c. McClureI
It happened twenty years ago. and to
this day am puzzled to know how /
exchanged bags with a fellow traveller
on the train from London to Liverpool.
The exchange was made, however, and
so exactly alike were the bags that
supposed had my own until l found
that my key would not open 1t. I ad-
vertised for the owner Of the strange
bag and for the holder of my own, and
l let six weeks elapse before taking the
bag to a locksmith and having him fit a
key.
had met with no great loss in my
bag, and / gained nothing by the ex-
change. Aside from a few articles OF
wearing apparel the strange bag con-
tained only papers. felt for a time
that had no right TO read these docu-
ments, and they had been in my pos
session nearly six months before l
brought them out one evening and
spent two hours in their perusal.
was an old bachelor, and am to this
day for that matter. was also q bar
rlster and am not so old but what 1
dabble in law a bit yet. The papers
were carefully prepared legal docu-
ments bearing on the case of Major
Saunders, an English army officer who
had been cashlered in Egypt. They
proved him a great scoundrel, taken
altogether. and my opinion was that
some one with a private grievance to
satisfy had employed a lawyer and a
detective to trace the majors record
back for many years and make him
out as guilty OF almost everything but
murder. / could not recall that l had
ever read or heard Of him and certain
ly had no idea Of ever meeting him
face to face. Strange things happen In
this world, however.
On the second afternoon after my
perusal of the papers 1 was Invited by
a friend to dine with him az his club
The Leisure Hour club was respecta.
BILE in a way, but had the reputation
Of numbering a good many high rollers
among its members. There was al.
ways play going on, and it was so high
that more than one man had come tC
financial grief After dinner / was
taken into the card room. and 1t was
there that l came face to face with Ma
jor Saunders. He had come home from
Egypt and changed his name and by
avoiding the military clubs had escap
ed recognition. Indeed, he was posing
as a Frenchman and making no claim
to having been an officer.
You will wonder how I recognized
him. Ny profession has made me as
observing as o detective The papers
contained n minute description Of tn,
man-as minute as If he had been {
murderer fleeing from justice. One o.
the points was a particular scar on his
face. another was the shape of his nose
another was a slight limp in his gait
still another was finger missing from
his left hand. carried away by the bul
let Of q Cervish.
Before making any move in the mat
ter I set myself to find out why th'
major visited the club at all l sooi
discovered that the high play was tn
magnet ana the three Of us VIII
watched him like so many hawks wer
not long in making out that he was on
OF the cleveTest card sharpers Of tn
day. He had been n winner from tn
first. but was such a slick one that b
had not been detected in cheating. "
made no mistake on him. Not a whis
per was permitted to get around unit
we had the most convincing proof tina
he was Il cheat and a swindler.
How he got on TO me and the fac
that had papers in my possession in
eliminating him is a greater myster
than tie exchange of bags. hav
sometimes figured that he might hav
been the owner Of the bag l opened
having perhaps stolen it from the right
ful owner. Something must have bee
said in his hearing by some member. @
the club. as he never asked me cor
ccrning the bags. Indeed. l had nc
passed ten words of conversation wit
him. In some way that will never b
oiAar to me he capas IN tnnw nu