The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-10-19

ANY advice for sale, Larry? Cheap
Then come along with me, for am II
a dickens OF a fix!' cried Ross Court
ney, collaring his chum and leading
him off per force to the boarding
house he called home.
It's a case of excess baggage he
continued, as the two went up the
broad stairs two steps at a jump.
You see. Percy Miles and ! hap
pened into the railroad office where
they were auctioning off old, uncalled
for luggage, and just for fun each oil
us bid in a trunk. | selected a small,
mannish looking one, and, here we
are! Come and view the burden OF
my woes"
He led the way into a pleasant room,
pointed solemnly at a little leather
covered trunk in the middle o. the
floor, threw himself lazily upon q
couch, and exclaimed:
Open the COMPOUNDED thing! It's
full of a woman's stuff. Percy got a
fine overcoat in his, and some ne"
ties and things. But what a this
unincumbered man do with that tog.
gery?'
'Keeb'it till you're married." sug'
gested Larry.
Married! The girl I'd marry
wouldn't touch secondhand clothes!
BESIDES, ! daren't keep it here. Mrs
Landlady is too curious. No I'll Just
DUMP it in the lake some dark night
and make a mystery for the police"
And incidentally get yourself into
more trouble. But why such cruel
waste? These things cost money
lots of it. | imagine-and you paid
a dot in the bargain. Suppose you
| give it to some grown-up orphan
asylum, ONO, | say, Ross, go
through it Systematically and find out
the owners name and address--it is
surely on something-then write to
her, offering to sell the whole thing
back for a trifle."
Good. Do an act of charity and
turn an honest penny by it, Scotch
you surely are. But there's the din
ner gong. Won't you go down with
me?'
NO; had mine. I'll stay here and
rummage for you, If you like"
wish you would. Only lock Mrs.
McGaffey out"
Courtney disappeared, the door was
bolted, and Larry turned back to the
battered little trunk with a loo OF
pity on his handsome face, Had 1t
been lost in one of the awful catas-
trophies he had read about; its owner
killed and her body, like the baggage,
unidentified? How else would a val
liable trunk remain unclaimed? They
were girlish things, dainty wells, rib
bons, ginghams, silks and piles of
snowy linen. He fingered over a pair
of half-worn slippers, thinking of Gin
derella and her prince.
But not the sign of a clew!" he
murmured. Perhaps there are let
ters in thi1 box"
It's catch was bent; he wrenched 1t
open, and out f1ew-his photograph!
He sat down plump upon a lace
hat and stared. On the back of it
were his initials in his W handwrit.
ing, and a date he had put upon but
one photograph. Beneath the picture
were all the letters and scraps of
notes he had ever sent Nell Burr; also
some comical pencil sketches he had
made of II never-to-be-forgotten pic.
nicing day, and some little trinkets
he had given her.
Only one bit of paper bore other
Handwriting than his own. Unfolding
t, he read:
20 to call back the days that are not!
Mine eyes were blinded, your word:
were few.
VIII you know the truth this side o.
Heaven?
Larry! Larry! Tender and true!'
He bent his head upon the brown
trunk and groaned aloud: "And now
YOU are dead, dead! Oh, NELL"
How the old love song Douglas
Douglas, tender and true brought
back the happy days they had spent
together! And now its revised
words revealed her heart and showed
him how sadly he had misunderstood
her. And she was dead, dead!
Courtney's heavy tread on the stall
aroused him from stupor to quick &C
ton. The photo and letters were
crammed back into the little box
which he hastily hid under his shape
less old Panama; then, unlocking the
door. he met his old friend with 4
stolid sort of a smile, exclaiming:
You're right! There's not a thins
in it to tell whose it is. But | tell you
what Sell it to me to give to tina
poor little cousin of mine who l.
working her way through norma
school,"
BLESS your benevolent old boots
But surely there's a clew somewhere
in it! 1t would be so romantic t
hunt her up. She's young, and II
bet she's pretty, judging by all thi'
iummery. Let me take a whirl a
it," and the jolly fellow threw oper
the Nd with a bang that struck
chill to Larry's heart.
Filled with terror lest Ross should