Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-02-14
AN EICHA NGE
OF BAGS
tCopyrirht 1904 by T. c. Mcclurel


1t happened twenty years ago, and to
this day l am puzzled to know how
exchanged bags with fellow traveller
on the train from London to Liverpool.
The exchange was made, however, and
&c SuactIy alike were the bags that +
supposed | had my own until | found
that my key would not open it. l ad-
vertiSed for the owner of the strange
bag and for the holder of my own, and
let six weeks elapse before taking the
bag to locksmith and having him fit
key.
l had met with no great loss in my
bag, and l gained nothing by the eX-
change. Aside from q few articles of
wearing apparel the strange bag con-
tanned only papers. l felt for time
that l had no right to read these docu-
ments, and they had been in my pos
session nearly six months before I
brought them out one evening and
spent two hours in their perusal.
was an old bachelor, and am to this
day for that matter. 1 was also bar
rister and am not so old but what I
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 cashiered in Egypt. They
proved him great scoundrel, taken
altogether, and my opinion was that
some one with a private grievance tc
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. l could not recall that l had
ever read OF 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 l was invited by !
q friend to dine with him at his club. !
The Leisure Hour club was respecta- |
bic i'll way, but had the reputation
of numbering 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 to
financial grief. After dinner l was
taken into the card room, and it was
there that l came face to face with Ma
1or 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 Frenchman and making no claim
to having been an officer.
You Will wonder how I recognized {
him. Ny profession has made me az
observing as a detective. The papers 6
contained 4 minute description of the
man-as minute as if he had been 8 '
murderer fleeing from justice. One Of
the points was 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 bull
let of dervish.
Before making any move in the mat.
ter l set myself to find out why the
major visited the club at all. l soon
discovered that the high play was the
magnet and the three of us who
him like so many hawks were
not long in making out that he was one I
IF the cleverest card sharpers Of the i
lay. He had been winner from the I
first, but was such a slick one that he c
had not been detected in cheating. We
made no mistake on him. Not a whis-
Der was permitted to get around until "
we had the most convincing proof that g.
ne was cheat and a swindler. t]
How he got on to me and the fact I
hat I had papers in my possession in \
him is a greater mystery O
han the exchange Of bags l have =
sometimes figured that he might have u
been the owner Of the bag I opened, q
laving perhaps stolen it from the right
'ul owIer. Something must have been
'aid in his hearing by some member Of
he club, as he never asked me CON
,erning the bags. Indeed, had. not ~
,assed ten words Of conversation with =,
lim. In some way that will never be :.
.iear to me he came to know or to "A
suspect that had the papers and had ic
lis plans accordingly. had my Office q
It that time in street Of the Strand.
t was up four flights and In the rear s,
md quite cut off from any other build u
ng.
1 can't say that expected a call
rom the major. I cannot even say
hat was sure he knew what whip
held over him and was prepared for
my move ON his part. II had figured
N his making any move at all it would
ave been to drop out Of sight and be
eard of in the club no more. Perhaps
his would have been his course had
lot the pickings been so good and had
e not been so sure that his rascalities
we're too deeply concealed to be ex-
osed.
1t was one dark and foggy February
ay that he appeared in my chambers