Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-17
BOUGHT AT AUCTION.

l Come, Courtney, lend me your ears for half an hour. for am in a pickle, ' exclaimed Fred Sawyer to his friend l Come up to my quarters I have something to show you, and-no joking I-I need your advice" IT YOU take 1t, it will be for the 1 flrst time" laughed good natured Courtney. Lead on and don't lose any 1 time in relieving this suspense. I'm not found of riddles, you know Why, yesterday I dropped Into the l saies-foom at a London station. You know, they sell off the uncalled for luggage at intervals, and a sale was 1 Just going on. A number Of the boys were there. and we each commenced l to bid for a trunk. I selected rather a small one, and-here we are! Come right in and view the burden of my, I woes."
 He led the way into pleasant apart ment and pointed to q small leather trunk which stood in the middle Of | the rooms
 "Qpen it. if you want to-" he said I've had enough of the confounded thing It's full of women's stuff, and what do you suppose can do with 1t? | l haven't an aunt or a cousin in the Keep it till you're married. Fred. These seem to be good clothes" said Courtney, peeping into the box and lifting the dainty garments with a half reverent touch, in spite of his laugh I ing face.
 "Humph! The idea of such advice from you, Why, old boy, I 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. Gaffrey would find them in spite of everything smell murder in the air and hunt around for the skull bones. No I'll dump the trunk in the river, that's what I will do." 'Pshaw! You're too sensible for that. These things cost money. lots of it, I imagine, and you paid some thing for them in the bargain. You might sell them to the secondhand no I've a better scheme than that. Why not so through the trunk syste- matically. find out the owners name and address-there are surely letters or something-and write to her, offer ing her the whole thing for reason- able sum ?''
 Do an act of charity and yet turn an hsnest penny Any one would know you are Scotch. But l must go back to the store and-Here! You have all the time there is; suppose you go through it for me. All I ask is that you will keep Mrs. McGaffrey out. Fare dieu!" And off he went.
 Courtney laughingly locked the door,
 
 he proceeded with his task. He won dered if the little battered trunk had been lost in some of the dreadful ca tastrophes he had read of. He im- agfned the owner killed and her body as well as luggage unidentified in the horrible excitement. They were girlish things-dainty veils and ribbons, ginghamN silks and snowy linen. He fingered over a small, worn slipper. and felt 3 thrill akin to that awakened in Cindereila's prince.
 "No clew yet he murmured Per haps there are letters ir this box
 It's catch was bent, but he wrenched it open and out flew-his own photo graph!
 He sat down plumb in a box of Iaees and stared On the other side were his initials and a date he had been trying for three years to forget, "June 9 1890"
 Nell Burrs trunk!" he exclaimed "Oh. my little girl. what has happened to you? Maybe some >one- No, here are your initials on this belt buckle, and your gloves were No S. and this slipper would just fit your 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 fiutter down in the November rain. I wonder why she kept them How many there are!"
 Unfastening the cord, he turned the letters over and found many of the envelopes scribbled upon by familiar hand. There were items jotted 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 0na-fnr a m bered-was written in ink this girlish confession. Al Courtney, I love you, but will never marry any one so in constant"
 Resting his head on the empty tray in silence, he exclaimed:-
 "I was @ fool-a consummate fool and now perhaps she is dead.'
 A noise aroused him, and in be- wildered way he surveyed the gar ments strewed on every side and gazed mournfully at the beautiful hat, through which he had run one foot, and the box of laces he had uncon- seiously used as a cushion. Fred would be coming in few minutes. He began repacking the things with ruthless haste and slowing the letters in his own pockets was lying lasily on the couch reading tue paper when his chun entered.
 Well" he cried, what mystery did you unearth ?''
 NO mystery at all" was the delib- crate answer, but the stuff as you call it. is worth something and would be a regular gold mine to a girl. I've notion to buy it from you and pre- sent it to my sisters. What will you take"
 "Oh. come! You're just doing that to help me out I know your benev-