Manfred's Quest: Or, The Mystery of a Trunk — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘*T can not do so.” The detective smiled and answered: ‘Yes, you can.”’ He touched a bell and a few mo- ments later a plain-looking woman entered the room. ‘¢ Mrs. Delmar,” said Manfred, “‘ this lady will become your guest for a few days. ”’ ‘*’She is welcome,”’ said the plain-looking woman. Matters were duly arranged and our hero told Mrs. Sil- ver that she must remain within doors until such time as he could make certain inguiries. It was so agreed. Late on an old man of respectable appearance left the house. He went straight to the freight office and there was the same man on duty who had been haunted by the trunk. The old gentleman advanced to the counter and asked: ** Have you had a lost trunk here?”’ A queer look came over the baggageman’s face as he muttered: ‘‘ Hang it, I believe it’s that same th getebioh trunk again.” ‘What mysterious trunk?” inquired the old man. ** Have you lost a trunk, sir?’’ €é 1 Mages ** Will you describe it?’’ ** Tt was a large sole-leather trunk.’’ ** And what train did it come by?’’ ‘The Saratoga train.” ‘* When was it shipped?” ‘* About three days ago.”’ The baggageman heaved a sigh of relief and muttered: ‘¢ Well, it ain’t the mystery trunk, after all.” ‘¢ What do you mean by the mystery trunk, young man?”’ ‘* Nothing, sir.”’ ‘¢-You must mean something.” ** Why, sir?’ ‘*'You have made several allusions to a mysterious trunk.” ‘¢ Well, it was not your trunk, sir.’’ ‘¢ No, but I’ve heard about a mysterious trunk.’’ ‘You have, sir?”’ €é Yes.’ 2 ‘* ‘When?”’ ‘¢ Within the last few weeks.”’ ‘* Where, sir?’’ ‘¢ At a baggage-room in Philadelphia. ’’ ‘¢ What about the trunk, sir?’’ - ©* Tt was a trunk left over _ never called for.” ‘¢That often happens, sir.’ ‘¢ Yes, but there was something peculiar about this trunk of which I speak.’’ ‘* What was peculiar about it?’’ ‘‘The baggageman became very much worked up about it. 39 “ How did it affect him?’ *¢ Tt haunted him.”’ The baggageman became deeply interested, and said: ** It haunted him?’’ | 66 Vog 7? ** That is funny, because it is a common thing to have trunks left over.’ **'Yes, but the baggageman told 1 me there was something very peculiar about the trunk of which I speak. He dreamed about it, and he told me his dream.’’ ‘* What did he dream?”’ ‘* He dreamed there came a voice from the trunk saying: ‘Open me, open me!’ ” The baggage-master turned pale. ** Did you see the trunk, sir?” tell you it is a very mysterious affair. trunk I had here.” never saw. < \ MANFRED’S QUEST, ‘* Yes; he showed it to me.”’ The baggageman looked at the old man sharply; the lat- ter was a benevolent-looking man, a genuine old fellow, as he appeared. ‘S What did the trunk look like?’’ << Tt was a small new trunk—looked like a hat-box. ” The baggageman became even more deeply interested and actually turned pale. ‘* Was there a name on the trunk, sir?’’ ‘* Only initials. ”’ ‘** Did you see them?”’ we Yes. I? *< What were they?” ede Bh! Oe The baggageman gave a start. ‘¢' This is wonderful!’’ he ejaculated. ‘‘ Wonderful?’ repeated the old man. é¢ Yes. 33 . The baggageman studied the face of the old eoetlitelil even more carefully, and at length said: ‘*T don’t understand it, sir. ”’ ** Don’t understand what?” ‘This that you have just told me.’’ ** Well, it was a little peculiar. ** You are giving me guff, sir!” ** Giving you guff?”’ ¢é Yes. 33 ** What is ‘ guff ’?’’ ** Oh, you know what you are talking about.” ** Certainly I do; I am not a fool.” ‘* Some one tofd you about the trunk I had here.”? ‘* No, sir; I know nothing about a trunk you had here, save what you have told me yourself.”’ ** I have told you nothing. ’’ ‘* You told me you had a trunk left on your hands.”” ** ‘When did I tell you so?’’ ** Just now.’ ** Did I?” ¢¢ Yes. 33 °* And you are not giving me ‘ guff ” ‘You are making fun of me, young man.” °° No, I am not.’’ **'Then what do you mean?’’ ** T had a trunk here.’’ ** So you said.” ** Tt troubled me.’’ ** Did it?” ‘* Yes, but it has troubled me a great deal more, since I I dreamed about the 999 ‘* Let me see it.”’ ‘* Tt is gone.”’ ** Gone, eh?’’ é¢ Yes. 33 **'Then what are you bothering about?” * That trunk wlil get me into trouble yet; but the most mysterious part of it is that you have described the trunk.” ** T have described it?’ éé¢ Yes. 7? ‘* How could I describe it?” ‘* 'There’s the mystery, sir; that is what I do not under- stand. *’ CHAPTER XVI. ‘It is impossible that I could have described what I !’? said our hero. ** You did describe it.”’ kS.com