Manfred's Quest: Or, The Mystery of a Trunk — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

MANFRED’S QUEST. ** Then don’t attempt to threaten me.” -- Well, we will consider all threats withdrawn.” °* All right. *” *¢ JT wish to find that trunk, and in order to do so, I must find the party who took it away. F “TI vuess that is your best plan.”’ «You must aid me.’ **T’ve had trouble enough about that trunk already. Y'll have nothing more to say about it. ”” ‘¢ T’ll make it worth your whilel’’ You will?” é¢ Yes. 2? ta How??? ‘* Help me to find the party who took the trunk, and I will give you two hundred and fifty dollars. *’ ** You will?” °° T will.”’ ‘* See here, I might as well out with it.’” ** Out with what?’’ ** The truth. ” ** What is the truth?’’ ‘* Your checks are crooked!” ‘* My checks are crooked?’’ é¢ Yes. 33 ** What do you mean?’? ‘‘They are not the genuine duplicate checks; those checks of yours do not belong to our road.” The man turned pale and appeared very much discon- certed. ‘* Young man, you are making a grave charge.” **T will stand by it, that’s all!’’ . ** We will talk about: the checks later on; meantime I wish to find the party who claimed and carried off the trunk.”’ **T can not aid you.” ** Yes, you can.”? **T can not.”’ ** Yes, you can.’’ | 66 How?” ** You can describe the party. ” A moment the baggageman was lost in thought, but at length said: **T won’t do it!” CHAPTER XVIIL THERE followed an awkward silence. The baggageman had spoken in such a determined tone, the questioner ap- peared to be momentarily nonplused, but after a moment said : ‘* Yes, you will.”” **T will?”’ Ge Yes.’ 4 “*T reckon not.’ **T will make it an object to you.” ‘You can’t make it an object to me.”? *©T will give you five hundred dollars for information that will lead to the recovery of the trunk.” ‘*T would not take any price. If I could recover the trunk I would return it to the rightful owner.” - ** Who is the rightful owner?” The baggageman was about to make an answer, when the detective stepped forward and said: “* Are you the baggage-master?” é4 ] am. 5 “*T came to inquire about a trunk.” ‘*I suppose you are after the mysterious trunk? ” ex- eaimed the baggageman. ive. ‘**T am after a lost trunk.” ** Can you describe it?” ** Certainly. ’’ ‘* Have you the checks?” ee Yes.” ** Let me see them.” ‘*T will produce the checks when I see the trunk.“ ‘¢ What sort of a trunk is it?” ‘© A small trunk marked M. M. 8.” | The baggageman uttered an exclamation of impatience, and the man who had been seeking to bribe the baggage: man fixed a keen glance on the inquirer. ‘‘ There is no such trunk here as you describe,” ‘* Tt was here?’” 3 Yes. 33 *¢ Where is it?” ** Gone. ”’ ** Gone, eh?” as Yes!?? ** Who took it?’” ‘* A party who produced the checks.” ** The checks were forgeries!’’ ‘* Here is a gentleman inquiring for that trunk.” The detective turned and fixed his eyes on the man and asked: ** Inguiring for which trunk?” “* The same one that you are after.’’ ‘*That can not be, or else there is a mistake some- where.’?” °* He has checks. 2 **Can I see your checks, sir?” demanded the detect ** No, sir!’’ *¢ Why not?”” ‘*T don’t choose to show them.?” ‘* You are looking for a trunk?’ é¢ Y es. 23 ‘* But it is not probable you and I are looking for the same trunk. ’’ **T am looking for a trunk. marked M. M. 8.” - ** Whom do you represent when you seek the trunk??? ** That is none of your business.” ‘* You are very rude.’ The detective turned and walked away. He was fol- lowed by the man who had been seeking the mysterious trunk. Manfred had accomplished thus far that which he the most desired. He wanted the man to follow him. Our hero walked along until an opportunity offered when he jumped on a car, and he had not gone far when he dise covered that his pursuer was on the same car. The detective left the car at a convenient point and walked along until he reached Union Square Park. He entered the park and took a seat upon one of the benches, and taking a paper from his pocket put on a pair of glasses and pretended to be reading. A few moments passed and the trunk seeker took a seat alongside of our hero, and after an interval, said: ** I believe you have lost a trunk??? <3 Bh??? ‘* T believe you have lost a trunk.” °° That’s funny. ”” ‘¢ What is funny?’’ ** That you should accuse me of having lost a trunk.” **I was present when you were inquiring for it.”? The detective removed his glasses and fixed his eyes on the man. ‘<I don’t remember ever having seen you before. omicbooks.« Se EE SE SORE pee Ee, “ae _ oe Pe a eee Ss “sks ae