Manfred's Quest: Or, The Mystery of a Trunk — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Nn unentit HHH Mi it | iu i http na i ~ MRED S eo oy OLD eee + ian anes inane onan at SKN Sa NAG =) inci sua aae ee <2 oS TUM A SERIES OF THE “MOST. ‘THRILLING DETECTIVE STORIES “EVER PUBLISHED. | NUMBER. | GEORGE MUNRO, PUBLISHER, Nos. 17 to 27 VANDEWATER STREET, NEw YORE. {5 CENTS. Old Sleuth Library, Issued Quarterly.—By Subscription, 25 cents per Annum. or 1887, by George Munro,—Entered at the Post Office at New York at Second Class Rates.—Aug. 3, 1887. Copyrighted 1886 and 1887, by George Munro, MANFRED’S QUEST: Or. THE MYSTERY OF A TRUNK. By OLD SLEVUT=E. CHAPTER I. ‘* THERE’S something queer about that trunk!’’ The speaker was the baggage-master of one of the rail- road termini in New York City. ; There were a number of men standing around who over- heard the remark, and among them was a handsome, shrewd-faced young man who had been the chief actor in @ number of singular adventures. The young man alluded to®tood smoking a cigar, but as the baggage-master spoke, his eye followed the direction indicated by the speaker, and his glance rested on a small, new trunk on which was painted the initials, ‘* Miss M. BM Sa. ¥.” Having uttered the remark, the baggage-master went about his business, and was actively engaged for fully an hour, when his duties became less imperative, and it was then the young man who had so particularly noted the ex- clamation with which we open our narrative, advanced and said: ** You’re kept pretty busy here??? : The baggageman looked the stranger over, and, evident- ly well pleased with his appearance, said: ** Yes; we're pretty busy here at times.”’ ** Have a cigar?’’ _ The speaker held forth a beauty, a genuine Reina Vic- torta. The baggage-master was a judge of cigars, and at once recognized that it was the real article that was offered, _ and he accepted the gift. ... 4 ‘<I heard you say eI was something seer ‘about tliat : oak. 7 The speaker pointed to the little, new box marked ‘* Misg M. M. 8.’ . ‘* Yes, there is something queer about that trunk.” ** Will you tell me why you say there is something queer- about it?” The baggageman drew close to the questioner, and said: ““T’ll tell you: it’s been here two weeks, and has not been called for; but there is nothing strange in that fact alone, as we sometimes have trunks that are never called for, and it’s often that trunks are left on our hands for months; but all the same,there’s something queer about that little, new trunk.’’ ** What is queer about that particular trunk?” ** It haunts me.” ‘* Tt haunts your’? ‘* Yes; whenever I look at it there seems to come a Voice, pleading to me from it; and, indeed, I think of it nights; indeed, a voice appears to follow me, calling on me all the time. *” ‘Trunks don’t talk,” said the interrogatur. “T’m no fool; I know that; but there’s something strange in the fact that the little, new trunk appeals to me so mysteriously all the time, especially when I am so used to handling tranks—sometimes-a thousand a day. Why, I’ve dreamed about that trunk!” ** Dreamed about it?” éé Yes. 33 : *€ What did you dream??? * ~ “Tt seems ridipalone to tell.” 66 Tell me.” : FL i ee Pte ; , = ' : * — = rns