Manfred's Quest: Or, The Mystery of a Trunk — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

MANFRED’S QUEST. or inconvenience that might follow the carrying out of his lan. : Several days passed, and one day, right in the midst of the busiest time, a lady appeared at the baggage counter and presented a baggage-check. The baggageman took possession of the check, and started to move away to find the corresponding numbers, when suddenly he uttered an exclamation of amazement, and his glance became riveted upon the little brass token. The check for the mysterious trunk had at last come to the surface, and it was presented by a veiled lady. The baggageman was greatly excited,.and indeed agi- tated. ** Where did you get this check?’’ he demanded. The lady answered: ** Where do you think I got it?” ** T wish to know.”’ ‘¢ Tt is none of your business, sir! All you have to do is to deliver the trunk. ” The lady was right, and the baggageman knew it, but he was anxious to learn something of the claimant of the mysterious trunk. . ‘© You must tell me where you got that check.’ “‘Th@ trunk has been here over two weeks; how do l know that you are the proper holder of the check?” The woman laughed, and said: ‘* What nonsense! I got the check at C *¢ Why did you not call for your trunk before?” ‘ T expected to call for it the next day, but I’ve been sick and I came to-day.”’ As the lady spoke she raised her veil and disclosed the features of a genuine fussy old maid. The romance was knocked out of the affair at once; the fair vision of the baggageman’s dream had become a waxen- haired old spinster after all, and he demanded: ‘* Have you an expressman to carry the trunk away?’’ © Yes, I have a cab here.” © Well, let your driver come and get the trunk.” The baggageman removed the check and swung the trunk upon the delivery counter with the same indifference that he delivered any other trunk; as stated, the romance had vanished and dissolved all out of the affair. 3 A cabman stepped forward and swung the trunk on his shoulder, and followed by the old maid he strode away, and the baggageman went on about his duties; thus had all his worry been dispelled—thus was his ghost laid. The lady with the trunk was driven to a hotel, the cab- man was paid and drove off, and the trunk was carried into the hotel. ‘The lady went to the office and made the in- quiry: | °° Is this the —— Hotel?” ‘* No, madame.’’ ‘* Dear me, the cabman has made a mistake. I wanted to go to the Hotel, where I was to meet some friends. Can yot get me another cab, please?’’ ‘* Yes, madame. ’’ ‘* Please do.’ Another cab was summoned, the trunk was put on the seat, and the lady came forth. ‘* Where shall I drive you, madame?” The woman gave a number in a private street and of a private house, and she was driven there. The trunk was carried up the stoop, the driver was paid, and he went away without waiting to carry the trunk inside the house. ‘The lady rang the bell, but there came no response to” her ring, and after a few moments the servant of the ad- joining house stuck her head out of a window and said: °° No one lives there.”’ ‘ Dear me! have I made a mistake?”® ~The lady seized the trunk, waidh was a small one, and walked away. CHAPTER V. As the heroine of so many singular mistakes moved away, she muttered, in a smgularly suggestive tone of voice: ‘‘ Hang me, if this ain’t the heaviest trunk for a small one I ever handled.” She tugged it along, however, and oat around the square, and at length entered the garden gate of a house situated some distance back from the line of the street fence. She ascended the stoop and entered the house with a night-key, and carried the trunk upstairs and deposited it on the floor of a gorgeously furnished room on the sec- ond floor, and from her lips fell the remark: ‘* Well, I’ve got it all safe and sound, and now we’ll see what we can discover.’” While the lady was speaking, a most singular transfor- mation was taking place, and in a few seconds the waxen- haired old maid had been transformed into the handsome Manfred, the wonderful veftriloquist detective. Manfred sat for a few moments gazing at the trunk, lit- tle dreaming of the startling surprise that awaited him when he should force the lock and raise the lid. A moment passed while he rammaged in a drawer; he . produced a bunch of keys, and set to work to open the stolen trunk. None of the keys would fit, and at length he took a hammer and chisel.and broke the lock, when he raised the lid and uttered an exclamation of surprise and wonder, and an instant later murmured: | ‘* What have I done? Great Cesar! Iam a thief!’’ The detective might well utter an exclamation of won- der, as the first thing that greeted his eyes was stacks of greenbacks and a heap of glittering gold.. ‘** Hang the thing!’’ he muttered. stay to haunt the baggageman. What will come of this adventure?” A moment he stood and considered, and at length said: ‘* Well, I’m in for it, anyhow. I might as well be. killed for an ox a8 a sheep. I'll examine the thing clear through. ”’’ The result of the examination was a startling discovery. He found wealth in money and bonds to the value of half a million dollars; besides the gold and bills he found goy- ernment unregistered bonds in value aggregating ~ the amount named; besides, he found caskets containing rare gems and jewels of almost incalculable value. ‘*'Well, I’m in ascrape!”? he muttered. ‘* What shall Ido? I’ve anelephant on my hands this time, sure.” He searched the trunk through and through, but not the least scrap of paper could he find leading to an identifica- tion of the owner of the treasure trunk. | It was night when our hero restored all the treasure to the trunk, and the ghost had fallen to his trail instead of the poor baggageman. That night our hero lay and anes and dreamed. He ‘** dreamed a dream,’’ and every time the ruling incident of his dream was connected with that wonderful trunk. Morning came, and, for the first time in his life, Man- fred trembled at the idea of going forth and meeting his fellow-man face to face; but after a good meal prepared by his solitary male servant, he braced up; his mind resumed its wonted decision and power. ** It’s all right,’’ he muttered; °‘ T’ll investigate this ‘* T wish I had let it Where will this end? mystery’ indeed, I’ll solve it; my motives are the best, nicboo co