HER LOST BAGGAGE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3047, 1 April 1881, Page 4

HER LOST BAGGAGE.

Down in the Union Depot there are a thousand carpet bags, satchels, grab bags, nnd parcels piled up on the shelves to await owners. The collection is known as stray baggage, and it is added to or taken from almost daily. The man who has charge of it knows pretty well the contents of each, and what he dosen't know he can guess at. Yesterday, when a woman entered his domain and she was looking lor a lost satchel, he promptly replied : — ' Very well, madam. We will begin , our search in division ' A.' Were both handles off your satchel, the bottom partly ripped off, and a red woollen rag sticking out of the side?' ' No sir.' 'Ah! then I missed it. Lot's see. Here's a satchel which has been here about four weeks. The first thing on top is a red wig onda pair of blue stockings.' ' That isn't mine, sir. , ' Just so. Belongs to some poor soul who can't be tappy without it. Here's a satchel which bears your description, but it can't be yours. The principal contents are a bottle of poor whiskey, and old hat, and a dime novel. Can't belong to you nohow ?' ' No, sir. , ' Well, here's another bundle. I should 3ay by the feel that it contained two nightcaps, a volume of poetry and a set of false frizzes. Do you identify it ?' ' No, sir, I don't.' 'Does this satchel resemble voui-3 ?' 'Yes, dr.* ' Any familiar marks about it ?' ' Yes, several ' Did your safccb«l contain a package of sixteiT ,1 * ove letters, each one leading off withT Ben/avd closing with ' your own darling' V ~-,.-, < No, sir—no sir—fha t isn t mine. ' This one isn't yours?, either, because it contains a euchre deck an. , * some fare chips. Now look up there. Thm' one from the right, eh! Well, here it is. Is this yours ?' ' Yes, sir, , 'Glad of ifc. Can.yo.it describe the contents ? ' Yes, sir. The first thing on the top is a —a . ' Yes, I know —a pair of. , stoolcmgs with holes in the heels. Tfcey belong to your sister, of course." ' Sir!' 'No offence, ma'am. Many impostors come her, and we must be particular. Please go on." }j ' The next thing is a a . 'An old corset with a sJioe-string for a i] ace —perfectly correct. Please describe the next article.' ( ' I won't do it!' she exclaimed. 1 'Pshaw, now! but you mustn't take offence: There is a pair of shoes with half the buttons off, a bottle of face powder, a pair of glWe with the fingers out, and .' ' That isn'S mine at all!' ' Oh, it isn't, eh ? Well, I'm sorry.' ' I don't beliere- mine is here, and you needn't go to any further trouble.' ' Very well. I sball go to dinner in half-an-hour. I place this satchel in this corner, and I shall tell the oH man who relieves me at noon that a boy will come for it. That's all—good-bye —hope you'll find your baggage.' When he returned at 1 o'clock the satchel was gone.