Show Daily Short I Fiction Story I I TWO BLACK BAGS By LOUISE OLIVER Copyright 1915 b by McClure Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate Lorimer Bancroft allowed the porter porter por- por ter to whisk his blue serge suit and his hat Then he donned his overcoat overcoat over over- coat and turned around like a weathercock weathercock while the port porter r brushed that Lorimer handed him a dollar for this infinitesimal service which surri sum I was was so startling that th the remain remainder Jer I I I I or Of the passengers in the chair car were treated to scant courtesy in return return re- re turn for their quarters Great was the porters porter's haste to carry Lorimers Lorimer's bags from the train The porter disappeared somewhere with the bags as the train roared into the shed an and Lorimer stopped to say a few words to a fellow tellow passenger whose acquaintance he had made mad The train had been at a stan standstill quite a few tew mi minutes utes before the two men descended The crowd of hurrying passengers was far ahead streamIng through the gates ot of the station statton The arI arrived ar- ar I rived train was deserted porters anti and all when the two men looked around for their belongings except for a girl who stood alone beside the car car- ahead I suppose the man ha has taken lc n my 1113 things to the baggage room said Lorimer And the two men trolled up the platform continuing theft heIr talk They came to the girl and passed h her r. r Then Lorimer who never failed to tei champion beauty in distress scented scented scent scent- ed adventure and stopped That young lady seems to be looking looking look look- ing for tor some one to carry her grips The porters are nowhere around so soI soI I think Ill I'll go L belc It if you don dont t mind min and see if I can help don No-don't t walt wait I can manage all she's got J I guess St Stop p In at the office when you get time I Goodbye The girl saw Lorimer return but just as lie he reached her she started up the platform Lorimer began to say something drea dreadful ful under his breath when his sense ot of humor triumphed and he stooped for the bags Shy he chuCkled Afraid the chap In the plaid coat was going to flirt with her Gone for help Well we will just pick up her ner things things' and tote em along anyway Gee whiz I never never knew women's things weighed so much No wonder Vonder she couldn't carry them The girl had a start of ten yards or or orso so but Lorimer with long easy strides es soon covered the distance Then he kept respectfully at t her heels until she reached the station gates She started for tor the checkroom chock check room then changed her mind and made for tor the street The bags which had orIginallY weighed twenty poun pounds s apiece now weighed fifty and by the time she had reached a taxicab stand they weighed eighty Lorimers Lorimer's sense of humor no longer helped to assuage the aChing of his muscles He set the bags on tle ground and rubbed his cramped biceps you think she should throw a kind word to a p poor or dog She hasn't wasted as much as a smile on me since we started The girl was rummaging her purs pur Looking for an address thought Lorimer She failed to find what she sought for or she turned out all the contents Into her I hand Then she replaced the mixture mixture mix mix- ture of papers and toilet accessories f nd continued on down the street Help Where Is she going now Lorimers Lorimer's jaw dropped in amaze amaze- ment He looked after the girl then down at the bags and at the blisters on his hands The rhe girl was was walking taster faster than before and he he- was likely to find lind the trail more difficult in the crowded streets Trot along Fido he commanded blowing on his han hands s and picking up the bags Just follow the missus She's lost the address and we dont don't know where we are go- go ng As near as I can figure it It'll be the hospital in about ten minutes ruin min utes but if I dont don't catch up now and Keep Keep- the ladys lady's duds moren likely likely it it will be the lockup Along went Lorimer after atter the girl He had shut his teeth hard His arms arnie yere pulling out of the sockets Great drops of sweat were rolling down Ills his face tace The girl was entering an office building when Lorimer determined to end the misery Heres where the trail ends for Fido Setting the bags upon the mosaic floor he approached the girl as she waited for an ascending elevator I beg your pardon said he lit lift lift- t lug his hat I think I shall have to turn your luggage over to an attendant attendant attend attend- ant here to manage for you I-I I have a very pressing business eni en- en i nt and really must go lIe took out his bis watch to emphasize his I words The pretty prett girl looked at the bags in astonishment YOu menu mean those bags bags Yes I Why they are not mine Not Kot yours Then whose under th the canopy are they 1 asked Lorimer I and as he spoke his yes eyes made a rapid purVey urVey ot of the offenders They were suspiciously familiar The girl started to laugh then stopped suddenly Her face tace worked d for tor a minute as she struggled to hide bide her amusement Are you ou the man I saw in the station eta sta- tion 7 That same met Meekly kly And nd you OU followed me all this die dis- carrying those bags Ditto But why didn't you ask me me They seemed to e. e yours You were s standing guard over them I II I knew they w were re not mine and I thought that as as' some one had made madea a mistake and carried mine on ahead I had better stay beside the stray ones Father always says in case of ofa ofa a mistake to hold the wrong ones It will eventually lead to the whereabouts whereabouts where where- o of ones one's own belongings When I s saw w you come for your bags I decided It was useless to remain there and I intended to look for mine in In- Inthe the baggage room But as I was tired and hungry I decided to send Bob my brother brother- brotherto to do the investigating investigating gating for tor me I couldn't why you were following mel I was going to take a a. taxi home but found I 1 hadn't enough money Im I'm going to dads dad's office for so some e now His bags The weight alone should lave have been enough to Identify them One was packed full of law records the other contained some new fittings for his car car H He had been bringing them along to save time lIe He looked around for tor a knothole and not seeing such a fortunate means of es ape picked up hi his bags aad departed S A week later Bob Forsythe he called him on the phone Dorothy wants you to come to dinner tonight old fellow Can cail make malce It 1 Lorimer accepted wondering in othe S 'S the meantime how he had met DorothY But he was to learn that she he was I the girl ot the train and she hadn't I tol told 1 a soul |