A TIMELY INVENTION.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 5, 20 January 1903, Page 7

A TIMELY INVENTION.

" I want to show you something now in trunks," said the trembling agent, edging inßide tlie ottioe floor. " I don't run a circus." exclaimed the fat man at the dßsk. " Not elephants' ," began the agent, retreating an inch. '■ I don't Bwiro," shouted the business man. " Not bathing " explained the man at the door, timidly. " Well, I'm not buying an orohard today,'' yelled the fat man, glowering threateningly. "Travelling trunks," gasped the agent, wildly. The iinau at the desk reached the door in Me leap, dragged in the timid man, and dropped him in the comer. "Now, see here,'' said he; " you're the twentieth trunk man to invade my office today. When I got rid of the one before you I awore a solemn oath to kill the next one who cams, uuJesß he could show me a good reason for listening to him—which you can't. For every bltrseti member of my family has Luiuka to burn. My wife and danghteiß take enough with 'em every summer to holdQucen Elizabeth's entire wardrobe, What's more they're all in Hoe condition, and if they were falling apart Chia minute I wouldn't order a single one from one of you peßts if it only cost a dollar." " But our make is super '' " Haven't I heard the same story ail day ? Dou't I UnbW m®re about trunks than any other man on earth ? More'e the pity. Your confounded trunk's the strongest or the lightest or the handsomest or the easiest to pack and handle or the handiest to have around—or it has some peaky little con irivuuces for holding nomethiug that no one ever wanU to take." " You're mißtßken," Baid the agent, with mi»re conlidenco. '' Ours is just an ordinary every-day, common-place trunk—will) one exception, and that you haven't named," J' Well, tell me what it ih and get out," Baid the fat man, trying to conceal his curiosity. "When your family's trunkß are all packed, sir, you afe called uptn to clone and lock them, are you uot?" " U'm I" " And after you've succeeded in getting the twps down you call for the keys—" " Yes ?" «' and evoiyone exclaims, ' Ido be lieve they're in the bottom of one of the trunks.' '' The fat man frantically raised the agent from the flour and gazed hopefully into his evea. ""Tell me, oh, tell me I" he panted, "if your trunk can prevent that ?" "Our trunk," pr« udly replied Iheagent, taking fra.ni his satchel a working model, ; ' opens at the bottom as well as at the top ; and, being provided with a private key, you simply turn, the trunk over, bo—open the bottom, so—and find the missing bunch of keys." While the agent took down an order for 52 double opening trimkß for immediate delivery, the fat man wiped I he tears of joy from his Byes and murmured i "To think we used to consider the I tie phone the greatest iovention of the age."