discovered them, at the F.-street police-station.
From the examination of these objects
by the police, it appears that both the
book and the hat are inscribed with the
name John K. Ackland. The book, as we
are informed, is the second volume of a
small pocket edition of the Nouvelle Héloise,
and the page is turned down and marked
at the following passage: ' Chercher son
bien, et fuir son mal, en ce qui n'offense
point autrui, c'est le droit de la nature.
Quand notre vie est un mal pour nous, et
n'est un bien pour personne, il est donc
permis de s'en délivrer. S'il y a dans le
monde une maxime évidente et certaine, je
pense que c'est celle-là; et si l'on venait à
bout de la renverser, il n'y a point d'action
humaine dont on ne pût faire un crime.'
On the margin opposite this passage
something is written, but in characters which
are quite illegible. The volume apparently
belongs to a Boston edition. Inspector
Jenks, of the Fifth Ward Police Division,
has lost no time in investigating this mysterious
occurrence. We understand that
the river has been dragged, but without
the discovery of any human body. It is to
be observed that if a body, falling into the
river at the spot indicated, by the gentleman
by whom the above-mentioned property
was deposited at the F.-street station,
had floated within an hour after its immersion,
it is quite within possibility that
it might have been carried out to sea before
the following morning, that is to say,
supposing it to have fallen into the river at
that point, where the current is extremely
strong, not later than 10.30 P.M. It is, however,
extremely improbable that a human
body could have been floated out to sea
in this manner without being observed. It
is equally improbable that any person could
have perished within the neighbourhood of
Charleston, whether by accident or violence,
on the night of the 16th without the
disappearance of that person having
excited attention in some quarter up to the
present moment. Our own impression is
that the whole affair has been an ingenious
hoax. This impression is, at least, borne out
by the fact that the name of Ackland (which
certainly is not a Charleston name) is not
known at, and does not appear on the books
of, any hotel in this city, that the advertisements
of the police have, up to the present
moment, elicited no claimant for the hat
and book now on view in F.-street, and
that, from the inquiries hitherto made, it
appears that no person in or about Charleston
has been missing since the night of the
16th instant. With a view, however, to the
possibility of this mysterious Mr. J. K. Ackland
ever having existed, except in the imagination
of some mischievous wag, Union
journals are requested to copy, in order that
the friends and relations of the missing gentleman
(if there be any) may be made acquainted
with the foregoing information."

"Well?" said Tom Ackland, when Cartwright
had finished his perusal of this
statement.

"Well," answered Cartwright, "I also
incline to think it a hoax."

"I wish I could think so too," said Mr.
Tom; "but I have many sad reasons to
think more seriously of it."

"When do you go on to Charleston?"
asked Mr. Cartwright.

"Before daybreak to-morrow."

"Ever been there before?"

"Never."

"Then you must let me come with you.
I know something of that city, have friends
there, and may be of use."

"Really, my dear sir, I could not possibly
think of allowing you to sacrifice—- "

"No sacrifice, sir. Nothing I would not
do for the sake of your cousin, Mr. Ackland.
He was once very useful to me, sir;
very useful and very kind. And no man
shall say that Phil Cartwright ever forgot
a kindness done him. I can pack up in an
hour, and the sooner we start the better."

So Mr. Cartwright accompanied Mr. Tom
Ackland to Charleston. And Mr. Tom
Ackland was inexpressibly touched by that
proof of friendship for his cousin.

Now Ready, price 5s. 6d., bound in green cloth,

THE FIRST VOLUME

OF THE NEW SERIES OF

ALL THE YEAR ROUND.

To be had of all Booksellers.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL READINGS.

MESSRS. CHAPPELL AND CO. have great pleasure
in announcing that MR. CHARLES DICKENS will resume
and conclude his interrupted series of FAREWELL
READINGS at St. James's Hall, London, early in
the New Year.

The Readings will be TWELVE in NUMBER, and none
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All communications to be addressed to Messrs.
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