ed, and ignorant section
of the public which is ungrateful.

Disputed claims between railways are referred to the arbitration of the
committee of the Clearing-House, from whose decision there is no appeal.

The trouble taken in connexion with the lost-luggage department is very
great; written communications being sent to almost innumerable stations
on various lines of rails for every inquiry that is made to the House
after lost-luggage.

It is a striking commentary at once on the vast extent of traffic in the
kingdom, and the great value in one important direction of this
establishment, the fact that, in one year, the number of articles
accounted for to the Clearing-House by stations as left by passengers,
either on the platforms or in carriages, amounted to 156,769 trunks,
bags and parcels, and of these nearly ninety-five in every hundred were
restored, through the Clearing-House, to their owners. It is probable
that the property thus restored would amount to half a million of money.

This reminds us that we left Edwin Gurwood on his way to restore Mrs
Tipps her lost ring, and that, therefore, it is our duty to resume the
thread of our story, with, of course, a humble apology to the patient
reader for having again given way to our irresistible tendency to
digress!

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

MRS. TIPPS GOES ON A JOURNEY, AND MEETS A GENTLEMAN WHO, WITH MUCH
ASSURANCE, COMMENTS FREELY ON INSURANCE.

On a particular holiday, it was advertised that a great excursion train
would start from the Clatterby station at a certain hour. At the
appointed time the long line of carriages was pushed up to the platform
by our friend John Marrot, who was appointed that day to drive the
train.

"Bill," remarked John to his mate, "it'll be a biggish train. There's
an uncommon lot o' people on the platform."

"They're pretty thick," replied Will Garvie, wiping his countenance with
a piece of waste, which, while it removed the perspiration, left behind
a good deal of oil, and streaked his nose with coal-dust. But Will was
not particular!

The excursionists were indeed unusually numerous. It chanced to be a
fine day, and the platform was densely crowded with human beings, many
of whom moved, when movement was possible, in groups, showing that there
were various sections that had a common aim and interest, and meant to
keep together as much as possible. There were men there who had
evidently made up their minds to a thorough