The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-11-13
THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.
On How THE Roor DocroR's WIFE HAD HER
CURIOSITY SATISFIED.
By MAJOR JOSEPH JONES.

IN flneVllle cuTlng dll klnus OF ailments. lie s
mighty nice man, and goes to church every
Sunday as regular as the day comes round,
and no body would ever 'spicioned him of
doing anything rong, or of having a enemy
in the world. t
1t was bout half past seven o'clock, and
terrible dark-iest the night for doin dia-
bolical deed. The family of Mr.. Pepper was
settin round the tea.table, never dreamin of
what was gwine to happen. Mrs. Pepper was
akin Mr.. Brown if his tea was to suit him,
and making apologies to Miss Patience Pep
per, her husbands maiden aunt, about the
cake bein heavy the gals was a gabbin to
one another, and Mr.. Pepper was tellin little
Jimmy how be mustn't eat no more pound
cake to make him sick agin.
Everything was gwine on in harmonious
and sociable way, when all of a sudden ther
was ring at the door-bel Thinbin nothing
of that, they all went on eatin and talkin to
one another, while niger Fanny went to an
swer the bell.
In about minnt, here cum Fanny back.
with her mouth wide open and her eyes start
in out of her he'd. and mahogany box in her
hands, which she held out before her, by the
brass handles on each eend, as far from her
as she could.
"Ohl-ugh my goodness !" ses Fanny, as
she suddenly made her appearance at the
door with the box in her handA"O.o o.
ughp
If dead ghost, with its own coffin in its
arms, had cum right into the room it could
mt have made worse panick. Evry one
seemed to be instantly purified with horror.
Them that had ther mouths open hadn't time
to shut 'em. and them that had ther mouths
shut seemed TO have the lock jaw sinultani.
ously. Miss Patience made out to git both
her hands up, and as her mouth was open,
the pound cake she was eatin jest naturally
drapped in her plate. Miss Susan Pepper was
the first to scream. and that seemed to relieve
'em a little for the next minnit the whole
party exclaimed,
"Whats thatf'
"What upon earth's in that box" ses Mr..
Pepper, as they all ris up from the table.
"Whar did you git that box, Fanny ses
Mrs. Pepper upsettin the tea pot on to Mr..
Browns legs in her excitement. ,s
"Don't touch it, for yer livesl" ses Miss
Patience.
"Ughl ugh p'-groaned Fanny, as she sot
it down in the middle Of the floor. Fanny
rolled up the whites of her eyes like she was
gwine to faint. and staggered back agin the
dore.
1t was n mahogany box about three feet
long by eighteen inches wide and six deep.
1t was vanished as bright as a dollar, and
had key stickin in the lock. No body dared
to 90 near it.
"Whar did you git that box, Fannyi" ses
all of 'em.
Fanny told how she went to the door when
the bell rung and how man with q curious
kind of cap what cum down over his eyes,
and big black whiskers was standn on the
steps with the box in his hands, and how he
told her to take it to Mr. Pepper, and to be
careful how she handled it; and how, as soon
as he put it into her hands, he went off as
fast as he could.
care yousure it was real mani" ax'd
Miss Patience, lookin very mysterious
Didn't he say what was in iti" ses Mr..
Pepper
"No; he jest told me to take it to you, and
be careful not to let 1t drap."
"Oh, Mr.. Pepperl" sed Miss Patience, look
ing more MYSTERIOUS than ever--"Is it possible
that you, a man of family oh, for shame,
MIR. Pepper looked wild as buck rabbit.
Mrs. Pepper begun to feel more and more
interested.
"what in the name of sense can it mean !"
ses she D
"Iisten," ses Miss Patience, ''if you can
hear anything move in it,"
"rll soon see what's inside of it," ses Mr..
Pepper, getting sort O. desperate at his aunt's
insinuations.
And with that he was jest gwine to take
hold of the lock, when Mr.. Brown tuck hold
of his arm and told him to stop
Don't be so rash, Mr.. Pepper" ses he,
"How do we know but what it's Internal
machine, sen. here by some of your enemys
L.. I.c1a e., L.,
MY Lord r gasped Miss Patience, as she
backed into the furthest corner of the room.
-"Sch things is gettin common nova
days," ses Mr.. Brown. "a whole family was
killed by one tother day in France and jest
as like as not some of your epemys has laid
scheme to kill you" .#
"Oh.o.ol' ses the gals.
Little Jimmy. thinkin something terrible
was gwne to happen, grabbed hold OF his
mammy's skirt aud sot up yell like forty
thousand cats.
Mr.. Peppers eyes showed the white oil
round 'em, and Mrs. Pepper put her arm round
him and pulled him further away from the
box.
"who could do sich thing, my dearf
ses she.
1t was impossible to tell that; ther was no
KNOWN what wicked men mought do; and it
was very certain that the medical doctors was
very hostile to the botauicals; and who could
tell but this was plan of the medicals to
blow up the man what they couldn't put
down no other way. -.of
Mr.. Browns idee seemed to take possession
of the minds Of the whole family, and though
Mr.. Pepper felt relieved in one respect be
was still in a terrible perplexiiy what to do
with the box. lie had great mind to call
in the police or some OF his neghbors, but as
he wasn't exactly certain what NouGnT be in
side of the box, be didn't wish 20 run the
risk of maxim himself ridiculous. For his
own part he would been perfectly wilin to
let the thing stay as it was but the wimmin,
specially hIs wife. wanted to know what was
in At, and they couldn't rest till it was opened
some how or other, ..
Brown was a brave man. under ordinary
but he had mortal aversion
To bein blowed up by internal machine. II
il wasn't for that he'd opened the box in a
mint. Pepper himself made out to touch it
with his cane. but the thing had sioh com
bustible look about IL, and sich decided gun
powder smell, that the ladys wouldn't con-
sent that either Of the gentlemen should risk
their precious lives by openin the box with
the KEY tied to the eend of a stick ten foot
long. But still they was dying to see what
was inside Of il. After consnltin long time
about it, it was finally agreed that Fanny
should take it out in the back yard and set
il carefully down on the pavement, aud
then they would throw a fifty six down on
il from one Of the upper story winders.
and taen il it went of It couldn't hurt no
body.
Accordingly, with fear and tremblin, pore
Fanny, who wns scared SO bad she turned al
most white and shook like che had q ager.