Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-12-25

buying me presents. l can't help think
ing you're extravaganza
Grateful" exclaimed John, who
would not allow me even to hint, under
any circumstances, that his friend was
affected with % failing, whatever opin-
ion | might have of my lover. He was
not at all struck by the desirableness of
the casket; but Tom liked it, and so Of
course it must be fine. ". ..a"
Let us look at the inside" said Ger
trude, lifting the creaking lid. ......
But there was nothing there but q
faded red satin lining, and musty
smell.
Perhaps one day it was the hiding
place of love-letters, somebody's heart
crumbled into tender, maybe despair
ing words" she meditated; "pernaps
some great lady placed her jewels there,
warm from her fair neck and rosy ears,
after the excitement of feverish, fiesta
evenings; perhaps some sad-eyed Ital-
ian mother kept here little relics OF. her
dead children; perhaps"
| was not in q very good-natured or
sentimental mood, so l could not help
interrupting her. .s..z p. .... ....
" L
Magazine, Gertrude" I said; /" but
in the meantime sad-eyed New Eng
land girl is going to hide here the reli cs
of her dead past. All the old letters
that | do not burn I am going to put
into this casket, then lock it up so that
neither | nor anyone else shall ever see
them. Isn't that a worthy. use to make
of it, Tom?" .. t.. ... ,..
Tom seemed rather out of sorts, and
by no means over-pleased with me; So
we dropped the subject of my Christ
mas present, and soon grew very merry
and forgetful on pleasanter grounds.
We planned, as usual for the next
years Christmas in our own home; Tom
told Of an inspiration for q new paint
ing, and how he caught it; John read a
most amusing sketch which he had
written for to-morrow's edition Of the
Times, Gertrude recited new and love
ly little poem; then / sang songs till
bedtime. and we all parted in gay good
humOr.
The Christmas sunshine was dazzling
my half-opened eyes the next morning,
when Gertrude, still in her long, white
robe de mutt, came stealing into my
room. r. .-'r..... b.. --..f...Et ~ IL.
"Bess," said she, excitedly, give
been dreaming all night about your
casket and / believe there's a mystery
about it that we hav'nt discovered
some secret drawer or hiding place in
it which contains something wonderful"
"Nonsense that would be too much
Ike story" said /. "You're SO full
of storys and romance, Gertrude dear,
that there's nothing but what suggests
some mystery to you. All! how many
such stories | have read. Breathes
there any writer of romances with soul
so dead that he or she hasn't found a
secret drawer in something which con-
tanned treasures. jewels, gold, or letters,
for some poor mortal just on the last
verge Of poverty or despair? - ....... ....
cit wouldn't be so very strange if we
should find mystery III this, as it was In
that strange Carver's possession, who
ransacke, all the old Roman houses,
and, as he assured me, never even &C
cepted anything as a a present which
had not a history.
l was sleepy, and foated off into a
| little nap before she ceased speaking.
Iopened my eyes again, and she was
holding the casket in her lap, intently
busted in picking off bits of the sill
very ornamental work with her reckless
fingers.
"What in the world are you doing
with my box?' [ exclaimed, raising my
head in amazement.
There! I've found it." she almost
screamed "The opening in the top is
SO shallow that L was quite sure there
was something underneath if one could
only find it. The keyhole was very
cunningly hidden under all these carved
leaves; but here it is: now for a key to
open the drawer. . Bess"
Thoroughly reused now, even more
excited than she, Isprang from the bed,
and took my mysterious present IN my
own hands. Yes, if wasntt dreaming,
there was tiny keyhole: and to my
vivid Imagination that keyhole was the
opening to all the hidden things in Gre
alton, all the treasures, all the Sc
secrets. a a.
oh, do let us find keyW l said
impatiently. "Gertrude, have you any
small key?" Is there very small key
in the house," ..r III. s.
Gertrude was trembling. We both
went in search of the desired article,
both looking back over our shoulder at
the casket.
procured the key to my portfolio, to
my work-box, to my jewel case. They
were all small keys, but neither Of them
would fit this lock. Gertrude brought
a great bunch of them. She treasured
all the keys she ever found, imagining
some romance attached to them; and
she was always finding them. She had
in her possession those brought from
all parts of the world, and every one
had its mystery, its horror, or its pretty
secret. But none of these weuld fit
either; so we were forced to curb our
impatience, to dress ourselves, and
wait for broader day, and the sympathy
and assistance Of our male protectors.
When informed OF our discovery, they
pretended to be only mildly interested;
but it Was evident that thew were more