The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-02-26
The Myste rious Box d.
You are such cowardly little puss,
u M hr- had

~ Ou are such C0warQIy little DuSs
Fanny said my husband.
/ I know it,, said I. deprecatingly.
But, my dear love, where is the sense
of jumping at mouse, and shrinking a.
I a spider: reasoned Ferdinand.
ii don't know, admitted /. But,
really and truly, Ferdinand, | can't
/ help il.
] He stood there. 30 tall, and muscular.
and majestic looking down upon me
with a sort of caressing pity, while
played with the lowest button of his
vest, feeling very small and insiguifi-
| cant indeed.
"A woman should always possess
within herself the reserve force neces.
sary to meet any especial emergency
said Ferdinand.
Yes, assented l, feebly. 4 suppose
she should
But what would you do, Midget, in
an emergency
i should call YOU responded I,
promptly; or | should get under the
/ bed
Ferdinand looked at me with a
visage of despair
Fanny. said he. you are perfectly
incorrigible,'
I'm afraid i am sighed l. But you
know, dear, it takes all sorts of people
to make world; and I'm one of the
small fry--not great big. courageous
Hercules. like you
And so Ferdinand left off arguing
with me. He always did when We ar
rived at certain point in the chain Of
logic. And be sat down to read the
paper, while | crept off into the back
room to sort over Berlin woods, and cry
quiet little tear or two by myself be-
cause Ferdinand thought me such an
inefficient mite Of thing.
We lived all alone in that little, rose
thatched cottage, q good mile and q
half away from any other house, with
patch OF primeval forest rising up in
our rear. aud q lovely sylvan view Of
wood and valley. and rolling pasture
land. IN front.
l bad found 1t little lonesome just
at first. for Ferdinand had married me
out of q boarding-sch and it took
| time for me to become accustomed to
these grand western solitudes.
! But l loved him very dearly, and
was secretly proud of being myself call
ed the doctors wife, eighteen year-old
child that was.
As l was comparing two shades Of
brown zephyr. Gretchen, the maid,
knocked at the door.
Would madam allow her to go home
for just that afternoon Max Denner-
lein, from her own Bavarian district,
was on visit to her brother Karl. and
il would be so fine To hear from home
Would madam allow her to 90. after the
supper dishes were cleared away? And
| she would be sure to return in the
morning before madam was up.
I looked sympathetically at the girl.
Is he your lover Gretchen said |.
Gretchen looked down, and laughed
/ and colored.
No madam; but-that is to say
That is TO say that he may be. in
terrupted l. We'll, Gretchen. you may
go; but be sure you return tomorrow
morning In time TO get the breakfast
/ Gretchen protested that she would be
As punctual as the dawn, and trudged
away to hurry up the supper-dishes.
She had hardly gone, when horse
man rode up 20 the door.
Was Doctor Bliss at home: He was
wanted instantly at the saw-mili. ten
miles or so beyoni. There had been
an accident. and surgeons skill was
imperatively required. without delay.
Ferdinand looked dubiously at me.
oh, do hurry, Ferdinand said /,
turning little pale at the idea of the
dreadful accident Don't stop a min-
ute, The poor man may be dying
But l don't like to leave you alone,
Frances. The maid is gone, and
.Oh. never mind me, Ferdinand You
won't be gone long.
But still he hesitated
If the light wagon was not broken.
said he, i would take you with me. As
it is. l must 20 on horseback. Now.
Fanny. mind you lock the door. and
fasten the windows we'll. and i shall
not be longer than can help.
So my husband rode away. and sat
down. in the lamplight, to my worsted-
work. trying to feel as brave as lion.
After ALL what danger was there?
We had no burglars in the neighbor-
hood that / knew of. and nothing to
tempt them in the house, always cxcep-
ting that old-fashioned tes-service of
solid silver. that Aunt Hetty had just
bequeathed me. Ii was very rich and
slaborate-a great deal too much so for
me to use in my humble style OF house
keeping But. then. 1t was family
relic and felt proud of It in my secret
heart.
Danger! | smiled within myself at
the idea; and yet little quiver went
through NC at the hoot of an owl in the
distant woods, and l caught myself
counting the hours before it could be
possibls for Ferdinand to return.
A knock at the back door. 1 started
as if il had been the roar of park of
artillery.
How foolish you are. Fanny Bliss.
said l, savsgely apostrophizing myself,
to lump so at simple call for the
doctorl I'm ashamed OF you
So went to the door. assuming q
yalor which Was very far from feel
ing.
Doctor ins' demanded gruff voice.
Ard /, the starlight | could perceive