Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-03-06
THE HERALD.
SECRET OF THE WHITE
CHEST.

size and situation it suited me exactly
as the phrase goes, literally down t.
the ground. Facing Hyde Park, and
placed back from the high road, with
nothing in front of it but the broad
strip Of garden belonging to the ter
race in which it stood, and the oper
stretch of turf and trees, it was the
very abode for a London season. til
rent, too, was extremely moderate /; i,
was in sound repair drainage with.
out flaw; fixtures, furniture and
decorations in the best taste: the
owner only desiring to let 1t occasion.
ally, because he went away from town
each spring. Why then did | hest.
tate to take it Why did everybody
hesitate to take it I? For the last seven
years and more it had never been let.
All the house.agents at tie West End
had had it in hand one after another
The terms had been reduced each
season that it came into the market,
and still there was no finding tenant
for it. Everybody who went over the
house was charmed with it. The en-.
trance being in the rear, all the best
rooms had delightful southern as
pect; and going up FROM floor to floor
on their first visit of inspection, every
body grew more delighted the higher
they got. The apartments increased
in cheeriulness, if not in size, the
outlook from the windows became
more extensive and airy, while, when
one reached the top story, and as
cended by narrow stair on to a
loaded fiat roof, with high balus.
trade running round it, the view was,
as the house.ag expressed il, quite
unique
Nevertheless, everybody having
reached the root, and having looked
round for minute or two, descended
with firm determination not to take
the house. Now what was the reason?
1t was not haunted, no ghosts had
ever been seen, or mysterious noises
heard-such things were never limited
at. There was nothing about it in
appearance like the gloomy forbidding
mansion in Severn Square, concerning
which 80 many queer stories are told
and which, like the house in question
no one will take. No, it was the very
reverse, in all respects, of that long
land stilD untenanted abode. ] had
heard the rumors about the HYDE
Park house often when had been il
London, and my curiosity had always
been piqued, 80 that now, when ]
wanted just such a house for the sea.
son, | determined to 90 and look at il
for myself.
Finding all satisfactory, and just a.
expected from bottom to top, wa
stepping out on the roof with Mr.
Crumb'e, the agent, and was saying
to him:
'Well, | can't conceive why people
wont live here when my eve fell up
on a curious object erected upon the
leads at the rear and surrounded by /;
high railing. 1t looked like a huge
sky-light or glass lantern, about ter
feet long, three high and three broad
BIT instead of forming light for a
staircase or room beneath, it seemed
to have been built for the purpose Of
covering another curious object, W hich
occupying nearly the whole of the
space under the glass, was plainly Wis
ible through it. THIS was a long
white box, resembling seaman
chest more than anything, only much
larger. 1t rested upon four legs oil
feet, which raised it about foot from
the fiat surface of the roof. 1t was
painted a creamy white and vanished
and, apparently not being intended tc
open, any more than its glass covering
had no hinges or lock to its top or lid
What the deuce is that?' said l &c
Mr.. Crumble.
'Ahp replied that functionary, will
an odd expression in his face, that
it, sirp
whats it, prayy
'Why, the secret, sir
'The secret? how is it secret
what do you mean?'
well, sir, what it is, what it's mean
for, what's inside of it,
Don't you kpow?'
NO, sir
doesn't any one know?
81 suppose somebody does, sir, bu
we don't; we are forbidden to in
quire, or to attempt to find out; if W,
knew we should be able to let tn,
house perhaps
slow long has it been there p
a long while believe, sir-ten O
twelve years. Before my time
'But who put it up?'
well, Mr.. Gayling, we suppose
nobody seems to know exactly whe,
it first appeared there
'But the servants protested, the,
must know
'Oh! | have heard there were nom
in the house at the time; they wer
all dismissed just before it was pu
up. Mr.. Gayling never keeps man,
servants, sometimes he has only one
sometimes none. Nobody lives il
the house when he's away, but he al
ways leaves the keyes with us. lie i
always changing his servants, Mr.
Gayling is; / have often heard hin
cay that he likes new brooms'
what is he, or what was he p
"a gentleman in the naval line,
believe, sir: they are rather rum 'uns
I'm told
'Humphn l said, very odd. Blu
do you mean to tell me that no BOD,
will live here because they don't know
what's in that boxy'
That is partly the reason, SIR
absurd l was going on, when tn
man continued:
But there's clause in the agree
ment about it that's what does ii, sir
Explain said.
swell, sir, here is the clause an,
he procured the document; per nap
you would like to read it yourseli p
Thus it ran:
'And in taking the house, at tn
rental, and for the term specified a
above, I hereby solemnly pledge m,
oath never, directly, or indirectly
through my own agency, or that o
others, to attempt to NEEDLE with, t,
disturb the white chest under tn,