Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-29
The Old Carrot;
A MysTERIoUs,TRUNK.

used to be fond of roaming over the old
garrett, but there was one old trunk there
into whose contents / did not dare to peep.
My fathers grandaunt, Miss Mildred Over
ton, held the key and reproved us with all
the weight of her eighty years when we beg
ged to know its contents.
The portrait of beautiful brunette hung
over Miss Mildred's mantlepiece, supposed
to represent her as girl, but could hard
ly believe it. Now she was long and lean
and brown, wore spectacles, a brooch con-
tanning weeping willow done in hair and
her nose and chin almost met.
That hair trunk in the garrett, however,
always attracted my attention and interest.
One night fell into troubled sleep. And
thought saw strange young lady stand
she and beautiful and dressed in the gar
ments of a by. gone age.
"He comes" she said to herself. "That
is his step. I know it from any other in
the world"
The fan dropped out of her hand and sud-
denly l found myself in grove. The beau
tiful young lady was there also, but gen.
tleman was with her; he was also young
and handsome, but dressed as had never
seen man dressed except in picture. His
arm was abont the lady's waist. He kissed
her. Then the picture vanished, as did
those of the magic lantern / had been taken
to see, and saw, to my horror, the man
lying on the ground weltering in his blood
the beautiful lady, now attired in a cloak
and hat, cast down beside him, weeping
bitterly and kissing the wounded mans
hand, and beside them stern-faced, white
haired old man with sword in hand.
uttered shrek and awoke. Straight be-
fore me was the old trunk and perched on
its lid, regarding me with her hollow eyes,
sat my fathers grandaunt, old Miss Mil
dred. She was looking at me very strange
ly; but was too much terrified by my
dream to feel any fear of her. Indeed, at
the moment, I did not believe it dream.
1t seemed to me that had actually seen
what / described.
"Where did they come from?" cried.
"Who are theyf Where did they go? Did
you see them?"
'See whomq See what ?'' asked Aunt
Mildred.
'The lady with the pretty, fun dress;
the man in blue coat; the man with white
hair who killed the other! saw her. She
opened the chest and the old man killed the
other with sword,"I sobbed.
At these words old Mrs. Mildred started
from her perch, uttered shrek shall
never forget and fell senseless to the floor.
My mother rushed upstairs-servants came.
The doctor was sent for. Miss Mildred was
ill for many days; but meanwhile had told
my mother of my dream, and this is what
she told me:
"My child, you are very young, but l
think you can understand me, and will
promise never to speak of the trunk again
to poor Aunt Mildred and never to talk to
any one of your dream. do not know
why you dreamed such strange dream,
but can tell you why Aunt Mildred felt so
badly about it. Years ago, before your ia
Their was born-before was born-when
Aunt Mildred was a pretty young lady, a
gentleman fell in love with her. Her father
thought him a bad man, and forbade him
the house; but they met secretly. At last
she ran away with him, but her father fol-
lowed them and killed her lover.
"After that Miss Mildred's beauty faded,
and she grew to be stern and sad; and in
that trunk you have wondered and talked
SO much about she has always kept the
clothes she wore when she eloped with her
lover, aud his coat, and a handkerchief
which was about his neck when the sword
pierced his heart. All are spotted with
blood and dreadful to look at; but for years
she used to stare at them for hours. Your
dream must have brought the whole thing
back to her, and you, know, will never
speak of it again."
l never did. We lived in the old house
for five years, and never entered the gar
ret again; bat afterward, when was a wo.
man, Aunt Mildred died and we went back
to the old place to attend her funeral.
When all was over a strange fancy seized
me. took the bunch of keys the old lady
had always worn at her belt and went up
the garrett stairs. The great hair trunk
still stood wherA it used to in my childish
days, and turned the key and opened it.
Within lay pile of well-folded garments
They were spotted all over, but the spots
might have been made by ink or iron rust;
time had robbed them of the hue of blood
long before.
lifted and looked at them. They were
a mans coat and kerchief, and a woman 8
garments white dress, yellow now as
saffron: pink brocaded belt, with golden
buckle; shoes with buckles, pink stockings,
and gray cloak and beaver hat. Also,
folded in paper, the withered petals of
rose.
Exactly the garments that the lady in
my dream bad worn, and that lady indeed
resembled the youthful miniature of poor
Miss Mildred, which still hung over the
mantlepiece though it bore no likeness to
the mummy in the white bed-gown of my
remembrance. I confess that as restored
the garments to their hiding place felt
that peculiar thrill up my spine which we
connect with thoughts of the supernatural,
and that hurried down stairs the moment
the trunk was relocked. But why l dream
ed that dream, or how in my sleep pene-
trated not only the boards of the old trunk,
but the shadows of the past, cannot ex
plain to myself. All that know is that it
r I. IL