Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-14
THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.

and winds full of treacherous balminess,
but long before noon it had clouded
over. and, with the dusk, a fine needle
pricking sort of rain had set in,
which, without making much outward
show, had yet contrived to drench us
girls through and through as we made
our way along the streets, with the
parrots cage, the music-boX, and the
best duplex lamp with jewelled glass
shade-the three household treasures
which for the life of us we dared not
trust to the tender mercies of the van
man, in spite of his manifold vows and
declarations that he had moved ''the
very best families in town and some
of 'em every May-day for ten years."
The reader must not for a moment
think that we are rich people because
we CHANGED to own these three
treasures; on the contrary, we were
poor enough to be blood relations to
Jobs turkey of poverty stricken
memory.
The parrot-poor Chico!-we had
possessed ever since we could remem-
Der. He was profane parrot, and
parrot with a voracious Appetite; but
still he was our Chico, and we never
sought to break the bonds of slavery
to his standard.
The music-boX had been given us by
an old aunt, who left all her money to
a Home for INDECENT Widows; and the
lamp was all the rent we had been able
to collect from defaulting lodger who
had occupied our best room for wear
and half.
But we eked out our painfully-in-
sufficient income, Beulah and |, by
letting lodgings, and we did not al
ways have luck in the business.
To speak paradoxically. the new
house was an old house. and not in the
best of repair. The yard-gate was off
it's hinges; one window-blind banged
distractingly against the north side
whenever the wind took lurch in that
direction: and as Beulah endeavored to
warm a can of cold tea above the flick
ing gas jet we could distinctly hear the
rain leaking through on the floor above
our heads with a ''drop-drop" like the
ticking of clock.
As for me, had cut my fingers try
ing to open box of sardines, and was
dulorousiy endeavouring to staunch
the blood with a far from immaculate
ocket-handkerchief when the last load
came.
The man and his assistant were tired
and cross, and little the worse for
beer; tie old horse was played out; the
rain drove harder and harder, and the
wind blew out the shadcless gas in the
hall just as the little old assistant
HpD nNaH fha haCl nj hat fai tho
best crockery with a crash. And we
were glad enough when at length the
last bundle was flung into the base.
ment hall, and the van-man vanished
like an ugly dream into the mist and
darkness.
1t was not until the next day that we
discovered a box that did not belong to
US.
There it stood, up against the wall,
just exactly as if it belonged there-a
snug, square box, neatly covered with
canvas, and bearing innumerable hotel
labels, foreign and domestic, pasted on
it, while the one initial &c" faced us at
either end in black print.
"Gracious mer' said Beulah. "What's
this?"
perhaps it belongs to one of the
lodgers," said |.
''They don't any of 'em begin with
c." reasoned Beulah. Il mean, their
names don't"
''It's mistake, then" said /.
Someone will be sending for it direct
IT,"
But day after day overlapped one
another, and no one sent for the box.
''The yan-man ought to know" said
Beulah,
eve haven't got his address," said L.
'No, to be sure" sighed Beulah.
81 wonder what is in it, anyway"
said l. DO you know, Beulah? l al
most think that one of that bunch of
rusty keys we found in the basement
pantry would fit it"
1--WE oughtn't to think of such
thing" said Beulah severely.
why not?" said /. Suppose the
contents are perishable?"
at would be equal to highway rob-
berry," demonstrated Beulah.
mo, it wouldn't said I. ''And the
old thing is so dreadfully in ones way!
If we could only get it up into the
store-room before the new dodgers
come"
"Let's try" said Beulah.
So between us we hoisted the box up
two flights of stairs, and put it away in
the angle of chimney.
ats awful heavy" said Beulah,
and there's something's rattles inside,
of it,
I've heard of dead bodies being cut
up and packed in boxes sometimes"
said in a whisper.
Lefty, don't talk nonsense" said
Beulah, with shudder.
We had had the box about a week
in our possession, when l went back to
the old house that we had left, to get
little bed-key which had somehow been
overlooked, on the top shelf of cor
ner cupboard.
Mrs. Dawson, the old lady who had
moved in, was disconsolate.
"rve lost my boarder," said she
.'already."
'.Dear mel" said |. ''thats a pitym
Gas nice a young doctor as ever you
set eyes on, said she, ''as wanted the
front room for an Office, and the back
parlor for a bedroom. Was to pay
weekly in advance, with extra for at
tendance on the bell, and meals sent
in from a restaurant"
'.That would have been very nice,n