Arizona republican., 1891-12-05
O, which went to the staplemen.

oi which went to the staDlemen.
 Miss Mignonette accompanied her treasure, and on her arrival at her su- perb mansion on West End avenue had it unpacked and artistically displayed in an @sthetic, we'll lighted upper room which she had converted into sort of museum for the exhibition of her trophies collected while travelling. Here she spent hours daily admiring her treasure, examining and re-examining the surface, which variously resembled oorals and stalagmites, honeycombs and cells. Nor did she tire. On the contrary, so great grew her fascination that at last she was held by it as by a spell--as a bird might be hypnotized by snake. She would walk and walk around it, sing to it, in- dite poems in its honor and call it by en- dearing names.
 One day Miss Mignonette read won- derful account in veracious newspaper concerning frog which had been found alive in a marble block. She was startled. What if her cone contained some ani- mal-a bear--a snake--goodness-what?
 
 reasoned. She felt that if it contained anything the mysterious object must be something higher. nobler than she, to so fascinate her.
 Should she smash it and end the mys- tery3 Nol Why spoil forever her idol?
 Again and again she caressed it, but always one end of it. Suppose the end toward which she was so irresistibly drawn were the head?
 Miss Mignonette, after reading the frog story, grew so crazed with the pos sible romance of the situation that she at last became possessed with the belief that there was man inside What if it were true? He could not be dead, no, only in a trance. He must be young and handsome. Yes, he must be the idol of her dreams, for whom she had searched the world. Her future lord had been found at last. Dame Nature had granted her prayer and in the most romantic way ever conceived, yea, inconceivable even to the widest lighted novelist, had enabled her to find her lover in stone
 She would break the seal, the long seal that had hidden hina from the world. She would dress to receive him. There should be no one elss present. He should awake from his long dream from the in- visible world, should open his eyes on her loveliness, should awake to life and the world in her arms.
 She arrayed herself gloriously. Her dark hair was arranged with white bands about it. A simple flowing gown of white enveloped her form, and over 1t was the faintest white fabric of illu- sion, so delicate as 10 deceive the eye. Her brown eyes, large and long dashed, shone with joy. Her feet were incased in tiny sandals. The nails of her delicate fingers shone pink hued, like the shell of a pearl. She was aIrayed at last, ready with endearing terms to receive her lover from his case of stone. Incan- descent lamps shed soft, mellow glow over the room, on the cone, enhancing the glorious beauty of the girl.
 With sharp chisal she began to in dent crease on the entire length of the cone. Gradually the crease deepened. Often she placed her ear to the opening, trying to catch some sound, some move ment The opening arrived at a depth where the cone could be split open with out injury to the inmate. She inserted several chisels and with hammer gent ly began the splitting process.
 As the tomb began to open she paused. She was scared. The man would really be as in death. How could she revive him unless he immediately came to life? Suppose he were completely dead. What could she tell the authorities that which they would believe and not convict her as murderess?
 Gradually her courage came back. She would save him somehow. Had not na- ture granted her prayer and sent her a husband in the most mysterious, TO- mantle fashion? Surely the power which sent him to her to be rescued would en. able her to restore him to life. She gave several taps and the cone divided in twain.
 In the morning they found her in the museum in dead faint. She did not re- vive for many days. Beside her were two halves of the cone of silicious sinter. The occupant, which lay beside her, was the limbless trunk of dead tree.-Wil- liam H. Ballou in New York Evening Telegram,