Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-28


stout vehicles. The men conveyed it b,
unused paths, avoiding the routes where
officials were stationed, and got it safely
to Livingston, where it was carefully
packed in long box and shipped tC
New York at total cost of $40. 600. hall
of which went to the stablemen.
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 aesthetic, well lighted upper room
which she had converted into sort OF
museum for the exhibition of her trophies
collected while travelling. Here shs
spent hours daily admiring her treasure.
examining and re-examining the surface,
which variously resembled corals 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 spell-as bird might
be hypnotized by a 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 a won
derful account in veracious newspaper
concerning a frog which had been found
alive in a marble block. She was startled.
What if her cone contained some ami
mal-a bear--a snake-goodness- what?
This girl had some sense. She actually
reasoned. She felt that if it contained
anything the mysterious object must be
something higher, nobler than she, to so
fascinate her.
ShoulS she smash it and end the mys-
terry? Mol 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 true9 He could not be dead, no,
only in 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 highted novelist, had
enabled her to find her lover in stone.
She would break the seal, the long seal
that had hidden him from the world.
She would dress to receive him. There
should be no one else 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
it was the faintest white fabric of illu-
sion, so delicate as to deceive the eye
Her brown eyes, large and long lashed,
shone with joy. Her feet We're incased
in tiny sandals. The nails of her delicate
fingers shone pink hued, like the shell of
pearl. She was arrayed 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
With sharp chisel 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 depth
where the cone could be split open with
out injury 70 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 ma
ture granted her prayer and sent her a
husband in the most mysterious, ro-
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 Fl. Ballou in New York Evening
Telegram.