Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-10
THAT BOX.
Jack" said Lacy Bargsmont II DO
verify believe that you are really fond of me

now."
"Of course am fond of yon, Hstty."
But you wouldn't have been fond Of me-,
Jack. II Casterton hadn't been born. can't
think why the peer married the parsons
daughter Jack, why did you marry me
me Of all people In the worldi Tell me,
dear. why did King Cophstua wed with the
beggar maidi"
"It's funny thing. Hetty," said his lord
ship, with smile Of affection, that Blue
boards wife is always hankering after the
key OF the blue closet and, a. the adver-
tisement sayA won't be happy till she
gets It,"
"Tn tell you why married you, little
Hetty. i married you as q duty. dear, be-
cause was proud and miserable man,
homeless and childless, the last of my lina
didn't want the Bargemont title to die
out, and married you, Hetty, because you
were the prettiest, wholesomest, healthiest
and honsstest little maid I had clapped my
eyes upon, and because there was no nom
sense and nothing morbid about you.
II wasn't In love with you, Hetty, when
married you. I don't mind confessing
that did 1t as duty, but have learned to
love you. You've healed my wounds, and
we'll, you're Casterton's mother. And you
agreed to marry me out of pity. know
you did"
but was In love with you all the same,
for pity, we know, Is akin to love, and I
know you do love me, Jack, and dearly,
and it's because you do love me that you're
going to tell me all about her."
And then Lord Bargemont sighed.
IF / must tell you, ! must, !" he said,
"and when have told you, Hetty. you will
pity me all the more
II came into the Bargemont title when
was a boy Of Is. The court of chancery
took care of me, and hadn't a real friend
IN the wide world. was blase man az
the world at 25 People looked upon me just
as a big fish that had to be caught at any
price.
"Why, mothers and chaperons threw
their flies In vain. was absolutely heart
whole. But met my fate at last.
''She was very beautiful In all mems eyes
clever. accomplished and ambitious, well
born and well bred, an only daughter,
ready to do her duty and sell herself to the
highest bidder.
''She was magnificent animal. don't
believe she had a heart. but her imperial
beauty attracted me. She was the cynosure
of every eye. proposed to Lady Blanche
Middleton, was accepted, and we were mar
ried.
For month was happy-happy as a
child In the possession of new and expen-
sive toy-then discovered that my hand
some wife did not love me. But she gave
me no cause for jealousy. though became
very anxious on her account
''She grew more morose and melancholy,
strange In her manner and more inclined
for solitude. Her appetite failed. and her
beauty faded before my eyes.
zone day I came into her boudoir sud-
denly. She was sitting with mahogany
brass bound box open on the table before
her. When she saw me, she closed the box
and locked 1t with key which she wore
upon her watch chain.
my curiosity was aroused. What on
earth have you In that box. Blancher
said
''She laid her hand upon It jealously, and
with an angry look In her magnificent eyes
which, though we were not q year mar
ried. bad already grown dull and lack lus-
ter-she said: I hate impertinent curiosity
in a man, Bargemont This little box IL
where l keep my secrets-the secrets prize
best In all the world she added.
"'And you won't let me see the contentsr
said.
"'rd rather die FIRST said my wife
II turned on my heel and left the room.
for I could not trust myself
"From that day we quarreled. Idisdain-
ed to seek further explanation from wom-
an who denied me her confidence.
Several months went by. and Lady
Bargemont's conduct became more and
more eccentric. It attracted the attention
Of the neighbors and the servants. The
neighbors said that Lord Bargemont's wife
was going melancholy mad.
Zone day my wife's maid rushed into my
room, her eyes nearly starting from her
head with horror. My lord she cried, 4
can't get into Lady Bargemont's room; she
doesn't answer me. don't know what to
think
III and the maid hurried to my wife's
room. We hammered at the door for ad-
mission.
"Then burst the door open, and dread
ful sight met our eyes.
"There lay my wife fully dressed upon
the bed Her eyes were closed as though
In sleep, but when looked into her face
and saw what saw there knew that she
was dead.
"Her hand grasped strange looking in
strument of bamboo mounted In silver, on
Gus clay Upon the little table at the bed
side lay the brass box wide open, q porta-
BILE spirit lamp which was still burning
and what appeared to be a travelling ink
stand open.
my wife was an opium smoker. She
learned the habit from friend as q cure
for neuralgia, to which she was subject.
Those little brass bound boxes, with the
dainty apparatus for the carrying out of the
hideous eastern vice, are still sold with Inn
punity In London.
"Those who know of the hideous thing
say nothing, and when the victims die by
running their constitutions, or, as In my
wretched wife's case, by an overdose Of the
accursed thing sometimes there Is an in
quest and verdict Of death by misadven-
ture, az In her case
"And now you know all about It, Hetty,
and why IL was that when you married me
YOU found me miserable man. There's
nothing morbid about you, little woman,
anyhow"
And then the door was flung wide open,
and blue eyed boy, some years OF age,
rushed into the room. The child was pic
ture OF health and strength and happiness
"And there's nothing morbid about him."
added Lord Bargemont. He doesn't look
much like the last of his line, does he. Het-
typ
And then Lord Bargemont submitted 20
he common fate of fathers and danced the
child upon his knee toward the haven of
Banbury Cross, and as he did 30 he forgot
for the time all about the first Lady Barge
mont and the brass bound box.-Exchange