Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-09-11
THAT BOX.

/
But you wouldn't have been fond of me,
Jack, If Casterton hadn't been born. l can't
think why the peer married the parsons
daughter. Jack, why did you mArryme-
me of all people in the worldl Tell me,
dear, why did King Cophetua wed with the
beggar maid'"
Its funny thing. Hetty," said his lord
Phip, with a smile of affection, 'that Blue
boards wife is always hankerinR after the
key of the blue closet and, as the adver-
tisement says, won't be happy till she
gets it,"
"I'll tell you why married you, little
Hetty. married you as duty, dear, be-
cause was proud and miserable man,
homeless and childless, the last of my line.
didn't want the Bargemont title to die
out, and married you, Hetey, because you
were the prettiest, wholesomest, healthiest
and honestest little maid 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
l married you. don't mind confessing
that did it as duty, but have learned to
love you You've healed my wounds, and
well, you're Castertons 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, Ii akin to love, and
know you do love me, Jack, and dearly,
and it's because you do love me that you're
going to tell me ell about her"
And then Lord Bargemont sighed
"If l must tell you, must; y he said.
"and when have told you, Hetty, you will
pity me all the more.
~ came into the Bargemont title when
was boy of Is. The court of chancery
took care Of me, and l hadn't real friend
in the wide world. was blase man of
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, we'll
born and we'll bred, an only daughter,
ready to do her duty and sell herself to the
highest bidder.
'She was a magnificent animal. don't
believe she had heart, but her imperial
beauty ATTRACTED me. She was the cynosure
of every eye. proposed to Lady Blanche
Middleton, was accepted land wewere mar.
ried.
For a 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 / 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 it 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 year mar
ried, had already grown dull and lack I1s-
ter-she said: I hate impertinent curiosity
in a man, Bargemont, This little box Is
where keep my secrets-the secrets prize
best in all the world she added.
land you won't let me see the contentsr
said.
"'I'd rather die first. said my wife.
OL ucci etLlu 1clJ buc TOOIn,
for could not trust myself r
From that day we quarreled. disdain-
ed to seek further explanation from a wom-
an who denied me her confidence.
Several months went by. and Lady
Bargemont's conduct became more and
more eccentric. 1t attracted the attention
Of the neighbors and the servants The
neighbors said that Lord Bargsmont' Is wife
xnyaa eyOfuar Vaa1an0h0lu M ad
Zone day my wifs's maid rushed into my
room, her eyes nearly starting from her
head with horror. My lord, she cried, i
can't get into Lady Bargemont's room; she
doesn't answer me. don't know whatsto'
think ,
~ and the maid hurried to my wife's
room. We hammered at the door for ad-
mission.
"Then burst the door open, and a dread
ful sight met our eyes. 81,
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 I knew that she
was dead.
Her hand grasped a strange looking In
stFument Of bamboo mounted In silver. ON
one end Of which was a curious disk of por-
ous clay. Upon the little table ut the bed
side lay the brass box wide open, a porta-
BILE spirit lamp which was still burning
and what appeared TO be travelling ink
stand open.
my wife was an opium smoker. She
learned the habit from a friend as a 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 i'm
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 wite's case, By ansoyerdose Of the
accnrsed thing sometimes there Is an In
quest and verdict Of death by misadven~
ture, as Ia her case
.And now you know all about Il, Hetty,
and why 1t 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 GunG wide open.
and a blue eyed boy. some years Of age,
ruAhed into the room. The child was . pic
ture Of health and strength and happiness.
"And there's nothing morbid about him"
49, 4 ,,.H PnrOepanHt "H8 doesn't look