The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-15

girls were left in charge Of the house.
At seven o'clock at night the two
youngest went to bed. and Letitia and
her at-great-grandmothe remained
up to wait for the return of their elders,
as they had been instructed. Then 1t
| was that the little great -great-grand-
| mother showed Letitia her treasure.
She had only one, and was often allowed
to look at It, lest 1t wean her htlrt
away from more serious things. 1t WIS
kept in secret drawer of the great
chest for safety, and was nothing but a
little silver snuff-boX with a picture on
the top. 1t contained little fiat glass
bottle about an inch and half long.
1.-THE box belonged to my grand
| father and the bottle to his mother. I
have them because I am the eldest, but
l must not set my heart on them un-
duly, said Letitias great-great- grand
| mother.
Letitia tried to count how many
greats belonged to the ancestors who
had first owned these treasures, but 1t
made her dizzy. She had never told the
| story of the little green door to any Of
them. She had been afraid to, know
| ing how shocked they would be at her
disobedience. Now, however, when the
treasure was replaced she was moved
to confidence, and told her great-great-
grandmother the whole story.
"That is very strange, said her great
| great-grandmother, when she had
finished. I'VE have little green door,
too; only ours is on the outside of the
| house, in the north wall. There's a
spruce tree growing up close against it,
but it Is there. Our parents have for
hidden us to ooen it. too, but we have
| never disobeyed."
She said the last word with some-
thing of an air Of superior virtue.
| Letitia felt terribly ashamed.
"Is there any key to your little green
| door?" she asked meekly.
For answer. her great-great-gra
mother opened the secret drawer of the
chest again. and pulled out key, with
o green ribbon in it. the very counter
| part of the one in the satin-wood box.
| Letitia looked at it wistfully.
II should never think of disobeying
my parents. and open the little green
door, remarked her great great grand
mother as she put back the key in the
drawer II should think something
| dreadful would happen to me. l have
heard whispered that the door opened
into the future. 1t would be dreadful
to be all alone in the future without
| ones kinfolks."
"There may not be any Indians or
catamounts there" ventured Letitia.
"There might be something great
deal worse" returned her great-great-
grandmother, severely.
After that there was silence between
| the two, and possibly a little coldness.
Letitia sat gazing forlornly into the
fire, thinking that it would be much
more comfortable to be alive in the flu
| ture than in the past, and her great
great-grandmother sat stiffly on her OPP
posite stool, knitting with virtuous in
dustry, until she began to nod.
Suddenly Letitia looked up, and she
| was fast asleep. Then, in a flash, she
thought of the key and the little green
door. 1t might be her only chance, for
nobody knew how long. She pulled off
her shoes, tip-toed in her thick yarn
stocking-feet up to the loft. got her
own clothes out of the chest and put
them on instead of her homespun garb.
The little great-aunts did not stir.
Then she tiptoed down, got the key out
OF the secret drawer, gave loving
farewell look at her great-great-grand-
mother, and was out Of the house.
1t was broad moonlight outside. She
ran around to the north wall of the
house. pressed in under the low
branches of the spruce tree, and there
was the little green door. Letitia gave
a sob of joy and thankfulness. She
fitted the key in the lock. turned 1t,
opened the door, and there she was,
back in the cheese room.
She shut the door hard. locked it and
carried the key back to its place in the
satin-wood box. Then she looked out
Of the window, and there were her
Great-aunt Peggy and the old maid
servant just coming home from church.
Letitia that afternoon confessed
| what she had done to her aunt, who
listened gravely.
"You were disobedient," said she,
when she had finished. but I think
your disobedience brought its own
punishment, and I hope now you will
be more content"
"Oh, Aunt Peggy" sobbed Letitia,
Everything I've got Is so beautiful, and
love to study and crochet and 60 to
church."
"Well, it was hard lesson to learn,
and l hoped to spare You from 1t, but
perhaps 1t was for the best" said her
Great-aunt Peggy.
Il was there a whole winter" said
Letitia, but when got back you were
just coming home from church,"
1T doesn't take as long to visit the
past as 1t did to live it," replied her
aunt.
Then she sent Letitia into her room
for the satin-wood box, and, when she
brought it. took out of It little parcel
neatly folded In white paper, tied with
green ribbon.
open It," said she.
Letitia united the green ribbon and
unfolded the paper, and there was the
little silver snuff.box which had been