The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-08

chair a little further away. land it
amt never brought good luck to no.
BODY, and don nobody have the least
idea what's in it, and they amt never
likely to, While I'm living
her niece. viewed the box with fresh
interest. What do you suppose is in
IT.? she queried, with just a thrill Of
awe in her voice. Maybe it's empty
"No-Uncle Gershom shook it once,
and there was things inside that rat
tied. He thought it might be money
and he most opened it, but he didn't
quite, you see. Nobody ever has
But why not?" persisted the young
girl There can't be anything dread
full in it. There might be some rare
old coins or deeds, or something val
liable It's only a box. 1 should think
you'd have Uncle Jason pry the cover
open with knife. The paint has stuck
it fast" She gave the box a shake
and tugged at the cover.
Don't you ever try? her aunt
screamed, jumping from her chair
with vehemence that sent it over
backward
Then, as if ashamed of her emotion,
she added more calmly. Put it away,
Abby, do. 1t can't do you no good, and
I'll tell you why we don't never open
it, any of u.s.
The girl arose obediently and taking
the box returned it to the dark corner
in the attic where she had found 1T.
Her aunt listened in a tremor. as the
young feet echoed over the thin boards
of the attic floor, and came down the
stairs.
She breathed sigh of relief as the
girl entered the room. 1T gave me the
shivers to hear you Up there and know
you was a-thinking of the box" she
confessed. You sounded so much like
Tryphena, when she got took with the
notion to see the inside of that box"
Poor Tryphena" she sighed, dis
mally.
She was the girl whose lover was
drowned, wasn't she?" the girl asked,
gently.
Her aunt nodded assent. 'I might
as well begin at the beginning" she
said, land then you'll see why"
Great grandfather had that box for
something, but what, he and the grave
only knew. When he died. twas left
up in the attic, way under the caves,
with a hair trunk and lots of old rub
bish, and nobody didn't think of dis
turbing it till one day grandmother had
a clearing-up fit. She was awful en-
ergetic, and she was bound to get that
attic cleared out for once. 1t had a
terrible lot of old stuff in it. so she be-
gan real systematic, and was going
through
Shed just got round to the hair
trunk, and had been reading some Of
the letters in it, and just took up the
box to open it, when she heard an aW-
full scream, and went rushing down.
stairs and found that grandfather had
got hurt bad, and they was bringing
him home.
He was dreadful sick. and didn't
never rally, and grandmother never
G,,s --l-o a. H. Cd
she tried it once, and when she came
to the green box it all came pack to
her so plain, she just couldn't do any
more.
Then, one day, Aunt lamar was
rummaging round, and she came across
the box, and thought she'd like it to
keep hat in, and so she was Just go
ing to open it, and there came dread
full big clap of thunder. and a bolt of
lightning came right down the Chin
ney and numbed her so she didn't get
over it for hours. And, if you'll believe
me, that lightning went across the at
tic, and when it got to where the box
was, it turned right off straight and
never touched it. We could tell. cause
it left burnt track, with a sharp an
gle in it where the box was.
How do you account for that?'
The girl shook her head.
cit just meant folks nor powers nor
nothing was to. touch that box. That's
what it meant
''Well, your Uncle Gersham tried it
once, and he was taking it over to the
light, and he run into an old lantern
that was hanging up, and it cut his
forehead dreadful, and he dropped it
and ran off for the doctor. and the next
time we went up in the attic. the box
was back Units place again
naTcad IN give eaTonhaSiS fn the
land then Tryphena took a notioH to
open it. M just then Silas came run
ming over to tell US how TryDhena'S
beau had got drowned. Mother went
up and told her, and she just put her
head down on the box and didn't say
for a long time. And when
finally she did come down. we was all
here, and we could hear her feet come
cross the floor, just as quiet and
steady, and when she came in She
smiled at us. And-and the next morn
ing-the next morning, Tryphena's hair
was snow white"
Abigail rocked in silence for a mo-
ment.
No one has tried to o0en it since
then" she said. land | don't think no.
body will, while 1 can help it,
She arose suddenly and went out into
the kitchen. Abby looked after her. and
there were tears in her young eyes.
Say, was Greatgrandfather Simpson
an awfully methodical man?' queried
Walter at supper, pausing between
mullins.
Very replied his aunt "Why?"
"And his name wasn't Solomon or
Samuel, or anything that begins with
So"
mo! 1t was Zattu. You don't often
hear that now"
well. then it must bei' he said.
WHAT" cueried Abby.
"'Why, the box" he replied
His aunt pushed back her chair.
81 found one UP in the attic he ex-