The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-23

this moment That is a wonderful
story; it is, indeed. l am sure it is
just as good as His Wife's Deceased
Sister" AS she spoke these words a
sudden chilling sensation crept over us
both. In the same moment the terri
bic truth had flashed on US both. The
story was as good as His Wife's De-
ceased Sister,.
My wife approached me and took my
hand in hers which was as cold as
mine. BE strong and firm, she said;
a great danger threatens us, but you
must brace yourself against it. Be
strong and firm
L pressed her hand, and we said no
more that night.
The next day l took the manuscript
had Just written and carefully enfold-
ed it in stout wrapping paper. Then L
went to neighboring store and
bought small. tin box, originally in
tended for biscuit, with cover that
fitted tightly. In this l placed my
manuscript, and then I took the box
to a tinsmith and had the top fastened
on with hard solder. When l went
home l ascended on into the garnet
and brought down to my study a ships
cash box, which had once belonged to
one of my family who was a sea cap
tain. This box was very heavy and
firmly bound with iron, and was Sc
cured by two massive locks. Calling
my wife, | told her of the contents of
the tin can, which l then placed in the
box, and, having shut down the heavy
lid, / doubly locked it.
This key" l said, putting it in my
pocket, i shall throw into the river
when / go out this afternoon"
My wife watched me eagerly with a
pallid and firm set countenance, but
upon which l could see the faint glim-
mer of returning happiness.
Wouldn't it be WELL" said she, "to
secure it still further by sealing wax
and pieces of tape?"
No, said I, Il do not believe that
any one will tamper with our property.
And now, my dear" I continued. in an
impressive voice, mo one but you, and,
in the course of time, our son. shall
know that this manuscript exists.
When am dead those who survive me
may. if they see fit. cause this box to
be split open and the story published.
The reputation it may give my name
cannot harm me then"
There can be no doubt that the title
His Wife's Deceased Sister," was a
cloak for The Lady and the Tiger"
and there are many people who believe
that Mr.. Stockton may have put away
a story which he considered equally
good and having all the elements of
popularity of the little story, and that
his death may cause his heirs to open
the box"
Our Fire Screen the story of an
Eastlake frame, with a handmade
screen to fit it, and how the furniture
and finally the whole house was altered
to harmonic with it, is one of the best
of Stockton's little stories. When it had
all been done. all the changes made, at
the sacrifice of money and comfort, the
owner of the screen turned the frame
around and said:
There was a blank expanse on the
back of it, and on this I painted with
brush and some black paint, with which
my wife had been. painting Storks on
some old-fashioned red clay pottery,
the following lines from Dante's In
ferno":
Why, oh, why, have ] taken
And thrown away my comfort on earth
And descended into an old-fashioned
hell"
But as l do not understand Italian, it
is not likely that any of the words L
wrote are correct; but it makes no diff
ference, as so few persons understand
the language, and l can always tell
them what [ meant the inscription to
mean.
few days after this went over to
Toms house. (He had induced the
owner of the screen to make all the
changes.) A brighter, cosier home you
never saw. l threw myself into one of
my eX-arm chairs. I lay back: I
stretched out my legs under the table
could never stretch out my legs under
nv own a b1aS hApo11ca +baTr bod
Eastlake bars under them and you had
to sit up and keep your legs at an
Eastlake angle. l drew a long sigh of
satisfaction. Around me were all the
pretty, tasteful unsuitable things that
Tom had bought from us-at 81 per
cent off. Our own old spirit of home
comfort seemed to be here. l sprang
from my chair
Tom" 1 cried what will you take
for this house, this furniture every
thing just as it stands?"
Tom named a sum. 1 closed the bar
gain.
We live in Toms house now, and two
happier people are not easily found.
Tom wanted me to sell him my remod-
eled house, but 1 wouldn't do it. He
would alter things. l rent it to him,
and he has to live there, for he can get
no other house in the neighborhood. He
is not the cheerful fellow he used to be.
but his wife comes over to see us very
often.
In the series entitled. Every Man
His Own Letter Writer" No. 3 is:
From a hog and cattle reporter on a
morning paper, who has just had his hair
cut by barber whose father fell off a
bridge in the early part of 1867, to a
gardener who has written to him that a
tortoise shell cat belonging to the widow
Of a stage manager, has dug up a bed of
calceolarias, the seed of which had been
sent him by the cashier of a monkey
wrench factory, which had been set on
fire by a one-armed tramp whose mother
had been a seamtress in the family OF a
Hicksite Quaker.
Stockton's stories We're not all pub
lished. George Cary Eggleston says:
We, his intimates. were never quite
sure whether he had heard the story or
carefully made il Up for the occasion, or
simply inprovised it TO meet demand,
Once, many years ago, when the Authors
club was young, we decided to hold that
watch night meeting on the last evening
of the year which has since become d
function initiated by other clubs. We did
not then have Il programme, as we do
now but left matters at loose ends. taxi
ing the chances as to what we should get
in the way of stories and speeches On
the evening which wish to recall Mark
Twain was there, and at my solicitation.
] being chairman at the time, he intro
duced the entertainment with one of his
most humorous stories. Soon afterward
/ / called upon Mr.. Stockton for a speech.
He arose languidly and came forward
with elaboration. After keeping the au-
dience waiting for more than a minute
/ as if corralling his intellect-he spoke
! slowly, as follows:
mir. Chairman. you call upon me for q
! speech. | have none to give you. Your
request reminds me of a recent experience
1 of mine, which may or may not be inter
esting.
Il was down in Virginia not long age
and was particularly well treated. Those
| hospitable people not only dined me upon
! all occasions and many times on no oc-
| cnSinn nj al hui they invited me. press