The Tupelo journal., 1903-12-18
WHAT THE
BOX HELD
By Mrs. Gen. George z. Pickett
Copyright, 1905, by Daily story Pub. Coz

Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
MFRS. LACEY wished that Hal would
Jvk laugh, or even smile, as he used to
10. Two years ago he had been the life
of her Halloween dinner. To be sure
he had been to the Philippines since anc
had just come home with a bullet
wound in his shoulder and a leave of alb
,ence in his pocket. She supposed the
Philippines naturally would make a
man feel somewhat solemn and perhaps
a bullet in the shoulder had not a ten
dency to superinduce a r~ollicking mood.
But then a leave ought to encourage a
man into an occasional smile of good
fellowship. She wondered If Kittie Win
ston had anything to do with his melan-
choly. She had fancied once that he and
Kittie were very fond of each other. and
recently Kittie herself had seemed too
brilliant in her gayety and had talked
and laughed overmuch to be a really
happy girl. Mrs. Lacey did not feel it
her duty to %untangle the complication,
but she did think it Halls duty to try to
be agreeable at her Halloween cele-
bration.
The nuts and wine were on and horse
shoes and clover leaves with four petals
and luck stones had been found tucked
away in almond shells. Prophecies,
varying all the way from gold mines
and orange blossoms to Wall street pan
les and cypress, had ben discovered in
innocent-looking bon-bon wrappers.
ro1aD11 e{Ianon fo11 ouar tha coana.
all waited for the mex movement of
Fate.
Coming events cast their shadows
before" quoted Ton with gloomy in
tonation. Mrs. Lacey lifted a warning
finger.
A dark curtain which had hung unob-
served in an unlighted corner of the OPP
posite wall was drawn aside and a tall
form robed in black draperies tina:
trailed in somber folds across the floor
moved with stately tread to the head of
the table. The face was hidden in a
filmy veil fastened to its place by a tiara
of silver stars.
Mistress Fate, herself" said Tom in
an awe-struck whisper.
AS TIC JolcII OuS III IcdCutd liz
table it paused for a moment that
seemed full of awful premonition and
then a white hand slipped from under a
black fold and threw a silver ball into
the middle Of the table. Then the
strange visitant turned and left the
room as silently as she had appeared.
Mrs. Lacey caught hold of the end of
fh0 e31uar oarl thot h,n1 fro-, &ka hall
and it began to unroll slowly.
"Unraveling the web of fate" said
Tom.
Once there was a man and a girl -
she began in subterranean tones.
Tragic combination" interpoiated
Tom.
DO not interrupt the story of fate
said Mrs. Lacey in a warning voice.
The girl had eyes like the June sky
at MONDAY and hair like the cloud that
floats over the mountain when the
storm rises darkly from the west"
Absolutely fatal MIXTURE" groaned
Tom.
And they loved each other with a
love that they thought was firm and
dUlulHS do ~ CIClAd ..
High tragedy and deep gloom" NUT
tered Tom.
There came an eventide when thew
wandered alone under the shining
stars of a moonlesS night and softly
drew the threads from the beautiful web
the poets have wrought with flowers of
rhyme to mark the places where the
shuttle turns"
Most dangerous business possible
objected Tom. "Thawing out dynamite
by the fire is nothing to it."
And suddenly the stars fell from the
sky and a pail Of darkness hung over
the world and the maiden walked on
alone into a wide desert where there
was no moo nor stars nor yet the faint
est light to guide her way across the
burning sand. And the youth turned
him aside into the wilderness where the
thorns pierced his feet and tore his
hands and the briars caught and held
him as he tried to go on his way. And
it came to pass"
Mrs. Lacey paused to detach from the
silver cord a small object that was fas-
tened to it by a peculiarly complicated
knot which claimed her attention for
some moments. 1t was wound around
with silver paper and stamped with a
name in gold letters.
For you, Mamie" she said, putting
it down on the plate of a young girl who
sat near her and who opened her prize
to find a prophetic line which she
quickly concealed, the light in her eyes
seeming to indicate that it was of an ac-
ceptable nature. But then Mrs. Lacey
was too amiable a hostess to draw out
from any ball of fate a prophecy other
wise than cheerful. p
So interested did the company become
in what the mysterious ball might bring
forth that they ceased to follow the for
tunes or misfortunes of Mrs. Lacey's
sentimental youth and maiden.
LrAn nC O ALL