The Tupelo journal., 1904-11-11

place was almost IN darkness. A sick
| ering thought came into his mind, and
he returned to the house.
AS he stood there, hesitating, he dis
| tinctly heard a woman's scream, fol-
lowed by a low, moaning sound.
This was too much for him.
He turned to Wilkins and bade him
follow.
Come upstairs with mel" he said.
"I'm going to find out what Is going
on. Did you see that box taken into
Mr.. Ferrari's fiat this morning?"
81 did, sir" said the man. "It came
mighty early, as if he didn't want any
body to see it. And a stranger looking
box / never see. l says to my wife, I
says: You mark my words, there's
something queer going on up there!'
That's what l says, sir"
They had been running up the stairs
while he spoke, and by this time had
reached the Ferraris' door.
"You have a latchkey to all the
DOORS" said Archie. "Open it,"
The man hesitated.
open it!' repeated the artist, sharp
ly. 81 will be responsible"
In another moment he was standing
inside the Ferraris' hall. In a room
in front of him he could hear voices
whispering. He burst in.
There was the box. 1t stood open,
and his heart turned sick as he per-
| ceived that it was lined like a coffin.
On a chair sat the pretty girl from
Weldon's.
Her hands were tied behind her,
and her face was pale and frightened.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Ferrari were
there.
"You dog!" screamed the Italian,
who was evidently mad with passion
at his intrusion.
Thank heaven, l am in time!" said
Archie.
The Italian threw himself %furiously
upon him, but he had no chance against
the athletic young artist. Striking out
like the practiced boxer he was, Archie
struck him in the chest and sent him
Keeling backwards.
Then he turned to the girl whom he
knife from his pocket, he cut the rib
bon with which her wrists were bound,
and. regardless of all conventionalities,
snatched her to his breast.
"You fool" said Mr.. Ferrari, strug-
Cling to his feet and rubbing his chest.
You fool"
He r%elinquished his hold upon the
girl and turned to Mr.. Ferrari, who
was literally dancing with passion.
How dare you come into my tlat?"
he was screaming. What do you
think you area hero in a melo-
drama?"
Archie began to think that perhaps
he had been precipitate.
81 came to save her life," he STAN
mered.
ITO save her life!" echoed the Ital-
ian in dismay. What do you-"
Then he, too, began to laugh.
1.-THE box!" he gasped, pointing at
the big, ugly looking receptacle. He
thought I was a murderer. He came
to safe her life. Did it not strike you,
my gallant young friend, that l might
be going to use the box for profess
sional ~purposes?"
For professional purposes" said
Archie, lamely.
"FWhy not?"
II don't know what you are talking
about said Archie. Are you an I'M
dertaker?"
mo, a conjurer!" screamed Ferrari.
Il am going to do the box trick at the
Pavilion tonight. l am going to make
this young woman vanish"
Heavens, what a chump l have
made of myself" said Archie, truth
fully. But why did she scream, and
why did you turn down the light?"
81 only cried out because | hurt my
self the first time l got into it," said
the girl from Weldon's. This is to
be my first night on the stake, and I
am nervous"
"And I turned down the light be-
cause one does not c~onjure with the
gas on full" said Ferrari.
Archie, feeling that his mission was
| ended, turned to go.
mo, no." said the Italian, do not
go away like that. There is no harm
| done. We shall have to start directly.
Come with us. This is my wife. This
is Miss Bolton, the young woman who
is going to assist me-"
On the whole, it cannot be said that
Archie commenced his courtship I'M
der favorable conditions. But appar-
emily he succeeded in spite of all, for
now when he has visitors he shows
| them the portrait of an extremely pref
ty girl, with dark eyes and most won
| derful chestnut hair. 1t is the best pic
ture he has ever painted, and he likes
to draw attention to it.
"My wife," he always says, with
pride.-Chicago Tribune.