The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-01-01
WHAT THE
BOX HELD
By Mrs. Gen. George T.. Pickett
ecopyrisht, 1905. BY Daily story Pub. Cos


AIRS. LACEY wished that Hal would
NI laugh, or even smile, as he used to
10. Two years ago he had been the life
IF her Halloween dinner. To be sure
he had been to the Philippines since and
lad just come home with a bullet
wound in his shoulder and leave of alb
ence in his pocket She supposed the
Philippines naturally would make. a
nan feel somewhat solemn and perhaps
bullet in the shoulder had not ten
lency to superinduce a rollicking mood.
But then a leave ought to encourage
nan into an occasional smile of good
fellowship. She wondered if Kittie Win
.ton had anything to do with his melan-
.holy. 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
md laughed overmaeh to be really
happy girl. Mrs. Lacey did not feel it
her duty to untangle the complication,
,ut she did think it Halls duty to try to
be agreeable at her Halloween cele-
oration. q
The nuts and wine were on and horse
'ihoes 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 pam
ics and cypress, had ben discovered in
tnnocent-looking bon-bon wrappers.
a solemn silence fell over the scene;
Ill waited for the next movement of
Fate.
Coming events cast their shadows
BEFORE" quoted Tom with gloomy in
tonation Mrs. Lacey lifted a warning
niger.
A dark curtain which had hung unob-
served in an unlighted corner of the OPP
posite wall was drawn aside and tall
.orm robed in black draperies that
trailed in somber folds across the floor
moved with stately tread to the head of
The table. The face was hidden in a
6lmy veil fastened to its place by tiara
Of silver stars.
Mistress Fate, herself" said Tom in
In awe-struck whisper.
AS the mysterious form reached the
table it paused for a moment that
seemed full of awful premonition and
hen 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
the silver cord that hung from the ball
and it began to unroll slowly.
''Unraveling the web of fate said
Tom.
''Once there was man and a girl"
she began in subterranean tones.
Tragic combination" interpolated
Tom.
do not interrupt the story of fate. .
laid 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
abiding as the eternal stars"
High tragedy and deep gloom" NUT
tered Tom.
lneTe came an SNeuIluS Wnen lley
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 1t"
And suddenly the stars fell from the
sLy and pail of darkness hung over
the world and the maiden walked on
alone into a wide desert where there
was no moon nor stars nor yet the faint
est light to guide her way across the
burning sand And the youth turned
rim 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
silyer cord small object that was fas-