Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-01-21
WHAT THE
BOX HELD
BY Mrs. Cen. George z. Puckett



popyright, 1901. BY dolly story Pub. Coz
MRS. LACEY wished that Hal woul
IvI laugh, or even smile, as he used Il
90. Two years ago he had been the lif
Of her Halloween dinner. To be sur
he had been to the Philippines since AM
had Just come home with a bulle
wound in his shoulder and leave of alb
sence In bis pocket. She supposed thu
Philippines naturally would make
man feel somewhat solemn and perhaps
! bullet In the shoulder had not ten
dency to superinduce rollicking mood
But then a leave ought to encourage
man into an occasional smile Of goot
fellowship. She wondered II 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 really
happy girl. Mrs. Lacey did not feel 1t
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.
A solemn silence fell over the scene:
all waited for the next movement Of
Fate.
looming events cast their shadows
before" quoted Tom with gloomy In
tonation. Mrs. Lacey lifted warning
finger
A dark curtain which had hung unob-
-seryed in an ullighted corner Of theop-
posite wall was drawn aside and tall
form robed In black draperies that
trailed In somher folds across the floor
moved with stately tread to the head Of
the table. The face was hidden in q
nlmy veil fastened to its place by tiara
Of silver stars. w
Mistress Fate. herself" said Tom In
an aws-struck whisper
As the mysterious form reached the
table It paused for q moment that
seemed full Of awful premonitIon and
then a white hand slipped from under a
black fold and threw q silver ball Into
the middle Of the table. Then the
strange vlsitant 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 q man and q GIRL
abe began in subterranean tones.
Tragic combination" interpolated
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
love that they thought was firm and
abiding as the eternal stars"
High tragedy and deep gloom" NUT
tered Tom. Fe p faq-l
{ There came an eventlde when they
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 20 mark the places where the
shuttle turnsF et.lf tsf
Most dangerous business possible, 3 |
objected Tom. 'ThaWing out dynamite |
By the FIRE q nothing to IT,
~Ant snddehly the stars fell from the |
sky and pail of darkness hung over
the world and the maiden walked on |
alone into a vide desert where there
vas no moon nor stars nor yet the faint
ost Light to guide her way across TIE
burning sand. And the youth turned |
him haids Into the wilderness where the
thorns pierced his feet and tore his
hands and the bfinrs caught and held
m a be TIED D 90 On hil way. And
y o1nte q rAas-
Nm Lae1y paused TO delach from ne
IlEg eord 4 anal onlset shai M -