The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-31
"A Box That
Moved Of Itself
By GROVER J. GRIFFIN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

trace Of her. The case was given up
as one of those mysterious disappear
ances that are never solved. But the
girl turned up finally, and what do
| you suppose was the cause of her dis
appearance? She had gone off volun-
tarily through within, or. rather, a
romantic desire to try the world on
her own account.
But a stranger case than this came
under my observation. | am a freight
agent on a railroad, and it happened
In the freight house in which | am
employed. One afternoon / received
box about six feet long by two feet
broad and deep. 1t weighed, l should
think, about a hundred pounds. 1t
was marked: "Glass. Handle With
Care. This Side Up" Near one end
was also written, IF Stood on End
This End Up"
received the box on the platform,
and, since l didn't care to be saddled
with broken property, laid it care
fully on truck, wheeled it into the
freight house and. being crowded for
room, stood it on end, being particular
to put the end up as directed. l no.
hced that the top was neither nailed
nor screwed on, and l wondered how
1t had been fixed as firmly as 1t was.
But this was merely a passing thought,
not the time to investigate the way
lids were fastened, provided they were
secure.
received the box about in the
evening and after disposing of it and
other freight locked up and went home
to supper. Having some statements
to make up in the evening, l returned
to the freight house, lighted up and
went to work in the little space fenced
off for an office. was figuring when
l heard a cough outside.
The idea occurred to me that some
one was in the freight house. The
door being right beside my office, no
one could have entered without my
knowing it; consequently some one
had come In surreptitiously. No one
would be likely to do that except
for the purpose Of robbery. All this
passed through my brain In one-tenth
the time it has taken to tell It, The
first thing / did was to open a drawer
in my desk and take out revolver.
Thus armed, went out in among the
freight and looked about. / admit ]
dreaded being shot from dark cor
ner, but for that matter 1 could have
been shot while sitting at my desk. /
saw nothing, heard nothing, and after
walking about for awhile 1 made up
my mind had been mistaken. l start
ed to go back to the Office and had
reached the door when heard q gig
gle.
All idea of fear left me at once.
Tossing my revolver on to my desk,
turned and went back for another
hunt. Passing the box that had been
marked to be carefully handled l no
ticed that instead of the top one Of
the sides faced me. / knew very well
that the box could not have moved
itself and suspected that here was the
solution of the matter. Going up to 1t,
1 began to pull it about, when the top
came off and out stepped a girl about
fifteen years old. The most astonish-
ing thing about her was that her face
was on a broad grin.
"Well, I'll be hangedr' exclaimed.
Her response was a giggle the same
H0 oh
"Who are you?" asked.
"a runaway"
From where"
"From home"
"What did you run away for?"
"Oh, it's an elopement."
"Rats! You're nothing but a child
Where's the young Teller in the case"
"Hiding behind the boxes. 1 let him
in at the window while you were
gone"
hastily examined the lid of the box
and found it had been held in place
by clamps on the inside that could be
easily turned. Then I called to the
young fellow to come out of hiding.
1 heard him climbing over the boxes
from the back part of the house and
presently he came down into the dim
light. He wasn't much older than the
girl.
Now, you children tell me all about
this escapade at once" I said.
The girl made the explanation. She
told me that she loved willie" as she
called him, and that she knew her par
ents would not consent to a marriage
since they were so young, so they
thought that they would elope. Willie
had proposed the plan they had adopt
ed. He had made the box, put her in
1t and shipped her as freight to my
station, where he proposed to join her
"And now" she added, won't you
just go like dear, good man for a
clergyman? We love each other and
would like to be married at once. Con-
slider my reputation"
''You little chit" replied, astounded |
at her impudence "Do you suppose |
I'm going to aid in the marriage of |
two children just out of the nursery.
You come into my office and stay there
till l telegraph your parents"
The girl, who had taken the lead !
from the first. begged hard to induce
me to let them go their way, but was
obdurate.
I locked them in the office and went |
out to send telegram. When l re-
turned they had got out, but how /
don't know. / never heard Of them
afterward.