Evening journal., 1911-04-03
A Box That
Moved Of Itself
By GROVER J. GRIFFIN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911

for long while without getting any
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
Rppearance2 She had gone OF volun-
tarily through a whim. or, rather.
romantic desire TO try the world on
her own account.
But a strungef case than this came
under my observation. / am freight
agent on a railroad. and il happened
in the freight house in which l am
employed. One afternoon l received
a box about six feet long by two feet
broad and deep. II weighed. should
think. about hundred pounds. Il
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 / didn't care to be saddled
with broken property, laid it care
fully on truck. wheeled 1t Into the
freight house and. being crowded for
room. stood it on end, being particular
TO put the end up as directed. / no
ticed that the top was neither nailed
nor screwed on. and ! wondered how
/ it had been fixed as firmly as It was.
| But this was merely a passing thought.
/ for | didn't take the interest and had
not the time to investigate the way
lids were fastened. provided they were
secure.
/ received the box about 6 In the
evening and after disposing OF It and
other freight locked up aud went home
to supper. Having some statements
to make up in the evening l returned
TO the freight house. lighted up and
went 10 work in the little space fenced
OF for an Office. ! was dguring 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 &c. 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 II has taken to tell II. The
hrst thing | did was to open a drawer
in my desk and take out a revolver.
Thus armed, went out in among the
freight and looked about. / admit
dreaded being shot from dark cor
, ner, but for that matter / could hav'
been shot while sitting at my desk.
saw nothing, heard nothing, and afte
walking about for awhile made N
my mind / had been mistaken. star
j. ed to go back TO the Office and ha
y reached the door when / heard a gil
" gle.
All idea of fear left me at ono
}. Tossing my revolver on to my desk.
turned and went back for anothe
hunt Passing the box that had bee
marked to be carefully handled I nc
4 ticed that instead of the top one o
the sides faced me. knew very wei
that the box could not have move'
itself and suspected that here was tn
solution of the matter. Going up to II
I began to pull It about when the tol
came or and out stepped a girl abou
fifteen years old. The most astonish
ing thing about her was that her fac
was on a broad grin.
! "Well, I'll be hangedw exclaimed.
Her response was giggle the sam
/ as had heard shortly before.
- "Who are your asked.
"a runaway"
"From whereY
"From home"
'What did you run away forr
"Oh. it's an elopement."
- Rats! You're nothing but a chilt
y where's the young feller in the casei
Hiding behind the boxes. / let hiI
in at the window while you wer
gone"
l hastily examined the lid OF the DO
!! and found il had been held in plaC
i. by clamps on the inside that could
r; easily turned. Then / called to ii
4 young fellow to come out of hidinl
g | heard him climbing over the box'
o from the back part Of the house an
presently he came down into the dil
light He wasn't much older than II
girl.
'Now. you children tell me all aboI
this escapade at once" I said.
The girl made the explanation. ST
told me that she loved willie" as 81
called him, and that she knew her pa
r ents would not consent TO a marrial
since they were so young. so the
thought that they would elope. VIII
: had proposed the plan they had adop
ed. He had made the box, put her
it and shipped her as freight to n
station, where he proposed to join be
"And now." she added. won't yC
Just go like a dear. good man for
clergyman? We love each other al
would Ike to be married at once. Co
slider my reputation"
- "You little chitr' I replied astound'
at her impudence do you suppo
I'm going TO aid in the marriage
two children just out Of the nurser
You come into my Office and stay the
till I telegraph your parents"
- The girl. who bad taken the lei
from the first, begged hard to indu
me 10 let them go their way. but l W
~ obdurate.
|. I locked them in the office and we
= out to send a telegram. When /
{. turned they had got out. but how
/. don't know. never heard Of the
: afterward.