El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-13
The Strong Box
A short story.


torious troops from Solferino
- went into quarters between
Peschiera and Verona Towards dusk
Lieut. Randeau presented himself at
the door OF a pretty little house sur
rounded by a large garden and rang
the bell An old man opened the door,
looked at his ticket of Judgment and
said:
n n wiz show you the way"
/ The room which was given him was
very coy and comfortable one. with
/ two windows overlooking the garden.
Before going down again the old man
I should be very thankful to you.
lieutenant. If you would let Us serve
your dinner in your room, as my wife
IS sick and i cannot very well leave
I her bedside. 1t will be ready in an
Randeau went out for a walk
through the village When he came
Singing IN the garden he looked Tor
( the singer and moment later he saw
her on one OF the garden walks She
/ panied by a maid. The lieutenant
Z stepped aside to let her pass. saluted
ana went 70 MS room
After eating his dinner he sat down
/ at the open window and looked down
/ into the garden until the perfect calm
I in the house convinced him that ev-
/ erybOdy must have gone to bed For
more than two months he had not en-
as he was about TO retire he thought
/ ne heard a door being opened below
/ He looked out of the window and saw
d snaOOW moving across the lawn
Drawing back a little and hiding him
SER behind the curtain he followed the
movements Of the shadow.
II was an old woman \ dark CLOAK
/ concealed her figure and some heavy
/ OBJECT she was carrying. At the foot
| OF a cypress she deposited her burden
I on the ground and began to dig hole
/ Into this she put a square box and
N-nn Of 10
J freshly dug earth
81, so the old woman is not seriously
! ~, Randeau thought. She is only
/ afraid of being robbed by me" And
I ne decided 10 teach her lesson be
( In the morning he was Informed
/ that his regiment was to move the
| next day. He told his host who bowed
/ the young girl in the8garden and now
I saw that she was remarkably beau
! tiful and had most wonderful Golden
nalr and blue childlik6 eyes.
| . Slgnor1na.' he said to her. Il heard
/ IaSI night that your grandmother is
| tOday?'
She, blushed. Was it because she
/ was baShful or perhaps because she
/ was not used TO lying?
7 do not know. signOr." she said
| e. she told Randeau that she was Ita1-
/ she was brought I'D BY the two old
people, her great aunt and great uncle
/ an old Austrian official. who spent his
summers in the country She con
] fessed that the old people were very
angry when they found they had 10
give Judgments to soldiers. esDeciaIlr
her great aunt. who had seen one OF
ner farms devastated by Austrian SOL
dlers and who lived in constant dread
OL SnyDOQy VINO wore uniform.
one might as well open ones house
10 regular bandits, she used to say.
-, " ME the young girl told the Officer
. this she looked straight into his face
with an expression in her big blue
eyes which showed that she was not
I the least inclined to share her great
aunt d1Strust Of uniforms
Ihat night, when everybody was
asleep Randeau went down into the
garden and dug up the box he had
seen the old woman bury under the
and examined its contents. It VS.
nlled with bills and gold Paul Ran
Piace0 II IN the box and buried il again
AT the other end of the garden
tor a moment he hesitated He
Wanted 70 punish his suspicious hos
tess, but would Cecilia stand the test
me mere thought that she might
think him guilty almost made him
eyes and his doubt left him
As soon as the French troops had
rushed from the room in which she
mad Stubbornly remained all this ffTne
ana ana began to dig for her treasure. It
"Oh. the beastsi' she cried. adidn-t
l teI you knew they were all
Her husband. who had not known
any Cnlng OF her ruse. tried to calm her
We viii make a complaint against
the officer"
He never did it." said Cecilia holly
Her great aunt looked at her in sur
prise Cecilia blushed with shame.
How dared she treat her as If she were
a cnlIoE Angry words came to her
lips, but she forced them back She
mad her own secret. She loved and
was now suffering for her love
On the last day of August Rsnde~--
entered the garden and walking toward
a stone bench where Cecilia was Sit
ing When she heard his steps she
oh, Paul is it really YOU? Did my
FOSTER parents see yOu2"
NO, not vet; but want you to take
When the old Austrian saw Paul
Hanoeau ne 1FoWned- The lieutenant,
however. was the first to speak
theft coTr, Hlfof ba- conP R about
was living in your house at the time
ana my colonel has ordered me to in
VeSstigate- Follow me please"
dug up the casket-
French soldiers are not thieves he
SAID Sternly. that was the lesson 4
don me for having forced the lock
have taken nothing. but even put
something into it"
He opened the casket and took from
II magnificent ruby ring. which he
gave to Cecilia. Then he turned to the
old couple and said;
Cant Paul Randesu has the honor
OF asking YOU for the hand OF your
niece. if she is willing to accept this
ring"
The old Austrian growled. but his
wife was ready to give. her consent TO
anything. row she had got back her
Ttrong box
ROR GRAVEYARD To