The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-01-20
A Christmas
Box
By EUNICE BLAKE

| it was understood that st. LuEe'S hos
| pital would get the bulk of the prop
erty and Jack would have to get on as
best he could. Since he had been
| brought up to expect a fortune, this
was not pleasant outlook.
A couple of months before the third
| Christmas after the marriage and a
short time after their baby was born
| Jack and his wife were sitting togeth.
er brooding over their poyerty-for
Jack was not a success as a worker
| and lamenting that Jack had not at
| least mentioned the fact to his uncle
| that he was about TO take wife and
asked the old mans approval. Mrs.
nollingsworth said she didn't blame
the old man a bit. Jack admitted that
he didn't blame him either.
Lets send him a Christmas pres.
ent," said Julia. ut may bring about
| a change"
Where are we to get the money to
pay for it," suggested her husband,
I'm tell you what III do. III make
| batch of those iced top cookies
| know so we'll how to make and send
them to him in box with note say.
ing | made them"
Put in your photograph" said Jack.
That's good idea. I'll put in the
one taken with the baby
This plan was not so bad, since Mr.,
Silas Henderson Jacks uncle, believed
in women who were practical and was
very fond of children. Indeed, it was
the sad spot in his life that his wife,
now dead, had not borne him II son to
bring up to manage his business and
inherit his property.
Unfortunately for Julia's scheme,
not long before Christmas Silas Hen
derson received Black Hand let
ter demanding $1,000 He paid no at.
tention to the demand except to hand
it over to the police. On Christmas
eve Jack, at Julia's suggestion. TO save
expressage, as soon as it was dark
took the box of cookies to his uncle's
house, put it down, rang the bell
and slipped away. The summons was
answered by the butler, who took up
the box and carried it to his master
telling him how he had found it,.
Mr. Henderson took it up. looked AT
the address-written by Julia-and,
suddenly remembering his Black Hand
letter, dropped it like hot coal
Thomas, telephone for the pOIice!'
he cried to the butler.
The order was obeyed, and i'm a few
minutes a patrol wagon dashed up to
the house \ sergeant and couple
of men entered and asked what was
the matter. The sergeant when III.
formed Of the receipt of a suspicious
package sent the men back to the sta
ton and proceeded to examine what
no one doubted was an Internal ma
chine
The first thing the sergeant did was
to unloose the bit of narrow ribbon
that Julia had used in tying it up and
put it in his pocket as a possible cleW
The next thing was to unwrap the pa
per about the box and hold it up to
the light in hopes of seeing some mark
on it by which to find the culprit A
box in which a set of childs ninepius
had been kept next appeared.
"A sliding cover" remarked the
sergeant sententiously. I'VE must
find some way TO remove the lid with.
out drawing it out, for this is doubtless
intended to produce friction and light
an innammable. Have you anything
to bore with?"
A large sized gimlet was produced,
and the sergeant bored a hole in the
side of the box, drew out the gimlet
and looked at substance that adher
ed to it.
"Dynamite"' said the sergeant.
He put the gimlet to his nose, then
TO his tongue.
Doesn't taste like dynamite It's
more like cake. | fancy, Mr. uender-
son, you have made mistake. This
may be a Christmas box"
He brayely pulled out the cover, re
moved some paper and took up card
on which was written:
a merry Christmas to Uncle Silas from
the Hollingsworth family.
Beneath the card was n photograph
of what looked to Mr.. Henderson like
Madonna and child. Lifting another
paper, a dozen round cakes with pink
icing on the top were displayed. Mr..
Henderson gave one to the sergeant
and ate one himself. 1t was delicious.
Thomas" said the receiver of the
box, "call up my nephew, John Ilol-
lingsworth. on the phone and ask him
If he and his family will dine with ME
tomorrow"
Thomas obeyed the order, and the
next day the Hollingsworth family, in
Guiding Silas Henderson Holdings
worth, aged two years, the child sit.
ting in high chair on his great-uncle's
right, dined with Silas Henderson,
That was the first Christmas in many
years that Sias Henderson had any
one to dine with him on Christmas day.
A fine dinner was provided, such as the
Holingsworths had not partaken of
since their marriage. Mrs. llollings-
worth made herself especially agree
able and little Billy was regarded by
his grcat-uncle with delight.
After ALL" said the old man, blood
is thicker than water You, Jack, and
you julia and Billy win make my life
much happier in the future, ana 1t all
came from mess Of cookies"
The next day Mr. Henderson chang
ed his will in favor OF his grand
nephew, leaving the estate i'm trust to
the boys father.