The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1926-09-18
In the Old Wooden
Chests
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

M ARINA WOOLET was climbing
~ not to seek her fortune, but to
see it, her head high-held, her heels
tapping defiance upon the rather
craggy stairs. Three broad flights.
weaving back and forth the long hall
which, despite its plundering. attested
that in the happy long ago, Wooleton
had ranked with the best houses of
the countryside.
The third stair-head opened into
what had been the ballroom. now
known CONTEMPORARY as the garrett
Windowed at each end, 1t was too
airy to be musty, though dust grated
under foot, lying thick upon a fine
oaken floor which had oddly escaped
the general despoiling. The current
Woolet, a mild, guileIess person, had
been tempted by oil stock into mort
gage-ruin-and had escaped it solely
through the virtue OF the antique
craze, which had made walnut wains-
coat, richly carved doors and mantels,
marvellous walnut floors. and hand
rails cut from single trunks a hundred
years back, worth money enough to
pay the debt, provide substitute OF
machine-wrought deals. and even
mend the roof.
So Marina should have been CRATE
full to the enterprising contractor, in
stead of loathing him intellectually.
She had excuse enough-in four
mighty unhappy years. because of
stepmother so deadly pious she was
quite insufferable. Worse yet-she
had given her meek husband twin
sons-to inherit the land, under entail,
should it remain heritabIe. Hence
Marina's portion was her legacy from
Granny-her fathers grandmother,
who, at rising ninety, had died Of
heart-break over the old houses de-
spelling.
She had willed to Marina, her name
sake, sundry wooden chests, a cow
hide trunk, bandbOx, along with a
wooden box, stoutly nailed, yet giving
forth fragrance, faint, subtle, tantaliz-
ing. Stepmother had been wild to see
inside verything-Marina wouldn't
have it-nOt key should turn, not a
lid lift, until she was good and ready.
That happened to be this bright June
morning, when she knew the family
was headed for Aunt Sooky-C ar'lines
to stay unit. moon-up.
Flinging back the dust-cover from
the huddle of cubes beneath, she fell
upon the bandbox with trembling fin
gers-and shortly drew from it bon
net of rich pink velvet, its fiaring
scoop-brim wreathed with a magnifi-
cent white plume.
Merely the beginning this. The
smaller chest, the cowhide trunk, most
Of all the nailed-up casket gave out
such marvels Marina stood dazed.
Frocks Of satin. a big double scarlet
crepe shawl with roses all around II
and half-yard fringe. cloth pelisse,
lined with swans down, and at the
bottom jewel case filed not with
pearls and diamonds, but corals, red,
pink and white, yards on yards Of
heavy gold chain, filigree necklaces
and bandeaux, canoes, set and unset.
Stockings bagful, many home
knit, even in silk, shoes as various,
undergarments, miracles Of fine sew
ing. yet so ample they made Marina
smile But she fell for the stays Of
white satin brOcade. Impetuously
she tried them-next she endued her
self with frilly petticoat, a sweep
ing velvet frock, put her feet in scar
let slippers, flung the scarlet shawl
over her shoulders, and crowned her
self with the plumed pink bonnet.
Then-to see herself was impera-
tive-there was still pier-glass that
had cracked in the effort to move it
she raced downstairs to it, had but
Just surveyed herself fully in it, when,
without knocking the door opened, and
a mans voice cried: "Good Lord
Are you flesh and blood-or just
visionT'
1t was Glen Dabneys voice-he had
supervised all those heart-breaking re-
movals-wherefore unreasonably Ma
rina had so hated him. she hardly
looked at him as she asked loftily:
Are you on another plunder-hunt?
II you are-run along"
"Shan't That's just my business"
Glen said: Listen, MarinaI"
Miss Violet, please!'
He shook his head at her violently,
running on: Il came for pleasure,
profit, and to ease my conscience
ever since that cruel stripping, I've
been haunted by-you and Granny.
I've wanted so to make up for it-a
little. Now I've got the chance.
Here's the Casa manager who
knows my firm, is risking thousands
on a period play-he has given me
carte blanche-so I came on the
chance Of finding here some things
you'd spare us. Tell me, truly-are
there any more where these came
fromw
part Of q carload-come and see
them" Marina said, struggling as she
led him up the stairs. Her knees
trembled-she was nearly voiceless.
Not a thread would she sell him-if
only she didn't 50 yearn to get away.
II was Glenn who drove the hard bar
gains that gave her FIVE thousand
dollars, for less than half her heritage.
But oddly enough some months later
when wedding presents were In order,
one Of the cost.iest received by Mrs.
Glenn Dabney. born Violet. came from