Central High School - Mirror Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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THE SILVER BOX I read the letter from Perry again; 1 could scarcely believe my eyes. It was an invitation to spend the Christmas holidays at Aunt Susan’s home with Aunt Susan and Perry—Perry of all persons! I laid the letter aside and opened the next one. It was from Mother. She knew of the invitation and gave permission for me to accept, as Aunt Susan was very urgent, and the time set by the invitation was concident with my holidays. Perry had ever been our subject of interest since Uncle Tom had adopted the orphan left by his best friend at his death. For a time we had heard frequently of Perry's accomplishments. Then Uncle Tom died, and with him Perry's ama2ing achievements, as far as we were concerned, for we were no longer in close touch with Aunt Susan and Perry. I had always loved my kind Aunt Susan. She had many a time saved me the sorrow of tears. Then, too. I was anxious to see Perry—the author of so many extraordinary ventures. Almost capriciously I wrote my acceptance to the invitation. On December twenty-fourth at noon 1 arrived in the mountainous little town of Haleville. The weather was ideal for Christmas. I he cold wind had been the harbinger of the snow, which seemed to fall thicker and faster. I was met by Perry and Aunt Susan, and in a short time we were approaching the house. As wc neared it, I saw a hugh lawn blanketed with snow, having as its central monument the mansion itself, stately, tall, and impressive. The spacious and luxuriously furnished rooms of the interior held a greeting for me which caused me to hold my breath in wonder. I had never known that Aunt Susan lived in a house furnished with every luxury that wealth can buy. The compelling interest of the living room centered, for me, around an enoimous picture that hung directly over the hearth. Even when I turned away, the picture seemed to hold my attention, and focus it upon itself. It was a life sized picture of two men engaged in a terrific struggle; one of them who seemed to have the best of the situation, strangely resembled Perry, though the expression on his face was the most cruel and dmonical that I had ever seen. He held a gleam'ng knife in the air above his enemy, who was almost in a sitting position on the ground, save for tho struggling foreleg, bent at the knee. The picture furnished the keynote of the room. Its coloring seemed to blend with the furniture, and even with the paper on the walls. Perry smiled as he saw me staring almost open-mouthed at the strange representation. Somehow, even the tmosphere of the room bore a relation to the p'eture; I felt strangely curious and mystified. Later in the day. Aunt Susan, wishing to make me feel at home, took me about the house, ending the brief excursion in the art gallery. I stood longest before two landscape pictures which clearly brought out the peace of sunset and twilight in a seemingly remote and very quaint village. At length dark came and after the evening meal we went into the living room. Without, the snow lay in huge drifts, for it had fallen all day. Within. ’ » «• Iwntty-fitr

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THE CLIO LITERARY SOCIETY

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the fire on the hearth crackled, its tongues of color searching out the gloom of the room. Perry and 1 rumaged among the books and selected the ones we wanted to read, while Aunt Susan knitted. Something in the feel of the room thrilled me strangely and increased my curiosity still more. 1 could not read. For a while I merely looked at the words and pretended to read. This grew monotonous, the atmosphere became dull and heavy; I was obliged to look up from the book. 1 stared into the fire and watched the flames mingling and clasping one another. But the picture above drew my eyes. I had not the power to resist, so I looked up at it. The knife gleamed all the more and the struggle now seemed more real, more terrible. Then my eyes strayed to Perry, who wai still reading. He must have felt me looking at him. for he laid down his book. That picture above us is an excellent piece of art, I remarked. Yes. most excellent. returned Perry. Aunt Susan yawned audibly and begged to be excused. When she had retired. Perry took up the conversation again by saying. A strange story is connected with that picture. If you care to hear it. I’ll be glad to tell it to you. I'm sure. I would, I said. You. of course, know my relationship to your Aunt, do you not? I nodded. The relationship, as you know it. is not entirely true. My story will prove it. Some time ago I was touring Europe. While I was in France in a small village near Calais, the landlady of the house where I was stying asked me if I owned the large estate adjacent. This query astonished me and I replied that I owned no property in France. The old lady refused to believe me and begged that I go as a visitor to the estate to see if would not recognize it. Merely to please the old lady, I went. The door of the castle was opened by an old man. a servant. The moment he saw me he bowed obsequiously and begged me to come in. calling me 'Master'. I went in. protesting the while that he was mistaken. The old man would not heed me, and in half an hour he had convinced me that I was not Perry Lawrence but Pierre Calon. I learned that I was of French birth and that I had at an early age been taken to the United States and put under the guardianship of your Uncle 1 oin s best friend, who promised to care for and educate me as his own son and never to reveal my identity until I came of age. At that time, according to arrangements. I was to be taken to Frence where I was to come into possession of my inheritance, my estate having been left to the care of this faithful old servant. My father. 1 was told, had been compelled to do this in order to keep his feudal enemies from gaining our land and property. My foster-father, however, at the time of his death and in his last moments. became delirious and so could not leave any instructions concerning me. The old man gave me proof for everything; I could not refuse to be convinced. When I took possession of the house. I became heir to its treasures and it was among them that I found this picture. Page Twenty-six