Then I was at liberty to watch the others , who had longer jobs . The kitchen was a scene of happy activity . The Story Girl peeled her potatoes , somewhat slowly and awkwardly -- for she was not deft at household tasks ; Dan and Felix shelled peas and tormented Pat by attaching pods to his ears and tail ; Felicity , flushed and serious , measured and stirred skilfully . `` I am sitting on a tragedy , '' said the Story Girl suddenly . Felix and I stared . We were not quite sure what a `` tragedy '' was , but we did not think it was an old blue wooden chest , such as the Story Girl was undoubtedly sitting on , if eyesight counted for anything . The old chest filled up the corner between the table and the wall . Neither Felix nor I had ever thought about it particularly . It was very large and heavy , and Felicity generally said hard things of it when she swept the kitchen . `` This old blue chest holds a tragedy , '' explained the Story Girl . `` I know a story about it . '' `` Cousin Rachel Ward 's wedding things are all in that old chest , '' said Felicity . Who was Cousin Rachel Ward ? And why were her wedding things shut up in an old blue chest in Uncle Alec 's kitchen ? We demanded the tale instantly . The Story Girl told it to us as she peeled her potatoes . Perhaps the potatoes suffered -- Felicity declared the eyes were not properly done at all -- but the story did not . `` It is a sad story , '' said the Story Girl , `` and it happened fifty years ago , when Grandfather and Grandmother King were quite young . Grandmother 's cousin Rachel Ward came to spend a winter with them . She belonged to Montreal and she was an orphan too , just like the Family Ghost .
I have never heard what she looked like , but she MUST have been beautiful , XXXXX course . ''
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