the protagonist had to travel from Charleston to New York in a ship
climax
the protagonist find that an old friend called Cornelius Wyatt was in the same ship with his wife so he talked to him, but he was upset for some reason, so he left them alone
falling action
the main character realizes that in one room of Cornelius had a big box made of oblong, he was curious about it and thought that were paints inside of the box
resolution
the protagonist found Cornelius eating in the dinning room so he talked to him, the conversation escalated so the protagonist confront Cornelius telling him that he knew his secret, Cornelius fainted
after a big storm the ship started to sink so all the passengers evacuated the ship excepting Cornelius because he didn't wanted to left the oblong box, and he sinked with the box
various days after that, the protagonist found the captain of the ship and he told the protagonist that in the box was the dead wife of Cornelius and that she died the day before of the trip.