The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1852-05-13
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u VISA precisely at seven O'clock
p. NJ. that the long chest arrived a,
DR.. DoSslcy's door. Two men hois
ted 1t out Of cart. and carried it in
" the hall. One Of these mdivid unls
were black whiskcrs and a blue lack.
ct: his corni anion posse seed neither
jacket nor whiskers. fs3
The man with the whiss scrs inauir.
cd for DR.. Dows'cy, anl being inform
cd tha neither he nor bis partner was
at that moment in tie Office, scratched
his ear. apd looked a, the long chest,
az IT considering the expediency Of
hosting it back into. the cart, aud car.
rying it of again. After exchanging .
whispers with his companion, howev.
er. he drew FROM his jacket pocket q
letter and a key, and placed them with
arlarcn, reluctance in the fair nard
Of Diana Dowsley.
Diana looked sharply at the man,
then at the key, and finally fixed her
eyes suspiciously or the long chest.
It's ali right, | suppose p said the
proprietor Of the black whiskers and
blue jacket. Please give the key to
the Doctor as soon as he comes in.-
Don't forget TO hard him the letter.
he chest is one he ordered
Thereuion the man jumped into tie
cart with his companion, aud drove
,apidl y away. .E%'
Now Miss Diana. although as pret.
tv, loving and sensible a girl as You
will meet with anywhere, was possess.
cd Of ali the curiosity of wonnn.-
Her black eyes sparkled as she
gsve another Suspicious glance at the
long chest. She thought she recog-
nized it as the same article which had
been brought TO the Doctors door in
a similar manner, although late in the
evening six months previous, and been
spirited away quito mysterionsly some
time during the next twenty.four
hours. She remembered that the for.
mer visit Of the long chest occurred
about the time Of the death of rau-
FER at the County Poor House. and it
struck her as Singular coincidence
that the demise of another raurer had
Just been reported. Diana alsr re.
called to mind that her father, the sci.
cntifc Dowsley, had lately held secret
conference viii, Mr.. Corser, of the
Poor House between which gentleman
and himself there appeared to exist
some business OF mystic Importance.
Moreover there was something sus.
licious in the shape Of the chest. /.
wns at least five feet six inches high,
and broad in proportion. Its color
VAS a dull blue but the stout han.
dies at each end were painted black,
as was also the portion of the lock
which was visible. On the whole, it
Was very singular looking chest to
arrive at Dr.. Dowsiey's office, and
the very evening after a town pauper
had bren,hed his last.
So thought Diana. She placed the
key ia the keyhole. and siummoning
resolution equal to her curiosity, turn.
i, in the lock. At that juno ture ,how
ever, q picture Of horror flashing on
her imaginative brain. she withdrew
her trembling hand from the lid which,
she was about to raise.
lin afraid TO look in. after all, ,'she
said, with lons breath.
She hastily retired to her room W
stairs. In her agitation she had lef,
the key in the lock, never thinking Of
tie trouble Which might ensue, should
the curiosity Of tie cook, who might
be passing in the hail, prompt her t(
explore the mystery, which she her,
sch hsa NO. the conrage to pcAetrate
The truth 10, Diana had not the
least fear Of the cook, a stupid Irish
domestic, " hc possessed no. the leas.
curiosity in the world. The idea oi
Mrs. OBien opening the ches, to scs
what it conlained, would have struck
Diana Is luiicrously absard /; and a
there was no third psrsou in The houss
Miss Dowsley sagsly reasoned that
the mystery was sale from disturb
ance. r
| Here Diana wss wrong. She made
no s,lovsncc for the force ef circum'
stances.
In fact, the young gii had been il
her chamber but > l;n!e ~Ele---read
ing The las, bills,-doux from her low
er, the faithful Sylvester, ~l,s Ifclnis
ed 70 take adsnnts &C, As early Is POO
.iilr ,f tho ~ Ee,lf.e ~ iis enemy tho