The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-01-17

Again he pointed out spot, but It proved
t to be wrong, and a third time with the sam,
result. .. .-.
!, Enough cf this, )" said Colonel POWELL
; 1--WE are greater fools than you, Mr.. Rahab
to listen to your nonsense"
Mr.. Waldeck laughed in derision at the
apparent discontinue of the wise man.
J Amelia was SO agitated at what she deemed
the failure of the scheme that she could with
difficulty conceal it from her father. The
} watchful eye of the astrologer, however, no.
ticed it, and he whispered stolen word ol
encouragement in her ear, which did much
to restore her.
"ColOnel Powell, ! must beg your indul-
gence for concealing from you acircumstance
which came to my knowledge last night
| haze discovered the ring! and without any
aid from this miserable imposter," said Wal
deck, taking from his pocket the ornament.
Amelia trembled again with agitation, but
a glance of intelligence from Ruhab restored
her composure.
"Ha! the ring" exclaimed the astrologer,
with well-acted gesture of astonishment.
"Yes, the ring, answered Waldeck, show
are the stars now!"
"The stars are red with blood; there is
good reason for the failure of my expesSa
ment."
"No doubt of it, Mr. Rahad," said Colonel
Powell, examining the ring he had just taken
from Waldeck; emo doubt of it, the best rea-
son in the world"
"May I look at the ring!" asked the as
trologer, extending his hand.
"Certainly you may, if you will promise
not to run away with it." and Colonel Pow
ell handed him the ornament.
alt is red with blood!" said Rahab with
a trogical gesture. ...
"Fool, IDIOT" exclaimed Waldeck, whose
nerves seemed to have decided antipathy to
the mention of blood,
"There is murder here!' continued the
seer, regardless Of the goldsmiths epitaph.
"Let us drive the fellow out, Colonel Pow
ell,'' said Waldeck, trembling with alarm.
go, no, don't be harsh with him; he is
harmless fellow; besides, there has been
murder here, you know.
Mr.. Waldeck did not know it, but very
ungraciousy neglected to notice the remark.
"There is corpse here '' continued the
astrologer, holding out the ring at arms
length, and regarding it with tremulous hor.
ror.
"Whcre is it 7" asked the officer quietly.
Mr.. Rahlb performed sundry fantastic
feats and then, with a strangely marked eff
fort at dramatic effect, exclaimed
"Buried under the bottom of the cellar, in
the northwest corner"
Wadeck breathed more freely, and ex-
pressed his contempt for the prediction, but
at the same time suggested that an examln-
alton should be made. Colonel Powell op-
posed it as folly. A look from the astrolo-
ger brought Amelia to the rescue, and she
begged her father to favor the search.
81 am not mistaken this time said the
astrologer.
If that simple and comprehensive word
"humbug'' was in use in those days, we have
no doubt Colonel Powell made 1t express his
sentiments OIL the present occasion. With
out any faith in Mr.. Rahab's wisdom, he at
last consented to the search, and Waldeck
procured a couple Of laborers to do the work.
The party descended Ito the cellar, and the
seer pointed out the spot where the body
was buried. The laborers commenced their
task, while the party, not very deeply i'm
pressed with the solemnity of the occasion,
INDUCED in idle jests at the expense of the
occult sciences.
The laborers excavated the earth to the
depth of about two feet; while occasionally,
to divert the attention of the company, the
astrologer gave directions to the workmen.
At last, with an ominous look into the pit,
he informed his companions that the body
would shortly appear. Amelia, not under
standing the tactics of Mr.. Rahab, was fire.
quently startled by his abrupt gestures and
singular demonstrations.
Mr.. Waldeck and Colonel Powell, in the
the absence Of other occupation, stood by
the pit, watching the laborers at their task.
The astrologer walked up and down the cell
lar, stopping at every turn, in front of the
wall which concealed the vault. He had
fixed his eye upon stone in the lower part
of the wall, upon which the stability of the
structure seemed to depend. 1t was evident
the work had been executed by an unskillul
hand. On the binding stone the astrologer
occas onally bestowed kick, and once,
while the others were looking into the pit,
he stopped down and worked il up and down
with his hands. ..4t
Approaching the cavity in which the work.
men were engaged, he exclaimed with start
ling vehemence--
"Stay the body is at hand; the stars are
; Again the juggler performed some incan-
tations, and bidding the laborers resume their
task, he. approached the secret vault. But
nobody appeared, and Colonel Powell, i'm
patient at the long continuance of the trick,
and disgusted with the performances of the
astroloper heOan To vent his apnrac;at;on orI