Marshall County Democrat., 1856-11-20
The Tell-Tale Heart.
By THE LATE EDGAR A. POE.

True. nervous-very, dreadfully ner-
vous had been and am: but will YOU say
that | am mad! The disease had sharpen
ed my senses; not destroyed; not dulled
them Above all was the sense Of hearing
acute. heard all things in the Heaven
and earth, and many things in he'll. How
then, am I mad? Hark! and observe how
healthily, how calmly l can tell you the
whole story
1t is impossible to say how the idea first
entered ny brain; but once conceived, it
haunted me day and night. Object there
was none. l loved the old man. He had
never wronged me. He had never given
me insult. For his gold had no desire.
l think it was his eye; yes, it was this
One of his eyes resembled that ola vulture
a pale blue eye with film around it. When
ever it fell upon me my blood run cold
and so, by degrees, very gradually. | made
up my mind to take the life of the old man,
and thus rid myself Of the eye forever.
No this is the point. You fancy me
mad. Madmen know Nothing. But you
should have seen NE. You should have
seen how wisely | proceeded; with what
precaution, with what foresight, with what
Discrimination went to work! was never
kinder to the old man than the whole week
before | killed him. And every night,
about midnight, 1 turned the latch of his
door and opened it; oh, so gently! And
then, when I had made an opening suffi-
cient for my head, | put in dark lantern
closed, all closed, SO that no light shone
out, and I thrust in my head. Oh, you
would have laughed to see how cunningly
| thrust it in. [ moved it slowly, very
slowly, that 1 might not disturb the old
mans sleep. It took me whole hour to
place my head within the opening so far
that l could see him as he lay upon his bed.
Ia. would madman have been so wise as
thi89 And then, when my head was well
in the room, l undid the lantern cautious
ly; oh, SO cautiously! (for the hinges crack
ed undid it just so much that 4 single
thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And
this did for seven long nights; every night
Just at midnight; but found the eye clos
ed, and so it was impossible to do the
work; for it was not the old man who yex-
ed me, but his Evil Eye. And every
morning when the day broke 1 went bold
y into the chamber and spoke courageous
ly to him, calling him by name in a hearty
tone, and inquiring how he passed the
night. So you see he would have been a
very profound old man indeed to suspect
that every night, just as the clock struck
twelve, | looked in upon him while he
slept.
Upon the eighth night was more than
usually cautious in opening the door. A
watches minute hand moves not more
quickly than did mine Never before that
night had felt the extent ofmy own pow
ers, of sagacity. ] could scarcely contain
my feelings of triumph. To think that
there | was, opening the door, little by lit
tie, and he not even to dream of my secret
deeds or thoughts. l fairly chuckled at
the idea; and perhaps he heard me, for be
moved on the bed suddenly, rs If startled.
Now you may think that drew back; but
no. His room was as black as pitch with
thick darkness. for the shutters were close
fastened for fear Of rob5eries, and so knew
that he could not see the opening of the
door, and l kept pushing it on steadily,
steadily.
l had my head in, and was about to open
the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon
the tin fastening, and the old man sprang
up in bed, crying out "whose there?"
kept quite still and said nothing. For
a whole hour l did not move muscle, and
in the meantime | did not hear him lie
down. He was still sitting up in the bed
listening; just as have done, night after
night, hearkening to the deathwatches in
the wall.
Presently l heard slight groan, and l
knew it was the groan Of mortal terror Ii