Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-05

MIN IL was OF no consequence.
The room was about half the size
of the outer one, and contained desk
and stool. There was a large closet
for Goals and such like matters, and
a good allowance of dust and cob.
webs all over.
"I'll have it cleaned up tomorrow"
said Mr.. Moss. at looks beautiful
when clean, and you'll find the desk
to be real Spanish mahogany"
They would suit me well enough,
and | told Mr.. Moss so; paid him a
quarters rent in advance, and rose
to depart.
30, by the way, Mr.. Moss" l ex-
claimed, sudden thought striking
me a will send man to paint my
name on the door, and oo the wall
down stairs"
"Very good, sir; would do it at
once if | were you. Carl was a loose
fish, and if you delayed it until you
got here you might he annoyed"
"How so? What vas he?"
"Take a cigar frs, Mr.. Harker,
you'll find no better in Liverpool
Lord ! how like him you do look when
| don't see your eyes!'
"And yet have not Ocen thought
to resemble a loose fish before, Mr..
Moss"
Il didn't mean that Have you
never seen an ugly person resemble a
very handsome one? have many a
time Well, about Carl he was here
about two years, and call me a Jew if
could reckon him up. He used to
come here about noon, and work up
70 eight or nine o'clock at night; but
what business he worked at | could
never find out. | know be had a big
ledger, and two or three such books ;
but a big ledger won't make bust
ness any more than a big carpet bag
will, a2d he always carried one. He
would come and smoke a cigar with
NE now and then; but | never came
up here during all that time, and he
kept this door locked. He always
/ seemed to be expecting a blow did
poor Carl, more like rat in a corner
than anything else, poor beggar =
Well, sir, one morning | found the
key on my mat, and found the place
Just as you see it, and have never
seen Carl since. One or two queer
looking men have inquired about him,
and asked if he was coming back, and
| said most likely he would, and likely
enough he will"
"Not at all an interesting story,
! thought, and l felt inclined to yawn
in Mr.. Mos8's face but | thanked him
for his information, and promised to
take possession in three days, which
spent in presenting my letters of in.
trodGcti0n, and making other arrange.
ments for the prosecution Of my plans
At length the eventful day arrived,
and l stood in my own Office, with my
name emblazOned on the door and
passage wall. | was waiting for a
friend to call on me who, by the way
had promised to put me in the way o.
doing some business that very day,
and felt impatient for his arrival il
I consequence.
The office was clean and tidy, anC
the floors had been well scrubbed.
Why hadn't they emptied tie waste
paper basket of all that lumber?
The office keeper had lighted a FIRE
and | took up the basket to perform
the operation myself; but from some
cause or other | placed it on the ia
Die and began idly to burn the scrap!
one by one.
| had nearly disposed Of them al
when a scrap attracted my attention
and | read it. 1t was torn so as t.
leave a few words intact, and it raj
thus -
Louise has given your description
and you may rely on our finding you
Forward the plates at once, Or"
Then another piece Of my8teriou
paper, apparently plan Of som
place or other.
What did this mean?
But had no time to consider, 70
, my friend entered. and putting tn,
two pieces of paper in my drawer,
} emptied the basket in the fire, an,
r went out with him to do a good day
work.
: Returning late in the evening, l re
3 lit the fire, and addressed myself t
= the writing Of two important letter
c to be posted by 1I.30 that night, i
order to be in time for the Cunard
1 ner, which sailed early in TIE NOR
ing; and then it was that the blac
S darkness Of the doorIe3s room oppC
site TO me began to trouble me mos
1t had troubled me before, but o
= this night it troubled me tenfold.-
From childhood have been imaein;
l tive, and knowing this, I stirred th
u fire, called myselfan ass, and went 0
with my letter. My eyes wandere
;, to the black darkness of the dOOrWav
l and | began to ransack my memor
II for statistics of men who could te
J by some occult power if any one wer
e hidden in the room they entered an
II | laughed aloud when | remembers
u that | had read of one sensitive GEL
tleman, who by this same occult sens
c had found that a surgeons 8keleto
:, was in a closet behind him.
II | own | dislike being in the dar
s but will do myself the justice to sa
that | have resolution enough to owe
( come the dislike. Therefore | Or
=. posed to myself to very quietly wa
u into the dark room which trouble
IS me (and without a light, look out
u the windows, and slowly return.
o | went,-the very first step beyor
u the threshold dispelled my fears.
T. could see the glimmer of the sta
through the glass, hear the rattle
L the cabs outside. Why.it was qui
a cheerful place, after all
= All! there was a shufling noi
= there by the closet, and then my fea
= . returned and overpowered me.
strove to walk out like a tragedy
ro; but my pace quickened as I nea
ed the door, and heard the shufflir
- noise close to me, and the next m
- ment a powerful hand was at n
a throat, and helpless on the floor wi
~ the cold muzzle of pistol pressed