Richmond weekly palladium., 1875-12-09

how I did not like the looks of it; bu
my fears were OF such vague natur,
that did not like to express them. Al
we crossed into the hall on our return
to the sitting room, we encountered
Harriet, who was lowering about will
q very uneasy and mysterious ex.
preston on her face.
"What is the matter, HARRIET" asket
Mildred.
"Oh, miss, 1 am SO frightened about
that pack. cannot rest, and l an
sure that cannot go to bed while it is
in the house."
| You are very ridiculous, Harriet,
remarked Janet. Il am sure the men
were very respectable looking indi-
viduals, only two shopmen. We have
just been looking at the pack, and il
did not move, though I gave it a good
squeeze. l am sure there is nothing
in it to alarm you"
Harriet looked very pale, and shook
her head war,nly.
Ten o'clock came, and my cousin
and were thinking of betaking our
selves to our sleeping apartments
j when we heard door in the hall vio-
lently shut and locked. Immediately
after Harriet rushed in on US, and sank
on the nearest chair in violent hister-
| les. She was speedily followed by the
butler, looking as pOmpous and still as
ever, but with a certain expression OF
unquiet on his fat, grave face.
What is the matter, Jones?" asked
Mildred, starting to her feet Tell us
quickly. Do try to be quiet, Harriet.
oh. that pack is alive.' shrieked
Harriet.
/ Hush, Harriet" said Mildred, calm
ly; let Jones tell us. 1 heard you
lock door. 1t was that of the ante
room in which this unfortunate pack is
placed, 1 suppOse?"
1T was, MISS" replied Jones, SEN
tentiousld; and the dog is in the hall, "
he added.
$50 far good" said Mildred COM
| posedly. And how, pray, do you
know that the pack is alive?"
You see, miss, replied Jones, ever
since that pack has been left here
Harriet has been in distracted state
| of mind-frightened out Of her senses,
| in fact.
L saw the thing move when it was
laid in the hall, sobbed Harriet.
GO on, Jones, interrupted Janet.
Jones continued:
$50 before we went to bed Miss Har-
| riet persuaded me to come and take
another look at the package. You
know / did not approve of its being
left, miss" he added.
Never mind that. said Mildred, tell
us what you have seen.
well, miss, thought it great non
sense, but I went. We took hold of
the bundle and turned it about a little,
but could make nothing OF it. Pres
emily Harriet found small hole in the
| wrapper. She pulled the rent rather
more open and looked in. / saw her
face change. She turned and drew me
out Of the room, pulled the door to,
and locked it. This is all l know at
present, ladies', and here Jones bowed
to us politely.
Harriet had become quieter, so Mil
dred inquired:
What did you see, Harriet" The
girl shivered and covered her face with
her hands.
Come, Harriet, speak" said Mil
dred, becoming a little pale.
Yes, tell us, and instantly" cried
Janet.
Harriet took her hand from her face
and looked up.
1T was an eye, MISS" she said in
horror stricken tones; "such an awful
looking eye, and it glared at mel" she
added, with a repressed shrek.
We looked at each other in mute
CONSERVATION.
WAS it living one, do you think,
Harriet?" / asked.
Yes, it was all alive. miss, am
sure, she sobbed. "Oh, what shall we
do? 1t looked so malignant and terri
blc."
We looked at each other for few
moments, and then Mildred spoke:
7 can scarcely believe that you are
right, Harriet" she said; Il fancy that
your Imagination must have been
making a goose of you"
Still, Mildred" 1 ventured to say,
Harriet may be right, and it would be
well to do something at once. This
may be plan to rob the house when
we are all in bed"
And murder us all, shrieked Har-
riet.
Janet began to cry, and meanwhile
the butler had left the room.
Where is Jones?" inquired Mildred,
suddenly observing his absence. Let
us go and find him, and see what is to
be done"
She passed into the hall and we fol-
lowed. Jones was rummaging in
large closet, the door OF which stood
open; he had lamp in his hand. The
other servants stood by, and we to-
gether waited for him to emerge. He
was rather a long time-sO Mildred
went close to the door and whispered:
What are you doing there, Jones?'
Jones made no reply, but came out,
dTIueu Will stu Olu rusty lOOkIuS udS-
ger and two pieces of strong rope.
You are not going to kill him!" in
quired Janet.
Never fear, miss, replied Jones; "a
little prick, however, will do no hurt.
/ must take care of my masters
house"
I'VE will come with you," whispered
Mildred.
very good, MISS" he answered.
Il 70. hx
keep him there till l want him.
So off went Jones with his lamp,
his dagger, and his ropes, we and
the servants following closely with the
dog, who seemed to possess a strong
consciousness of something being
amiSS.
Jones opened the door of the little
room quietly, and went i'm and placed
the lamp on small side-table which
stood near. Then at once, dagger and
ropes in hand, he walked toward the
pack, which lay on the settle; but /
now observed that there were one or
two openings in the wrapper.
There was deep silence among us
for moment or two, Interrupted only
by the low grOwlingS of the dog, who
became manifestly more and more un-
easy, and was with great difficulty re-
strained from rushing into the room.
linen tnere come a scene OF noise ana
confusion. Jones reached the pack, and
throwing the rope over his arm, and
still clutching the dagger, stopped to
inspect the slit in the wrapper where
Harriet asserted she had seen an eye.
At that moment one of the most fearful
and terrible yellS 1 ever heard broke
from between the folds of of the wrap
per. The pack struggled violently,
then rolled over and fell heavily on the
ground, while a choked voice begged
for mercy; at the same time knife was
seen endeavoring to effect an opening.
The screams of the servants, the hys-
terical sobs of Janet, the loud howlings
and winnings of the dog, who was still
restrained by Mildred frOnEruShing
frantically into the room, made a din
that never can forget.
/ remember that Jones alone looked
composed and unmoved throughout.
prfx hn i,,f ha1 70,