Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-08
going to take look at my mystcrieus


As we crossed tho hall on onr return
to the sitting room, wo encountered
Harriet, who was hovoring abont with
very uneasy and mysterious express
sion on her face.
.WhAtisthe matter, Harriet ?' asked
Mildred.
'sOh, miss, am 30 frs shtened about
that pack. I cannot rcst, and am
aare that ! cannot 60 to bed while It is
in the house,
'sYou are very ridiculous, Harriet" /"
remarked Janet. II am enre the men
were very respectable looking indi.
viduals, only two shopmen. We have
just been looking ct the pack, and IL
did not move, though gave il a good
squeeze. am sure there ID nothing
in it to alarm you.y
Harriet looked very pale, and shook
her head warningly.
Ten o'clock came, and my cousin
and were thinking of betaking our
selveg to our sleeping apartments,
when we heard door in the hall vio-
lentl Y shut and locked. Immediately
after Harriet rushed in on us, and
sank on the nearest chair in violent
Mysteries. She was speedily followed
by the butler, looking as pompons and
still as ever, but with certain express
sion of unquiet on his fat, grave face.
"WhAt is the matter, Jones 2" 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
~; sslet Jones tell ne. | heard yon
lock door. 1t was that of the ante
room in which this unfortunate pack
ID placed, l suppose?v
at was, miss" replied Jones, sen.
tentiously; "and the dog is in the
hall, he added
$50 far good,o said Mildred, COM
posediy. "And how, pray, do yon
know that the pack ia alive2'
"You see, miss" replied Jones "ever
since that pack has been left here Har-
riet has been in distracted state OF
mind-frightened out OF her senses, in
| fact"
81 saw the thing move when il was
| laid in the hall, sobbed Harriet.
go on, JONES' interposed Janet.
| Jones continued.
$50 before we went TO bed Miss
Harriet persuaded me to come and
take another look at the package. You
know did not approve ofits being
| left. miss. he added.
/ Never mind that said Mildred,
s'tell US what yon have seen.'
! We'll, miss, thought il great nom
sense, bnt went. We took hold of
the bundle and turned it ahont lit
Ito, but could not make nothing OF ii.
! Presently Harriet fonnd small hole
! in the wrapper She pulled the rent
| rather more open and looked in. /
saw her face change. Sha turned and
drew me ont Of tho room, pnlleh the
door 10. ana locked it. This all
know At present, ladies' and here
Jones bowed To ns politely.
i Harriet had become lnieier, go Mil
dred inquired:
"What did you see Harriet? 2" The
girl ahiyered and covered her face
4 with her hands.
II Come Harriet. speak" said Mild
1 red, becoming little pale.
4 "Yes, tell ns, and instantly = cried
Janet.
i "Harriet took her hand from her
face and looked up,
sit was an eye. miss," she said in
horror. r.stricken tones sssnch An aw full
looking eye, aud 1t glarcd at me |" she
added. with rrrreesca shrek.
We looked at each other in mute
Transformation.
n eWas IL a living one. do you think,
Harriet =, I asked.
"Yes, ii was all alive, mics, am
. snrc," she sobbed. "Oh. what shall
J We do? II looked 80 malignant and
TERRIBLE"
We looked at each other for few
moments. and then Mildred spoke:
81 can scarcely believe that'yo are
right, Harriet she said II fancy thai
J yonr imagination mnst have beer
! making goose of you."
: "Still Mildred" ven.nred TO say
: Harriet may be right, and it would
, DO we'll TO do something at once. This
may be plan 10 rob the house wheI
: we are all in bed" @
D "And murder us all )" shrieked Ilar
] rict.
81 Janet began to cry, and meanwhil,
: the bntler had left tho room.
j.. "Whero is Jones!" inquired Mild
!, red, suddenly observing his absence
! "Let us go and find him, and see wha
, is to he done"
; She passed into the hall and we fol
) lowed. Jones was rummaging in ,
: large closet, tho door of which stoot
open he had lamp in his hand. Th
8 other servants stood by. and we to
gether waited for him 10 emerge, III
: was rather long time--so Mildre'
: went close to the door and whispered
J, "What are you doing there Jones z
= Jones made no reply, but came out
! armed with an old rusty looking dag
ger and two pieces of strong rope.
Q "You are not going to killhim p in
J. quired Janet.
6 "Never fear, Miss,' replied Jones
q % little prick, however, will do d
Q hurt. must take tare of my master
(, house."
Il ave will come with you" whisper
70 ed Mildred.
:. "very good, Miss he answered
!. "Please bring the dog to the door, an
q keep him there till I want him."
SO off went Jones with his lamp, b
Z dagger, and his ropes, we and the sci
J, wants following closely with the dol
who seemed to possess strong cor
o sciousness Of something being amis
10 Jones opened the door OF the lit
3 room quietly, and went in and place
.. the lamp on small side.table whiC
y stood near. Then at once, dagger an
q ropes in hand, he walked toward Il
d pack, which lay on the settle but no
q. observed that there was one or tW
q openings In tho wrapper.
20 There was deep silence among |
for moment or two, interrupted on
~ by the low growlings Of the dog, wi
= became manifestly moro and more NJ
d- easy, and was with great difficulty r
e strained from rushing into the rooI
u Then there came scene of noise ar
y. confusion. Jones reached the pack, al
nt throwing the rope over his arm, Al
e still clutching the dagger, stopped
on inspect tho slit in the wrapper whe
n Harriet had asserted she had seen ,
eye. At that moment ono of the me
y. fearful and terrible yclls ever hca
~ broke from between the folds OF I
.t- wrapper. Tho pack struggled violeI
Nc ", then rolled over and fell heavi
ed on tho ground, while choked vol
begged for mercy; at Same time
lr. knif0 was seen cndeayoring to cfle
mr. IN opening. Tho screams Of the q
IL wants, the hystericai sobs of Janet, I
Il lond howlings and whlnings of t
Il dog, who was attn restrained by M
w dred from rushing frantically into /
room. matic din that never can Il
ge get.
~ remember that Jones alone look
~ very composed and unmoved thr0ue
out. Before the man in the pack b
su time to free himself from the wrapp
ne .Jones had managed, despite his OPT
q nents atrugglcs, to pass the ropes q
cc. eral times round and round him, q
lk. to secure them. BY the time
nd had accomplished this We had all
'9- come pretty quiet. Tho dog was
,ns lenced, and made to lie down in
~. hall, while Mildred and and two
OF tho servants, the terrified Harriet I
aas being ono, went to tho room.
- :, Tho pack presented \ very lndicrt