The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-07-06

4 squeeze. am sure G1ere Is nOGh1ng II
it to alarm you"
1 Harriet looked very pale, and shool
her head warmly.
Ten o'clock came, and my cousin anC
| were thinking of betaking ourselves t.
our sleeping apartments, when we hearC
door in the hall violently shut anC
locked. Immediately after Harriet rushed
in on us, and sank on the nearest chail
in violent histories. She was speedily
followed by the butler, looking as pomp,
Gus 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 alivel'' shrieked
Harriet.
"Hush, Harriet, said Mildred, calmly;
let Jones tell us. ] heard you lock a
door. 1t was that of the ante-room in
which this unfortunate pack is placed, L
suppose?"
"It was, miss" replied Jones, senten-
tiousl y; "and the dog is in the hail." he
added.
$50 far so 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"
81 saw the thing move when it was
laid in the hail." sobbed Harriet.
Go on, JONES'" interposed Janet.
Jones continued.
So before we went to bed Miss Har-
riet persuaded me to come and take an
other look at the package, you know
| did not approve of it being left, miss"
he added.
"Never mind that" said Mildred,
"tell us what you have seem"
Well, miss, 1 thought it great nom
sense, but went. We took hold of the
bundle and turned it about little, but
could make nothing of it. Presently
Harriet found a small hole in the wrap
Per. She pulled the rent rather more
open and looked in. l saw her face
change. She turned and drew me out
of the room, pulled the door to, and
locked it. This is all 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 Mildred,
becoming little pale.
Yes, tell us, and instantly d cried
Janet.
Harriet took her hand from her face
and looked up.
" 1t was an eye, miss" she said in
horror-stricken tones; s'such an awful
looking eye, and it glared at me |! " she
added with a repressed shrek.
We looked at each other in mute con-
sternation.
"Was it a living one, do you think,
Harriet?" l asked.
Yes, it was all alive, miss am sure"
she sobbed. ooh, what shall we do? 1t
looked so malignant and terribleW
We looked at each other for a few
minntes, and then Mildred spoke:
"I can scarcely believe that you are
right, Harriet" she said; 81 fancy that
your imagination must have been making
a goose of you"
"Stin, 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 i" shrieked Harriet.
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 ind him, and see what is to be
DONE"
She passed into the hall and we fol-
lowed. Jones was managing in a large
closet, the dSor of which stood open he
1. l., -, 1s TIa oil
wants stood by, and we together waited
for him to emerge. He was rather long
time-so Mildred went close to the door
and whispered:
"What are you doing there, Jones ?"
Jones made no reply, but came out,
armed with an old rusty looking dagger
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.
Every good, miss he answered.
Please bring the dog to the door and keep
him there till want him."
So off went Jones with his lamp, his
dagger and his ropes, we and the servants
following closely with the dog, who SEEM
ed to possess a strong conciOusness of
something being amiss.
Jones opened the door of the little
room quietly, and went in and placed the
lamp on a small side table which stood
near. Then at cnce, 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 a deep silence among us for
a moment or two, interrupt ted only by
the lew growlings of the dog, who became
manifestly more and more uneasy, and
was with great difficulty restrained from
rushing into the room.
Then there came a scene of noise and
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
had asserted she had seen an eye. At that
moment one of the most fearful yells
lever heard broke from between the
folds of the wrapper. The pack strug-
gled violently, then rolled over and fell
heavily on the ground, while a choked
voice begged for mercy; at the same
time a knife was seen endeavOTiDg to
effect an opening. The screams of the
servants, the historical sobs of Janet, the
loud howlings and winnings of the dog,
who was still restrained by Mildred from
rushing frantically into the room, made
| a din that never can forget.
l remember that Jones alene looked
very composed and unmoved throughout.
Before the man in the pack had time to
| free himself from the wrapper, Jones had
managed despite his opponents struggles.
to pass the ropes several times round and
round him, and to secure them. By the
time he had accomplished this we had all
become pretty quiet. The dog was 81
lenced, and made to lie down in the hall,
| while Mildred and ! and two of the ser.
wants, the terrified Harriet not being
| one, went into the room.
The pack. presented very ludicrous
appearance. The wrapper had been slit
from the center upward and displayed the
] figure Of a man apparently about thirty