The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-03-13

none. Nobody lives IN the house when
he's away, but he always leaves the keys
with us. He is always changing his
servants, Mr.. Gayling is; ! have often
heard him say that he likes new brooms."
what is he, or what was he?"
"a gentleman in the naval line, I be-
ieve, sir; they are rather rum 'uns, I'm
told"
sHumph!' I said; "very odd. But
do you mean to tell me that nobody will
live here because they don't know what's
in that box?"
"That's partly the reason, I'm told"
absurd" I was going on, when the
man continued:
"But there's clause in the agreement
about it; that's what does it, sir"
Explain" said.
"Well, sir, here is the clause" and he
produced the document; perhaps you
would like to read it YOURSELF"
| Thus it ran:
And in taking the house, at the
rental, and for the term specified as
above, I hereby solemnly pledge my oath
never directly, or indirectly, through my
own agency, or that of others, to at
tempt to NEEDLE with or disturb the
white chest under the glass case of the
roof, or to seek in any way to discover
for what purpose it has been placed
there, or what it contains; and further
guarantee that no person in my employ,
nor any one entering the house during
my tenancy thereof, shall make any
such attempt, and I bysundertake
that in the event of their being detected
in doing so, or of my doing SO, to for
felt the sum of $1,000, and, in accord
ance with this agreement, have, in
proper legal form, lodged the said sum
with the bankers of Thomas Gayling,
Esq, the lessor, as guaranty of my
good faith"
But for that clause" went on the
agent, as [ finished readingit with some
surprise, eve should have no difficulty
in letting the house."
Pray, is the owner out of his
mind ?" asked in minute.
"Not that am aware of, sir; he is a
very pleasant, affable gentleman, Mr..
Gaylng is, only, as I say, a little rum ON
some points; nothing will induce him
to strike out that clause, for instance.
Lor' bless you, sir, parties never enter
tain it for moment when they come to
that part of the business, they drop it
Like hot potato" >a +<"3
"Humph" said I again, "it's queer
certainly, but I don't see why one should
MT acquiesce; it doesn't matter rap to
me what's inside the chest; / should
never want to NEEDLE with or disturb it.,
and I'd take very good care no one else
did; [ would paddock the trap-door on
to the roof, and that would settle that.
All! continued, after walking round
the structure and looking about me a
bit" ah! [ see; precautions have been
taken to prevent any access to this roof
from others on either side, by this iron
cheyauxrde-frise; yes, no one can get
over this. Well, it's an odd freak, but
I am not sure that I am going to be
baked by it; I'll think about it, Mr..
Crumble." t
And the result of my thinking was,
that [ signed the agreement two days
afterward, having conformed to the pc
culiar stipulation regarding the deposit.
had no fear OF losing the 81, 600; the
interest on it was mere addition of the
rent, and the house was so exactly what
l wanted that it would even then be
cheap to me, with my large family of
motherless children. ~# s
Nevertheless, I do not deny that, after
all was signed, sealed and settled, / was
conscious of lurking curiosity and sus-
piclon regarding that mysterious cree
ton. What could it be? What could
it contain? [ was constantly saying to
myself. What strange freak could pos
sess the man to take such strong meas
ures to guard against any penetration
into the secret by-the-by,
which, in themselves, were rather calcu-
lated to provoke investigation, to draw
attention to the very thing he wished
one to overlook? Was Mr.. Gayling a
miser, boarding up some unknown treas
ures in this strange fashion? Probably
that was it. Well, If it was, it was no
business Of mine after ALL My Parlia-
mentary duties would be too urgent, I
hoped, to let me dwell upon much else,
SO would dismiss it, and, beyond put
ting the paddock on the trap-door of the
roof as threatened, I took no measures
to prevent any ofmy household indulg-
ing in speculations. I at least would
not direct attention to the matter, as
Mr.. Gayling did, and contented my
family and domestics by saying that I
didn't consider it safe for people to go
on the roof.
Now, in spite of my resolution, I
found myself perpetually recurring to
the strange chest. For the sake of
quiet and air, I had appropriated the
two large back and front rooms at the
top of the house for my bedroom and
study, and thus slept every night just
\ beneath the white chest -.
i. Before I had been in the house "a
month, it began. to. act as a nightmare
on me, an incubus I could not shake Off
I was oppressed and depressed by it, in
away quite unaccountable. I was puz-
zled at myself; I could not have be-
! .lieyod fO1r weeks before that T shOr,1d