The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-03-26
aBut the seryanls.u | protested

many servants. sometimes be has on
Il ly one, sometimes none. Nohcd
lives in the house when he's away
bur he always leaves she key Wit
US. He is always chsnging bis ser
wants, Mr.. Gsyling ISL have Offer
heard him say that lie likes neV
brooms."
What is be, or what was be ~
"a gentleman 10 the naval line,
believe, sir they are rather rum 'uns
Pm told"
"Hamph !" l said, '4sery odd. Blu
| do you mean to tell me that nobod,
will live here because they don't know
what's 10 that box p
"That is partly the reason, sir.r
Absurd" was going on, wheI
the man continued:
"Bat there's clause Ia the agree
ment ABOUT it; that's what does it
sir.n
Explain" I said
"Well, sir, here is the clause anC
be produced the document; "perhaps
you would like TO readsit yourself p
Thus it ran:
"Aod il taking the house, at TIE
rental. and for the term specified as
above. | hereby solemnly pledge nv
oath never directly, or Indirectly
through my own agency, or that oi
others, to attempt 10 mcddle With, on
disturb the white chest under the
glsss-case of the roof, or to seek in
sny way to discover for what pur-
pose it has been placed there, OF
what it contains; and | further guat-
antee that no one in ms employ or apy
one entering the house during my
tenancy thereof, shall sake any such
attempt, aud hereby undertake that
10 the event Of their doing so, to for
felt The sum of one thonsand pounds,
and in accordance with this agree
ment have, In proper legal form,
lodged the said sum with the bank
ers Of Thomas Gaviiog, Esq, the
lessor. as guaranty of my good
faith.n
But for that clause went on the
agent as finished reading it with
some surprise, Eve shoold have no
difficulty in letting the home
Pray is the owner oot OF his
mind 7" asked 10 minute.
Not that | am aware of, sir; be
is very pleasant, afable gentlemao,
Mr. Gayling is, only as say, little
rum on some points; nothing will in-
duca him TO strike ont that clause.
tor instance. Lor' bless you, sir,
parties never entertain ii FIR mo
ment when they come 10 that part Of
the business. they drop il Ike a hot
potato.n
"Humph !" said / again, 'il's
queer certainly, but | don't zee wbv
one shouldn't acquiescs; il doesn't
matter rap 10 me what's inside the
'cbest, I shoula never Want to meddIs
with or disturb it, and I'd take very
good care no one else did | would
paddock the trao door on the roof
and that would settle that. Ahlp |
continued, after walking rcund the
structure and looking about me bit
-"ah | see precautions have been
taken to prevent any access to this
roof from others on either side. by
this iron cbevaux-de-irise yes 20 one
can get over this Well, it's an odd
freak, but | am net sure that I am
going to be baked by it; I'll think
about it, Mr.. Crumble.n
And the result of my thinking was,
that signed the agreement two
days afterward, having conformed to
the pecuniary stipulation regarding
the deposit. bad no fear of losing
the thousand pounds ; tie interest on
it was mere addition of the rent,
aud the house was so exactly what !
wanted that it would even then be
cheap to me, with my large family Of
moiherless children.
Nevertheless, | do not DENY, that
after all was signed, sealed and set
tied, | was conscious OF lurking Gu.
riosity and suspicion regarding that
mysterious erection. What could il
be- What could it contain ? | was
constantly saying to myself. What
strange freak could possess TIE man
10 take such strong measures To guard
against any penetration into the Sc
cret-measures. by the-bye. which in
themselves were rather calculated to
provoke investigation, to draw atten-
tion to the very thing he wished one
to overlook (? Was Mr.. Gayling o
miser, boarding np some unknown
treasure in this strange fashion I?
Probably that was it. Well, If it
was, it was no business of mine after
oil. My parliamentary duties would
be too urgent, L hoped, to let me
dwell upon much else, so / would
dismiss it, and beyond putting tbe
paddock oa the tgap-door Of the roof
as threatened, | took 40 measures
to prevent any OF my household in-
daiging in speculation | at least
would not direc; attention to the mat,
ter, as Mr. Gay,;ng did, and conteat-
ed My family and domestics by say
lag that | didn't consider it safe foF
people to so on the rooS.
Aow, in spite of nv resolution. {
found myself perpetuslly recurring to
the stran"e chest. Fer the sake of
quiet and air, had appropriated the
two large back and Goat rooms at
toe top of the house for nv bedroom
and study, and thus slept every night
Just heneath the white chest.
Before l had been 10 the house q
month, it began to act as nightmare
on me, an incubus ! could not shake
OF was oppressed and depressed
by 1t in way quite unaccountable
| was puzzled at myself; l could Dot
have believed fouf weeks before that
should ever have become so affect
ed by such contemptible restlessnesa.
disquiet and distrust. These feelings
at last reached such pitch that /
finally changed my bedroom /
would not sleep any longer directly
underneath this aeeursed mysterious
fabric.
Another month past, during which,
more than once. was tempted to go
secretly on to the roof and look at the
thing again; there was no harm in
that. that was not forbidden in the
houd and I need hardly sav saw