Litchfield enquirer., 1880-04-22

package would be less exposed in the safe than 1t would be under the mattress of my bed; and 1 finally concluded that the latter place would be hardest for any possible thlei to reach. So took <out the heavy brown envelope, and slowed it away under the mat. tress. Then took the second glass of toddy, which was usually against my rule, but which 1 thought the circumstances warranted.
 Once more sat down to my newspaper and pipe, but with no better success than before. The storm seemed now to have centered ri ght over the little station Peal after peal of thunder rent the air, and the lightning played about the sky like phosphorus on an inky background. If you have ever chanced to be in telegraph office during thunder storm, you may have seen the electricity dash down the wires in way to make timid people nervous Even veteran operators, like my, self, wouldn't want to undertake to receive that sort of message. 1 was tempted to close the key, but the meaningless ticking had s sort of fascination for me in the mood I then was. It was like the incoherent mutterings ot maniac, where now and then, at long inter. vals only, could one distinguish word or sentence. Maybe the extra allowance of tod dy had made me more imaginative than usual and given weird colQring to my thoughts for listening to the rapid cick-click, remem. Der Of tancying that some spirit-hand had got hold of the key, and was pouring out vail of woe over the wires.
 was too restless to sit still and too nervous to go to bed. Besides, even if hadn't been so upset in my mind, it is doubtful whether ] could have slept through such storm as that
 To occupy myself about something, I re, lighted my lantern, went out into the freight room, examined again the bolts of the doors and the fastenings of the windows, and re- turned to my room more worried and upset than ever. Just as I was entering my own nest, the light of the lantern fell squarely on the wooden box. Oddly enough, until that moment l had forgotten all about the dead young woman. Thinking so steadily of the $13, 900 had, suppose, driven the box out of my mind. But can't say it was any com fort to have it brought back now; for corpse is never the most cheerful of company, and, feeling as 1 did then, I would a great deal rather have had no company at all.
 It must have been the imp of the perverse, 1 suppose that impelled me, after the box had been brought back to my mind, to leave the door open so that could sit and stare at it with morbid curiosity. As have already said, my sleeping apartment was partitioned oil from the freight room and was connected with the latter by door. The body had been placed III such position that when this door was open the head of the box was in sight Two or three times got up to shut the door, but some strange fatality drove me back to my chair and caused me to keep n view of the box with its sad freight. All this time the storm ragged, the thunder discharged its mighty batteries the lightning flashed, and the mad rawlings of the telegraph continued caught my hand trembling as 1 tried to ref my pipe. Nervousness, no doubt; but possi n iTht hou was frightened.
 l had just risen to wind the little clock on the shelf, when suddenly out of the hitherto meaningless ticking of the instrument sharply and distinctly came to my ears these sounds
 -. .--.. ....-.... -..... -. which in spoken words meant, "Watch the box !"
 started as if charge of electricity had shot through my frame. I could fairly fec my face grow white. l stood motionless clutching the back of the chair, and with my eyes riveted in vacant stare at the table ir the telegraph office. l knew this was no worC of an excited imagination. The words, to my practiced ear, were as plain as if shouted Tn clarion tones. There had come no call for Red Ravine, and the message ended without signature or mark, but abruptly as it had be- gun. More than that it was not the writing of any operator on any section of the line. 1 would have sworn to that with as much posltiveness as you would to the tones of a voice with which you ase familiar. In the dot and dash alphabet we learn to distinguish who is handling the keys almost with as mucl accuracy as others distinguish handwriting And in all my experience had never heard the sounder click off message like that
 While l stood daZed and almost paralyZeC for you must remember that Old Billy's nerves were strung to terrible pitch that night) the rapid and unintelligible click click was resumed as if demon had again got holC of the key. It was fully five minutes before mustered courage enough to pass into the tick ct office and sit down by the table myself Not once had 1 turned back to look at the BOX. Almost at the instant of my sitting down at the table the clicking stopped short as it had done before, and then these words were repeated: Wotch the boz.
 Every dot, every dash, every letter. every word, came with such horrible distinctness that it seemed to send a sharp pain tinglng pering of some ghostly voice. Then, again broke out the jargon of sound that turned tht clicking into meaningless confusion.
 l Sprang up from the table, and, with the now strengthened conviction that it was nc delusion, no fancy, but that the sound hac come plainly over the wires, 1 felt my courage returning, and resolved to heed the nysteriou. warning. The rolling of the thunder and the mad roar of the storm no longer depressed me. 1 stepped boldly back into my OWL room, and rested my eyes unflinchingly on the mysterious box. What was it's mysterious freight? Why had the phantom of the storm sent those startling words over the wires What unknywn hand had reached out iron tI,Ar Ifrbf, ,k-1l impending danger? These questions rushed appearing, and found myself of a sudder growing strangely calm.
 The clock struck ten. 1 turned to the shell and with hand that no longer trembled in serted the key, and wound it composedly Would it be the last time that I should per form that simple act? No matter Happier thar most men, because content with my humble lot, it should never be said that Old Billy hinched in the face of duty. For that nigh it was my dutY-my one sacred, all-importan duty-to guard the treasure left to my keep ing. And guard it 1 would while life remain ed
 When had finished winding the clock ] took down from the shelf an old rusty pisto which had lain for years undisturbed. It was not loaded, ner had 1 either powder or bule anywhere in the station. But the weapon was as ugly looking one and carried sort of silent force in case of too aggressive argument After examining the rusty lock, put the pis tol on the table, made fresh glass of toddy drank it, lighted my pipe, and-cosed tht door that opened into the freight-room. Now that was thoroughly myself again, found il easy enough to shut out the sight of that ominous oblong box.
 It was not until the clock struck again that is, 11-that made up my mind to go t bed. All that time the storm held on although the thunder had begun to rumble more distantly. 1 threw off my coat ant slippers, put out the light in the ticket office and turned that in my sleeping room down tt low flame. Then drew the money pack age from under the mattress and pinned i securely to my woolen shirt under my vest This done aud the table so placed that l coult reach both the lamp and the pistol, opened the doer into the freight room some three O four inches and then threw myself upon thu bed. Just as my head touched the pillow