The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-12-16

that Ofncer.
Presently the carpenter came up,
rather astonished, as may be supposed,
by such an unusual and hurried sum-
mons, and not little alarmed.
"What is the matter, sir ?" he whis-
pered as he passed me.
elm sure 1 don't know" / replied
"but make haste. The Captains In a
dreadful way about something or other.
The bell struck four times, signifying
that it was 2 o'clock The Captain
started Mt the sound, and again called
for the carpenter.
"Coming, sir" replied Mr.. Jones, as
he sprang on the bridge.
Bring that case on deck" said tine
Captain.
"What case, sir {? +" said Mr.. Jones.
Sin the foremost locker, the starboard
side of your store-room, is case,
marked Ward-room Officers Bring it
on deck, quick"
There was no disobeying this per-
emptory order-there was no question
ing it; but it was very odd one to
give. What could the Captain want
with case, the property of the ward
room officers, in the first place and, in
in the second, how came he to fluid out,
in the middle of the night, that it was
there, in place where it certainly had
no right to be ? and, then, why was ii
there at ali, and not in the proper store
room 1t was strange, too, most of all,
that a case OF ward-room stores could
have agitated the Captain in the way it
appeared to have done, and have
actually brought him on deck in the
middle of the night, for no other pur-
pose seemingly than to send down for
it. Why could he not have waited till
the morning, at least, if he was deter
mined to have it brought up? What
could it contain? That was the puz-
cling question [ could not settle; and
the carpenter could give me no infor
nation.
CT don't know what it is" he said.
st came on board just before we left
Beyrout. The Captain was out of the
ship at the time, L remember, and the
Paymaster asked me to stow it away III
my store-room, as they had filed theirs
up. l thought it was only pickles or
jam but we shall soon see what's in it. !"
The case came on deck, and some men
accompanied it with tools for forcing it
open. / drew the Captain attention to
them, for he was looking the other way.
He turned around and looked at the
box, and said, Eyes, that's it. Now,
two men take it up very carefully
don't let it fall, mind and bring it up
here on the bridge"
His voice was rather husky, but he
seemed to have regained his composure,
though his face was still very pale.
There was nothing peculiar outwardly
about the case III which SO much inter-
est was conferred.
1t was about three feet long, by a foot
and half wide and deep. made of COM
mon deal, roughly put together, and
with a narrow iron band round each end.
The name of some dealer at Beyrout was
stamped on it in black letters, but so
much defaced as to be almost illegible.
Underneath that was printed, Ward
room Officers, H. M. S Aster." Out
wardly, it was n thing. What could it
contain?
"Now," said the Captain, when the
two men were beside him, "give it a
good swing, and launch it overheard.
One, two, three, and over 70
A dull splash-the mysterious case
was gone
Down, down through many fathoms
of blue water it sank, and with it carried
a secret of such dread import that it
had blanched the cheek and palsied the
hand OF man accustomed to the perils
OF the sea from his youth, and who, in
the most critical moments of danger had
never before shown to those around him
hot no ,f l. 70,
him.
Down, down it sank, the waters closed
over it, the mighty sea took it to her.
self, forever hiding it from the sight of
men. The clear, bright moon shone on
the place; the bubbles that marked the
spot burst and melted away. The rest
less ocean showed no trace of the place
where the mysterious box was ingulfed,
but the ripples danced to and fro in the
moonbeams, rs they had danced before,
and the ship glided silently and swiftly
away.
/ was sorely disappointed. / thought
of course when the case was ordered TO
be brought on deck, that it would be
opened before the Captains eyes, and |
should be made acquainted with the rea-
son Of his unusual excitement.
} The old carpenter stared aghast.
Good Lord ! p" he calculated, "what
has come over him? Depend upon it,
he's seen n ghost.
And he wiped the perspiration from
his brow, for he was a superstitious old
man.
"Ghost What's ghost got to do
with q box of pickles ?" she / old Tom
Rallies, the boatswain's mate-a priv
LEGGED oddly. Its my opinion he's
gone stark, staring mad"
"Them things in that ere box weren't
/ hisn to chuck overheard. He'll be a
chuckin' my bag over next" grumbled
another mana discon tented and insub.
ordinate character.
moved away. The conversation was
not meant for my ears, and / had no
wish to play the eavesdropper.
Fully an hour did Capt. Montague
pace up and down the deck with the Of
ficer Of the watch; and for that space OF
time L had to curb my impotence to
hear the story which knew he would
have to tell me; and for the same length