The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-25
THE rELL-rALR HEART.
BY EDGAR ALLAN POE.


 nervous had been and am but why will you say that am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses-n not destroyed of heanpg acute. heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. heard many things in hell. How, then, am mad? Hearken and observe how healihily-ho~ calmly l can tell you the whole story.
 It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain but once con- ceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. loved the old man. He has never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold had no desire think it was hts eye! yes, it was this One of his eyes resembled that of vul- ture-a pate blue eye. with film over il. Whenever It fell upon me, my blood ran cold and so by degrees-very gradually -i made up my mind to take the life of the old man. and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
 Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Ma6men know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely proceeded with what caution with what foresight-with what dissimulation l went to work! was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before killed him. And every night, about midnight, turned the latch of his door and opened it-oh. so gently. And then. when had made an opening sufficient for my head, put in dark lantern, all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then 1 thrust in my head. On, you would have laughed 10 sec how cunninglyi thrust it in. | moved it siowly-very, very slowly. so tha, might not disturb the old mans sleep. Ii took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so lar that could see him as he lay uyon his bed. Ha.-would a madman have been so wise as this And then, when my head was well in the room, l undid the lantern cautiously oh, so cautiously cautiously tfor the hinges creaked) )-i undid 1t just so much that a single thin ray fell upon tne vulture eye And this l did for seven long nights every night just al midnight but found the eye always closed and go it was in- possible to do the york: for 1t was not the old man whc -exed me, bat his Evil Eye. And every morning. when the day broke, went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name Tn hearty tone, and in- inquiring ho~ he had passed the night. So you see he would have been very pro- found old man, indeed. to suspect that every night, just al i,. looked in upon him while he slept.
 Upon the eighth night was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine Never before that night had felt the extent of my po~eus-ofmy sagacity. could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there ] was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even 10 dream of my secret deeds of thoughts. fairly chuckled at the idea: and perhaps he heard me, for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that drew back-but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (ior the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers). and so knew that he could not see the opening of the door. and l kept pushing it on steadily steadily.
 l had my head in, and was about to open the lantern. when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sPrang up in the bed crying out, Who's there"
 kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour l moved not a muscle. and m the meantime l did not hear him lie down. lie was still sitting up Tn the bed, listening; just as have aone, night after night, heaikening to the death watches in the wall.
 Presently heard slight groan, and l knew # was the groan of mortal terror. It was not groan of pain or of grief oh, nc lit was the low, stuffed sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overchaEged with awe. knew the sound we'll. Many a night, just at mid night, when all the world slept, it has yelled up from my own bosom, deepen ing, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. say knew it we'll ] knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although chuckied a, heart. | knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not He had been saying to him self, "lt is nothing but the wind in the chimney--it is only a mouse crossing the fioor," or "it is merely cricket which has made a single chi.p." Yes, he had been try ing to comfort himself with these supPesitions but he had found all in vain. All in vain because Death, in ap- preaching him, had s,alked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim And 1t was the mournful inilu- ence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to fcel--aithough he neither saw nor heard-;o feel the presence ofmy head within the room.
 When had waited long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, ! resolved to open little--a very, very httle-crevice in the lantern. So opened t--you can not imagine how stealthily, Stealtnily-until. at lenoth a s;n0le d;,,,