The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-09-03

HS long Il pack ana us DfOilO II pack;
but a pack equally long, thick and
broad she declared she had never seen.
It was in the middle OF winter, when
the nights were long, cold and weari-
some. The pedler was handsome,
we'll dressed man, yet Alice declared
that from the first she did not like him
greatly, and though heintroduced HIM
self with great deal of flattery, yet
when he came to ask for a nights
lodging, he met with a peremptory re-
fusal.
Hejested on the subject, saying he be-
lieved she was in the right for it would
same roof with such q sweet and bcauti-
tulcreature. Alice was an old maid and
anything but beautiful, but it would
not do, consent she would not to his
staying there.
"But, are you really going to turn
me away tonight"
eyes"
"Indeed, my dear girl, you are un~
reasonable; l am come straight from
New Castle, where l have been pur-
chasing fresh stock of goods, which
are so heavy that cannot travel far
with them, and as the people around
here are OF the poorer class. / will
rather make you a present of the finest
shawl in the pack than go further"
At the mention OF the shawl deliber-
alton was portrayed in lively colors
on Alice's face, but prudence overcame.
"No, she was but q servant, and had
orders to harbor no person about the
house, but such as came on business,
aor these either unless she was we'll ac-
luainted with them"
"What the worse can you or your
master be of suffering me to larry un-
Ill the morning?" urged the peddler.
The conversation went on thus, Alice
proving ODdurate, and at length the
peddler agreed te 20 elsewhere and seek
Tor lodgings, if she would let him leave
the pack where it was for the night,
since, fatigued as he was, he could not
possibly carry it away. To this Alice
consented, although with much re-
luctance, as she wanted nothing to do
with his goods. "The pack will be
safer if you will be so kind as to lock
it by in some room or closet" She
then led him into low parlor, where
he placed it carefully on two chairs,
and went away wishing Alice good
night.
When old Alice and the pack we're
left in the large house by themselves,
she felt q kind OF indefinite terror come
over her mind about it. "What
can be in it that makes it so heavy?
Surely where the man carries it so far
he might have carried it farther It's
confoundedly queer pack. I'll go
look at it once again. Suppose should
handle it all around? ! may then have
a good guess what is in it,"
Alice went cautiously and fearfully
into the parlor, and opened a wall
press. She wanted nothing in the
press, indeed she never looked into it,
for her eyes were fixed on the pack,
and the longer she looked at it the
worse she liked it, as to handling it,
she would never have touched it for
all it contained. She came again into
the kitchen and reasoned with herself.
She thought of the mans earpestness
to leave it-of it's monstrous shape,
and every circumstance connected
with it: they were all mysterious, and
she was convinced that there was
in the pack. She lifted q moulded
candle and went again into the par
Tor, closed the window-shutters and
barred them; but before she came
out she set herself upright, held in her
breath, and took another steady and
3crutinizing look at the pack: God of
mercy! She saw it moving, as visiblY
as she ever saw anything in her life
Every hair OH her head stood straight;
every inch OF flesh on her body crept.
She hasted into the kitchen rs fast as
she could, but her knees bent under
the terror that overwhelmed her heart.
She blew out the candle, lighted it
again, and not being able to find a
candlestick, though dozen stood on
the shelf, she set it in q water jug, and
ran to the barn for old Richard.
When she had told her story, ending
with the information that the pack was
living pack, Richard dropped his
tlail upon the floor and stared at Alice
with all his eyes.
"A living pack" he cried, "why the
woman's mad with doubt! OF all the
foolish ideas this is the worgt. How can
apack madeup ofnapkms and muslins
and corduroy breeches ever become
alive?" However, he followed her in
to the house, and lifted the candle out
of the jug; never stopping till he laid
his hand on the pack. He felt the
boards that surrounded it's edges to
prevent thegoods from beingrumpled,
the cords that bound it, and the can
vass i'll which it was wrapped ''The
pack is we'll enough" he said finally.
at is just like other packs. I see
nought that ails it, and a good large
pack it is. It will have cost the hon
est man three hundred pounds if the
goods are fine But he will make it
up, Alice, by cheating fools like you
with gewgaws."
Alice felt some disappointment at
seeing Richard unconvinced, and per-
sisted that all was not right
about the pack. She believed
there were stolen goods in it, at
any rate, and she had no wish to sleep
in the house with it: Next came in
Edward, the lad of sixteen, who aided
Richard in his work about the place.
He was at this time often engaged in
shooting crows and other birds, and
had bought a huge old military gun
with which he thundered away at
them, and this very moment he had
seen flock of birds feeding at his corn