New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-16

ScIi-grHtulltlOn
Queer old fish" thought to myself, he can't
have made much out Of this bargain. Any one
would think he was new to the business to let q
book like this go dirt cheap. Yet he looked
| took an omnibus at the Circus. There were
three four other people in 1t besides myself IN
Guiding a equity old gentleman and u woman WITH
baby | dislike woman with baby,,or In
deed any other combination which includes q
baby With regard to the old gentleman. had
the misfortune TO drop my purchase on his
gouty foot | had no wish to drop it on that par,
ticular foot. but would just as soon have dropped
IL on the other, il the choice had been gwen me
but from the language in which he INDUCED you
might have thought that the outrage had been
prcmcditated and carried out OF malice prepensc.
Then | sat down by the baby, and the baby
screamed itself black in the face in less than five
minutes: TO whom its fond parent vainly addressed
words of mystic consolation. Didn't 'um like a
nasty man. then, and did 'um brighten 'um's prec-
ious pets out of 'um's pretty wits"
After all, when inspected my. purchase there
didn't seem to be much 10 congratulate myself upon
with regard TO it. 1t was large octave IN size, OF
rather less than 200 pages in thickness, the paper
yellow the print faded. and the binding-I turned
IL over and over but there was nothing IN the
least justify the cXtravagant encomiums lavlShed
seemed to be species of parchment or vellum.
which had also become yellow and discolored by
time and l shut il up after brief Inspcc-
ton of its contents and laid il aside while dis
cusscd a nondescript meal which began with cold
mutton and ended with marmalade. | had closed
the book and laid il on the mantc piece out of the
W1V. ana mere l may mention IuHt l lOuIi tut
back very stir, and the book not easy to open in
consequencc-in fact. it shut Immediately Of its
own accord directly one removed ones hand.
Ii was peculiar crealling sound which made
me turn my head in the direction OF the empty fire
place. which now. in the month of june contained
nothing but torn envelopes, burnt matches, and
other untidy litter Of bachelors apartment. 10
nv amazcmcnt, | found that the noise came from
the book had Just bought. and which was slowly
and deliberately opening Of its own accord. There
must he something peculiar about the binding.
.iob oil fl,o N
found considerable difficulty in making IT do so,
and when even then il obstinatcly refused to re-
main open without being held.
| rose and looked al IL where II Inv fiat open on
the shelf, at Chapter v, the title Of which was.
Du drot de vie CT de mort and even my limited
stock of French allowed me to translate the phrase
as The right Of life and death. | sEdt the book
up, and then tried whether it would open again at
the same place-perhaps this had been favorite
might account for it. But no the book once shut
refused 10 reopen without considerable wrench;
the leaves seemed to adhere together in peculiar
manner and felt damp and clammy to the touch,
so | put il down gain, and Lighting pipe, went
and sat by the open window and watched the pas
scrs-bv. Presently | was almost startled 10 hear
the 81 PIE peculiar sound coming from behind me.
This time l knew at once where TO look There
was that COMPOUNDED Social Contract slowly and
deliberately opening again. just as though some
invisible hand had hold of it. | made two strides
TO the fireplace. Yes, there il was, open at the
same place rs beforc-Chapter v, 'Du droit de vie
ct de mort Hang Chapter V. and its COMPOUNDED
title" | muttered TO myself as banged the lids
together and clappcd bls dictionary on the top to
keep il shut. | was tired Of NJ. Jean Jacques and
his vagnries.
| could have taken a solemn oath as TO the man
ner in which | left il, but in the morning found
the position of affairs reverScd-the dictionary
was underneath and on the top was that blessed
book, lying wide open at Chapter v!
| spoke pretty sharply to the woman who looks
after my chambers Look here, Mrs Jenkins.
I've told YOU once for all, that ] won't have my
things touched or mcddled with in any way. and if
md Auc+a ho Wit no
tables and chairs, you'll have to go
The Lord bless and save us if I've so much as
much as they want it. seeing it was your orders,
and me 4 wilder with two pore orphans depending
on me for their daily bread and trcace, let alone
a bit Of something tasty now and then, sich as
trpe or liver Or
Then you re sure you haven't touched any Of nv
books, or moved anything on tho mantcpcce :?
i give you my word, solemn. and on my Blended
knees, il thought necessary. though what with the
stairs and the scrubbing they're that Stif-that
what with your boots and the breakfast, and me
oyerslccping myself, through cow-heols for sup
per- | haven't so much as touched the leg of a
chair or been within yard Of the mantcl-pIece,
whatever my wishes might have been
] began 10 think that either ] or the book. or
hotb were bewitched. ] was out nearly all that
day. and hardly know whether | was surprised or
not when. coming home. found the Contract
Social which had left shut mp in a drawer with
several other odd volumes and magazines. lying
On its face on the floor, still open az Chapter V,
while the other contents Of the drawer, which was
4 tndinc open, were in state Of the widest dis
! had left the windows shut and
he door locked. and found both in The same con-
iition on my return. No one could possibly have
gained admission What did il mean | was lost
n wondenDcDt.
That night when I retired 10 rcst tool, the
him.. with me ard placed il under my pillow. !
thinking that | should thus be sure Of no one
ncddlinc with 1t. OF the horrors OF that night
can hardly speak without fear OF mourning the
'harSe Of extravaganza and oXaceeration.
| suppose | must have gone oil TO sleep very
quickly though what followed seemed so real-so
horribly, Enthusiastically real-that il is hard !
ven now, to believe that after all it was only !
lrcam. I thought that suddenly found myself |
n vast gloomy cavern. 50 dark was it that at
irst could not distinguish its dimensions and cX-
ent, but after q time ray OF shostly white |
increased and brOadeeped slowly but surely,
urd CHASTITY radiance Then saw that what 1 |
It first took for cavern was, in reality a vast |
from the damp, nosomc walls of |
which rlls of water tricllcd ccasclcssy down upon
lark inanimatc recumbent forms which covered |
he ground, that il impossible to stir with |
'ut coming in contact with some one Of them.
Once moved or tried 70 move. for was pal |
led with horror but at the first motion something |
ell rafting down from niche above my head
omethng which passed 50 closely that il brushed |
ny face as 1t fell, and then lay motionleSs at my
ect-a human skull with wide, empty eye-Socll- !
rs, and white gTinning teeth Then from the |
'lccm at the arthcSt end of the cavern there came
voice! Such an uncarthly, awful voice. which |
wolcn and protruding Brothers and sisters of
he gulllotine rise and greet the strangcrr There
vas sound as Of the rustlins Of grave clothes on
very side, as the dark, shapcless forms rose up
1sht upon their hcShless feet row upon row. men
nd women, every one Of them with features dis
orted with agony-blaclencd lips drawn back |
moving the clcnchcd teeth, GuiYcring cyc-bas.
nd dlstenGed nOstrls-whic found the neck of
most every one was thin red line They came
learer and enarcr closing me in on every sde.
ank behind rank; in moment more | should be
PRESSED and trodden undcrfoot by their bloodess
kclcton ieet. Again there came the Vocc-that
ndescuhably horrible voice from the gloomy un-
cen rcccsScs OF that fearful place. Brothcrs and
iSterS, take him be Is yours, serve him as they
erVcd yOu at MeudOn" Hundreds of bonv arms
we're stretched out to seize me. | was almost in
hclr grasp when with the supreme horror OF the
moment shne{cd and woke Woke with the
ound Of my own voice ringing in my ears and the
respiration pouring from me. Woke shaking as
With an aguc with horrible voices still gibberirg
II my ears. IL was some moments before | could
efficiently command nySelf so as TO rise and stil,e
light When did 50 found il was ter m nuieS
o three o'clock, and Oh bcholdinS my CHASTITY face
a the glass. found IL hard TO bCllcvc that I had
merely suffered from an extra bad attack of night