The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-02-08


but yesterday. And sometimes i
wake shrieking in my dreams and lie
awake all night, oppressed with
great agony of fear.
1t was the evening ofSeptember Ia.
IL was Friday. / had decided at
the last moment TO remain at the
bank after the rest had gone, for /
had arranged that il / only could
get the accounts all right, / would
start for Penzance on the following
morning with my wife. God alone
knows how yearned for a sight of
the seal
1t had been hot day, that Friday
IA terrible hot day-and oil day
long had been conscious not only
OF la curious unwillingness. but OF an
absolute incapacity to move. In
some extraordinary way my limbs
seemed in measure to have passed
from my control. suppose il was
past 6 o'clock. | was oil a,onei in the
bank; the rest of the establishment
had left good hour ago. / was
leaning forward on my desk. rack
ing my brains to think where the err
ror could be, when-shall ever for
get it?-in mn instant-in a fash OF
lightning-I became conscious Of
singular sensation which was steal
ing over ME. 1t was just as though
some malevolent spirit had woven n
spell and deprived me OF the power OF
motion. | was spell-bound, rooted
to my sent, MS helpless as though /
had been struck by the hand OF death.
The strangest part Of it was that,
while in the sudden, awful visitation
had lost the use ofmy limbs, Ihad pre-
served my faculties intact. ] could
see--straight in front that's -fornot
only could / not turn my head n
hairs breadth to either side, not
Only could / not even close my
eyes, but could not even change
the direction of my glance, could
only look straight in front of me
with what / felt instinctively must
be n fixed, horrible, CLASSY stare.
But what there was I'm front of me |
could plainly see. And could hear.
Indeed, my hearing seemed To bc un
naturally keen. For instance. Bur-
tons Bank in i'm the Cathedral yard.
Not only could hear every footstep
which passed even on the other side
Of the Cathedral-no slight distance
for the sound of a foot TO travel-but
/ could hear the traffic that went up
and down Fore Street Hill and over
the bridge, right away TO st. Thorn
ass on the other side. And worse
for God knows that i'm the horror of
all that followed il was If surety
the worst of alll-I could think My
brain, like my hearing, seemed to be-
come phcnomenally clear. Instan-
taneously knew whit had come up
on me. IL was catelpsy. ] was in n
cataleptic fit.l
Ii became dark so dark that my
eyes became useless for any purpose
OF sight. and yet they would not
shut. IL became silent, too, the in
tense silence of the night But all mt
once, when the night was stillest.
sound struck on my enrs-a peculiar
sound, as OF some one who walked
with mufIled steps. And then-could
il be? Yesl window was being
opened close at hand.
| cannot doubt that the only thing
which had kept me from promptly
falling on to the floor when the &c
had first taken me was the fact that
was leaning SO forward that the
greater part Of my weight was on the
desk. So, leaning forward on the
desk, stayed Just in front OF me
was glass partition on the other
side OF which was the inner ofticc, in
which was kept. IL was the window
of this inner office which was being
opened now. BY what cannot but
suppose was providentinl accident,
since could not alter the direction
oil my glance, the safe was right in
my line of sight. And so, although /
could not Immediately see who
IL was that entered, directly the
mysterious intruder came between
my self and the safe could see him
plninly.
At first all was dark. Then light
was struck. and some one, bearing n
shaded lantern in his hand, appeared
in nv line Of sight
IL was Philip Morris. our head
cashier, and practically the manager
OF the bnnkl
shall never forget my unutternble
amnzement when | preceived TINT IL
was he. Whit would bring him there
ut such an hour. in such u way? He
wore n light dust coat, which was n-
bottoned down the front, so that |
could see his dress clothes beneath