Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-28

time tried to conjecture the whence and
why of this most strange visitation. lie
was not long in constructing theory.
His house was near the medical college
of the place, an institution celebrated as
much for the wildness of its students as
for its general excellence otherwise.
Presumably, some of its choice spirits
had. in moment of relaxation, con-
ceived and executed this colossal prac-
tical Joke. Mr.. Prisby, however, failed
to appreciate alike the point OF the joke
and the strength OF mind that could en-
joy it.
He covered the dead face and sat
down to consider what he should do.
After few moments thought he turned
to his desk and wrote short letter to
the president of the medical college. AS
he was addressing it the clock struck 2,
and he suddenly decided to stay where
he was the rest of the night. Sleep was
out of the question anyway, and there
was no telling what might happen in
his absence
He heaped coal on the dying fire,
drew an armchair under the lamp, and
picked up the book that lay nearest him
on the table. 1t was an unfortunate
selection-Poes Tales-and Mr.. Prisby
chanced upon that weirdest of all weird
things, "The Fall of the House of
Usher" He had read scarcely page
when he felt change in the mental at
mosphere. Reaction had set in from
the calmness, unnatural under the cir
cumstances, of the preceding half hour,
and Mr.. Prisby again became conscious
of that awful presence behind him. By
an effort he concentrated his thoughts
on his book and presently became alb
sorbed in it. He very soon discovered,
however, that he had not made parti-
cularly good exchange, but read reso-
lutely on, until
Was that the creak of a board, Or?
He cast fearful glance over his shout
der. Nonsense! The cracking OF the
coal in the CRATE, of course. He re-
turned to his book, and by an effort kept
his eyes fixed on it, until
the tumult of his nerves became unbear-
able. Suddenly he whirled his chair
around and glared defiantly at the box.
A dead man under a sheet-was he
afraid of that? Nevertheless he kept
his face toward it, and felt less nervous.
He opened his book again and read on
to the climax of the story. With the
unnatural horror of it making havoc in
his already over-wrought nerves, he
glanced up involuntarily, and-the
thing in the box moved He saw the
linen stir above it For a moment of
horrible unreasoning fear, he stared at
it with starting eyes. In the next, he
fell back in his chair with sob OF in
tense relief-the play of the fire light
had deceived him.
But he would not risk another decep-
tion of that sort. He got up and drew
back the cloth from the dead face. The
Pickering light and shadow moved across
it still, but were powerless to alter its
awful immobility. Mr.. Prisby wan
dered to the window and looked
out A chaos of swirling white flakes
eddied by with the bowling wind, from
and into intense darkness. Disconso-
lately he turned away, took down a
volume of Thackeray from the shelf
and sat down again.
One-two-three. Only 3 O'Clock
Mr.. Prisby sighed and applied himself
to killing time by the only means in his
power. By degrees the roaring of the
storm seemed to grow fainter and faint
er, the printed page grew dim before his
tired eyes, and he sank into an uneasy
slumber.
He was awakened by the fall of his
book from his knees, to find himself in
complete darkness. The lamp had
burned itself out and the fire was rap
idly fading bed of Goals. For a moment
he tried helplessly to locate himself
then the truth struck him like an icy
chill.
He rose hastily and groped his way
around the edge OF the dimly visible
box tol the mantel piece where there
were candles and matches. He lit
candle and set it down upon the table.
AS it famed brightly up, he turned to
sit down again, and saw that the body
had turned on its side and lay facing
himl And while he covered down,
clinging to the table, every faculty alb
sorbed into the single one of sight, the
thing put out long white hand and
holding by the edge raised itself slowly
in it's coffin.
With wild scream of utter terror
John Prisbv dashed open the door, flew
up the hall and out into the black
storm.