Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-05-21

room. I stood looking ut That opon
space with mingled feelings of curiosity
and establishment. for began to under
stand that sound. walked TO the doors
rand rolled them further open.
The heavy, potent, sickly air struck
me in the face and foated with Ian
guild power into the brightly lighted
room where l stood. II seemed to dim
the lights and my senses at the same
time; but still heard the dripping Of
the water, drip-dfip-drip. My eyes,
becoming accustomed to the gloom into
which was looking, and aided by
streak of light coming in at one Of the
front windows from a street lamp, dis
tinguished in the centre of the room a
long, square, box-like arrangement. II
took up the better part Of the room,
seeming to fill IL almost, and as l stood
looking at it / heard the water more
distinctly, dripping slowly into some
thing placed beneath. rip-drip-drip.
With a shuddcr advanced slowly in
TO the room for short distance and
stood looking at that sad spectacle. Its
sombre sides glistened with moisture,
and large knob or handle on the top
enabled one, no doubt, to uncover its
CHASTITY contents. ! had no desire TO do
this, and was about TO retrace my steps.
when from the interior of that very
caskct heard a strange sound-some-
thing between a sigh and groan.
For one moment | stood irresolute-
hesitating whether to dash at the thing
and throw il open, or shall confess IT'D
to rush from the house. The latter feel
ing overpowered the former, and in
second was back in the lighted room,
and, picking up my hat and stick, had
started for the door. when | saw dim
form gliding down the staircase toward
me.
Watching it with mingled curiosity
and alarm as it approached me, | was
infinitely relieved to recognize it as Miss
Cooper, to whom the darkness and the
general strangeness OF everything in that
house lent an air of mystery and terror;
but she came toward me. smiling.
Before l could speak, she said: "Sister
is resting quietly, and so | stole down
for a moment to see"
Miss Cooper's voice suddenly died
away, and her eyes gazed horror stricken
into mine, for at this moment the sound
OF low groan fell upon our ears. Faint
and hollow it sounded, as If suppressed,
against the will of the sufferer. With a
wild expression in their depths, my
companions eyes frs. sought the door
leading inio the front room, then turned
to my face with puzzled look. God
knows what horrible thoughts now
chased each other through my brain;
but, reaching forward and selling Miss
HAAno.,o Had 4 oaiA kstVill fYn
with me into that roontei' -------
She regarded me again with strange
glance, her face was pale and her lips set
closely together; but with firm voice
she answered: 81 will"
Without another word and still hold
ing her hand in mine, pushed the door
open and entered the front room. | felt
my fair companions hand trembling, but
she went forward with an unhesitating
step, until we stood beside that dark,
box-like affair in the centre of the room.
Silently we stood there gazing upon it.
was now desperate and determined to
know the worst.
Dropping Miss Cooper's hand took
hold of the handle of the box aud tried
to turn it. 1t moved stiffly and slowly
around, showing that in some way
it fastened on the top. then
grasped it with both hands and, throw
ing all the strength / could command
into the effort, endeavorcd to raise the
top of the box. 1t slowly yielded to the
pressure, and l had raised IL about an
inch or two, when | heard again that
awful groan.
II was followed 10y a suppressed shrek
from my companion. who clutched at my
arm convulsively, and that loosening my
hold of the handle, the top of the box
fell back into place with loud bang.
Miss Cooper suddenly released my
arm, and saw her clinging to the slid
ing-doors which opened into the room,
her Mortified gaze fixed first upon me and
then upon the dark box. But l no
longer wished to open that; what
sought was not there, for that last groan
had sounded from another part of the
room. One of the long front windows
was partly raised. The light from the
street fiickered in through the opening,
casting fantastic shadows in that corner
of the room, and it was from there the
groan came, | was sure. Even as /
stepped back and tried to peer into the
black shadows lurking there, it sounded
again with terrible distinctness, loud,
prolonged, and agonized.
With an exclamation OF amazement,
/ sprang forward and threw up the win
dow as far rs it could go, aud rs did so
n voice close at hand said: "Ah, get up
out of that; yer can't be sleepin' there. !"
and an answer came, in husky tones; e.
amt got strength ter move; I've got the
TAo., follo.-oI
Of those terrible groans, from the same
source.
On the top ster, just outside of the
door, stood policeman. the bright but
tons of his uniform shining in the light
of the lamp. He was reaching over and
prodding with his night-stick forlorn-
looking bundle of humanity lying
stretched out on the balcony of the house
in which l was standing.
The railing of the balcony being low,
the poor asthmatic tramp had probably
climed over it early in the night, and
thinking, no doubt, that the house was
unoccupied, had stretched himself out
to rest his sorrows and his pains. A
vine which trailed along the balcony hid
him from the street, and possibly his
giIvStiy s-eans alone BETRAYED him to the
policeman.
"Officer," I said, ''don't hurt him; he
seems in pain"-for the prodding had
recommended. "Oh, sir, said the blue.
coat, '.he's only shamming. know the
likes of him." However, they settled
their differences of opinion by the asth-
matte consenting to move on, upon con
dition that the prodding should cease.
After their departure turned to look
for my fair companion of few moments
hafora aha had flown