The morning call., 1892-03-13

long this oblivion lasted have no means
of knowing. / awoke t. find myself CROP
ing in Egyptian darkness. darkness not of
night, but, as Pliny says. of room where
the lights have been eXtinguished. Then
cold wind began 10 blow on my face and
shake this black curtain. A murky light
broke in on me. i had body That felt;
but where 1t was / knew not. So felt my
way forward in the direction where the twi-
light showed least dimy.
Slowly the curtain shook and its folds dis
solved as 1 moved against the wind The
clouds lifted, and by degrees L grew aware
that was standing on barren moor. Night
was stretching around tn the horizon. where
straight ahead gray lar shone across the
gloom. | pressed on toward it, The heath
was uneven under my feet. and now then L
stumbled heavily, but still | held on. For
IL seemed that must get to this gray bar or
die a second time. All my muscles, all my
will were strained upon this purpose.
Drawing nearer 1 observed that wave-like
motion kept passing over this brighter space
as II had passed over the mirror. The giim-
mer would be obscured for a moment and
then reaDpsar. Atlength gentle acchyity
OF the moor hid 1t for while. My legs
positively raced up this SLOPE and upon The
summit | hardly dared TO look Tor moment,
knowing that il the light wasan Illusion all
my hope must die with II.
But il WAS no Illusion. There was the
light, and there, before my feet, lay sable
sheet Of water, over the surface of which
the light was playing There was no moon,
no star I'm heaven; yet over this desoHte
tarn lowered pale radiance that ceased
again where the edge OF its waves Tapped
the farther bank of peat. Their monotO-
nous wash hardly broke the stiffness of the
place.
The formleSs longing was now pulling ut
me with an attraction | could not deny
though within me there rose and fought
against il horror only less strong. Here,
rs IN the blue room. two souls were strug-
CLING for me. II was the soul OF Philip
Cardnnock that drew me toward the tarn,
and the soul of Samuel Rance that resisted.
Only what was the thing toward which /
was being pulled?
must have stood ut least minute on the
brink before / deserted a black object float
Ing nj the far emu of the tarn. What this
object was i could not make out; but /
knew il on the instant 10 be that for which |
longed. and all my will grew suddenly in
tent on drawing it nearer. Even as my
voliton conferred upon II, the black spot
began Ia move slowly out into the pale rad-
ance toward me. Silently, surely, rs though
my wish drew it by rope, IL fOated nearer
and nearer over the bosom Of the tarn and
while still some twenty yards away saw il
10 he n long, black box, shaped like a coffin.
There was no doubt about it, | could
hear the water now sucking AZ the dark
sides 1 stepped down the bank and waded
mp 10 my knees in the icy water TO meet IT,
Ii was plain box, with no writing upon
dead black; and it moved with the same
even speed straight up To where | stood.
A. II came | laid my hand upon it and
touched wood. But with the touch came
further sensation that made me fling both
arms around tie box and begin trantically
10 haul IL toward the shore.
IL was n feeling of Suif0cation; of dread
full weight that pressed in upon my ribs and
choked the lungs action. | felt that | must
open that box or die horribly; that until |
had d no hon L hoa Al
up l should know no pause from the labor
and torture Of dying.
This put a wild strength into me. As the
box grated uToa the few pebbles by the
shore | bent over II, caught it once more by
the sides, and with infinite effort dragged il
cut of the water. 1t was heavy, and the
weight upon NV chest was heavier vet; but
stralning, painting, gaSping for breath, |
hauled il up the bank, dropped il on the
turf. and knelt over il, Juggling furiously at
the lid.
was frenzied-no less. Ny nails were
torn until the blood gushed from their roots
Lights danced before me; bells rang in nv
ears; the pressure on my lungs grew more
intoleTable with each moment: but still |
fought with that coffin lid. Seven devils
were within me and helped me ; aud all the
while | knew that / was dying, that unless
the box were opened that moment il would
be too late.
The sweat ran off my eyebrows and
dripped on the box, Ny breath came and
went in sobs. l could not die. l could not.
must not die. And | tusged and strained
and tugged again.
Then as the black anguish of the blue
room took me a second time | seemed to
put all my strength into my hands. From
the I'D or from my throat-l could not dis
tinGulsh-tAere came creak and q long
grOan. | tore back the board and fell on
the heath with one shudderlng breath OF
relief.
Aud drawing it, l raised nv head and
looked over the collins edge. Still drawing
II, / tum bled back White, cold, with the
last struggle fixed on its features and open
eyes, It was my own dead face that stared
up at me.
They found me. next morning, living on
the brink Of the taTn, and carried me back
to the inn. There | lay for weeks in a
brain fever and talked-as trey assure
me-the widest nonsense. The land
lord had first guessed that some
thing was amiss on finding the front
door open when he came down al 3 o'clock.
L must have turned to the left on leaving
tue house, travelled up the road for a
hundred yards, and then struck almost at
right angles across the moor. One of my
shoes was found a turlong from the high
way and this had guided them OF course
they found no GOTTA beside me, and | was
prudent enough to mold my tongue when
became convaleScent But the effect of that
night was to shatter my health for year
and more, ana force me to throw up my
post as lns pectOr Of Schools. Consequently
l have never examined the school at Fid-
dier'S Hollow. But another man has, and
last winter 1 received letter which | give
In full In case any reader should Imagine
THIS the story OF silly dream.
q - ROAD. 5. w, Jan. 3. 1890.
Dear Rance: 1t Is some lime since / sent you
letter, but have Just returned from Cornwall
where. while visiting Fidder's Hollow profess
sionally. l was reminded Of you. | put I'D al
the Inn where yon lad your long Illness. The
people there remainder yOu well OF course and
desired M TO send Their duty when next 1
wrote. Ii Is a wonderful Old house, and The blue
room has as line bit Of carving as you would
Wish 10 see Do yon REMINDER IL? made a
bic for II, panel mirror and all; but The landlord
referred me TO Squire Parkyn. / think may
get IL yet, The squire Is lover OF
hard coin. IL shan adorn my dining room
here, and you might one Eof
these days, II you are strong enough, and give
me your opinion on II. BY the way, lie moor
behind tile inn Is being worked for clay. Squire
Fafkyn Is running The company himself, and IS
sanguinf. They made ali. odd discovery While
draining the tarn there for the new works. In
Inc mud at The bottom was the perfect skeleton
OF man. The bones were quite clean and
bleaehed Close beside the body they dug our
aiterward Cardnnock who owned Treinen-
huel before the PaTkyns came. There is little
doubt that these are tie bones OF the last Squire
VINO disappeared mysteri0usly-so the local ira
dltlon says-in consequence OF some love affair.
Inc discovery has agitated the Hollow more
than little.
FL let you know IL get the carving.
Yours truly.