Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-09-03

seemed as dark as the day on which We
fad him brooding} over his evil fortune
in the sold Holloway house" Tie
water fell in torrents and the river in the
rear was SO swollen by the rain tha, i.
had overhowed its banks aud was washing
the foundation stones Of the shaky OLD
structure The room was chilly ani wet,
but he built no FIRE, aud though darkness
came on early he hardly observed the
change, but sat pondering over the hope
less outlook without even the ghostl;
light from the seams in the rickety stove
to reveal the outlines Of the room. The
wind continued to rise and the rain to
fall faster, until the old shell quivered
and quaked, but Severn paid no atten
ton. His soul was shaken By storm also.
There was as much darkness within rs
without. He knew his own disposition
too well to attempt to study until be
could quiet his nerves, so he sat in the
darkness until long after midnight listen
Ing to the bowling wind and the roar of
the swollen river.
Suddenly there came crash; there
was heavy fall of plastering, aud for a
minute Severn thought that the old house
was about to give way. To have its
a ho
almost certain death, but with thrill cf
melancholy pleasure he hoped for mo-
ment that it might happen. The old
building creaked aud strained, but there
came lull in the storm, and it finally
settled back to It's normal condition.
Severn lighted the lamp to see if his
books had been damaged and to investi-
gate, the injury to the room. A large
patch of plastering had fallen from the
wall and lay scattered ove- the~floor.
After the investigation he felt calmer and
went to bed for the night.
The next morning, contrary to- his
usual neatness, he left the broom in its
corner and the room continued to present
very dilapidated appearance. In the
afternoon after returning from class he
seated himself in his chair and cazea
llstlessly at the heap of rubbish On the
floor. STOPPING forward he took up
bit of broken plastering and slowly
picked it to pieces, thinking of Mary and
wondering if the days would ever
brighten.
He had been pursuing this aimless &C.
cupation for some time, when suddenly
he observed that the face of the piece
which he held in his hand was less dis
colored than that which surrounded the
edge of the broken patch He drew his
chair closer to the wall, and in examin-
ing found that hole had once been
made through the lathing about foot
square. The pieces had afterward been
spliceo and new coat Of plastering
overlaid. His curiosity was now exitel
to know the object Of the opening, and
SO he brought hammer from chest
and proceeded to draw the nails. : After
removing the pieces he reached in and
began to explore. There was nothing to
be found, however. so he washed his
hands and began to clear away the deb
ris
As he was about to replace the pieces
of lath he thought be saw string hang
ing down into the cavity. He reached
his hand aga.n into the opening, took
hold of the filament and pulled, bu, it
promptly broke He examined tae fiber,
and discovered that il was au old pee.
Of silk cord, now extremely rottea aai
discolored He became more curious
and resolved to trace the mystery to'iss
source. He reached his hand into the
cavity as far as be could, following the
cord. Again be pulled, and this time
it resisted and he felt something at the
other end move slightly. He gave
stronger pull, but the cord broke, this
time at its point of attachment.
He impovished a hook by driving
nail in the end OF piece OF board, and
with this succeeded in drawing some
thing toward him. Finally he vas able
to reach the object. He drew i. in
front OF the opening, and with both
hands lifted an old mshogany box on:
upon the floor. For some time he sa,
staring St it in curious suspense.
''Well, 5ou are queer fsh IL queer
waters" said Severn 10 himself with sur
pressed excitement. ~ guess voa mus.
have los. Jour bearings or you would
neve, have been swallowed b. TIL.
shark Of a wall Iii ind on. whats in
side Of you a. any rate" aud ta,in. u