Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-27

vey; the width and hatness of frontal-the
tapering elegance of contour Disgusting the
strength of the deadly jaw-the long, large,
terrible eye, glittering and green as the
emerald-and with certain ruthless calm,
as II from the consciousness of an fmm ense
power.
Mechanically turned round the miniature
to examine the back of it and on the back
was engraved a pentacle; in the middle of
the pentacle a ladder, and the third step
Of the ladder was formed by the date Of
1863 Examining still more minutely, 1 de-
tected a spring; this, being pressed,
opened the back of the miniature as a lid.
Withn-side the lid was engraved Mari
ana, to thee-Be faithful in life and in
death to -" Here follows name that
l will not mention, but it was not unfam-
liar to me- l had heard 1t spoken of by
old men in my childhood as the name borne
by a dazzling charlatan who had made g.
great senation in London for a year or So
and had fled the country on the charge of a
double murder within his own house-that
of his mistress and his rival l said moth
ing of this to Mr.. j. to whom, reluctant
ly. 1 resigned the miniature.
We had found no difficulty in opening tho
first drawer within the iron safe; we found
great difficulty in opening the second; 1t was
not locked but it resisted all efforts, till we
inserted within the chinks the edge Of
chisel. When we had thus drawn 1t forth
We found very singular apparatus in the
incest order. Upon a small, thin book o.
Rather tablet, was placeQ saucer or cryS-
tai; this saucer was filled with a clear
liquid-on that liquid floated a kind of COM
pass, with needle shifting rapidly round;
but instead of the usual points of a COM
pass were seven strange characters, not
very unlike those used by astrologers to
denote the planets. A peculiar, but not
strong nor dspleaAng odor came from this
drawer, which was lined with a wood that
we afterward discovered to be hazel. What
ever the cause of this odor, 1T produced
material effect on the nerves. We all felt
It,. even the two workmen who were in the
room-a creeping, tingllng sensation from
the tip of the fingers to the roots of the
hair. Impatient to examine the tablet, I
removed the saucer. AS l did SO the needle
OF the compass went round and round with
exceeding swiftnesS and l felt a shock that
ran through my whole frame, so that I
dropped the saucer to the floor. The LIQUID
was spilt-the saucer was broken-the COM
pass rolled to the olner end Of the room
and at that instant the walls shook to and
fro, as If giant had swayed and rocked
them.
The two workmen we're so frightened
that they ran up the ladder by which We
had descended from the trapdoor; but, see
ing that nothing more happened, they were
easily induced to return
Meanwhile 1 had opened the tablet; 1t
was bound in plain. red leather, with a
silver clasp; 1t contained but one sheet OF
thick vellum, and that sheet were in
scribed, within double pentacle, words IN
old monSsh Latin, which are literally to
be tTanSi atSQ mus. On ali mat II
reach within these walls-sentient or inanf-
mate, living or 6ead-as moves the needle
so work my will. Accused be the house
and restless be the jewellers therein
We found no more. Mr.. j. burnt the tab
let and it's anathema. He RACED to the
foundations the part of the building con-
tanning the secret room with the chamber
over 1t. He had then the courage to inhabit
the house himself for month, and quiet
er, aforementioned house could not be
found in all London. Subsequently he let
no complaints.
CThe end.l