The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1903-07-30

scd srdss he sssty lamp sssip: and ffol
thss tire 10 tbe sed eooid not sst ,h
ides 90, Of ~ nisd shst The boz ~
slivs There 90 tbs, sbost il vbish IN
sistibly drsv ~ attention. ny ,houabl
eye. ~ very being.
/ tslt thst I shgald sot Be able 10 boil
oel The ssssin sss bscsnins more tbs
I could bear. hoe I dia hold oat apti
the 2ist dsy Of Asreb, shsn opened sh
tos. l DO not knov. bed pos elvso uI
lss,srss sholly. aud ny sss,stsnt sss di
ing ny place I bed sssd isisb,iull,
since the bssionine Of tbe year. 10 U!
COS l hsd often been souplimsatsd - lool
Ing 10 b sndes 80; bu, oos ny fell ~
hsd GONE saddsuIy spoc ua snd moro
From freshness snd vIsor bad sunk rel
idly isso dsssspi.sds.
A. l have ssid. tbs bior bog had sou,
to be seemingly endowed sith lie, and sl
the days dragged siops tbst imprsssier
fastened ilself apon Ne more snd pors
stroOaly wss ! md, ] ssksd mysslii
No. no. husv ! 90 ssas yet: bot heu
moo Ion .ss sosld l b sbis 70 stsud The
terrible strsini Gould l 6sht through tts
tsv remaining dsy' 10 the epdi No;
felt 10 ny sool ,bst ! ooold not
Never Gao l forget the. fatal 3lst. never
could | bsset II though l should live .
thousand years. In the sitsrnoon l forced
myself 10 valk abroad. % ny return /
looked around the room 10 . startled ssy
Surely soms ore Vas there. Bat no; there
sss 20 one. !. vss only my imssinstiop,
only tbst strange hsllucinstion Of which
have made mention. bat nov felt With 10
times ersster force than ever before. No
sooner bad ! lighted the LAMP thsn I
brousht forth The brory, boz snd seated
myself With IL u The table.
The box Wn slivs. TOE conviction
grew upon me 90 strongly thst l believed
Il 10 spite OF oil ressoo. Something, eye,
somebody, vss 10 H. R,ms oos within
vss calling TO mo. calling loud snd pits
ously. urging me 10 open the boz, 10 open
u nov.
Dropping the sccursed thing st last, l
ran 10 the window. threw IL open. and
lssusd out, trying to o,lm myself b, aIios
my gag, upon the peaceful river. which
my room ovsrhung; but I could not.
could not Pressure vas upon me TO op |
90 the box. and open II N muss, or die.
Back 10 the table l weot and took the
box up again, lookiog for something With
which TO bresk the seal. There wss moth
log d hand. ! hsd pusposely put every
thing ont Of reach lest 10 . moment OF
weakness l might give way to temptation.
Bat this wss not . moment Of wesknsss;
20. no. I vas no longer trying to resist
ny own inclination simply. bat was reius
Ing the imperi.ive oommsnd Of another ~
veil. could reioss no longer. Isprsue
10 the chest and bsgsn 10 throw ont the
books. Az The bottom vsre tools which
had provided 10 anticipation Of shis hour
u the very D0stom. ~ that I -vui0 usve
plenty Of time 10 nhsot upon my sotion
re ! could get u them. Bat refao.ion
~ past newt decision hsd been made
fang The books this wy and thst.
,ursine the folly that hsd led me 10 Pot
be tools 10 such place. and while 90 co
Isssd came suddenly upou mouse.
Iprsns up, Tor the moment frightened -
,rooi Of The stats my nerves we're 10. But
wss only momentsry. At last laid
lands upon The tools l sought. and ran ,
,sck to the table to attack the sesl; but
o the same moment ! stopped. The last
,ords Of the inscription caught my eye =
)urs! be he whose shsl do other than here
,titten.
File and pincers fell from ny hands and |
bsthsd my iscs. Whist vss .
,b,ut 10 doi Here II vas II days be B
ore the appointed time. snd ! Vas about .
D open shs box. must stop. muss resist. .
'us that csy from within the box, tbs. ter 4
ibls, thss sWiul cryl I paced the loor. o
oldipg my hands over my ears % i'll .
uuld shut It ont. % II could close the Il
,rs Of the spirit sssiust II. Whss could d
do : what could dot
Oas OF the books out Of the obsst 10y o
ny wy. end kicked II. driving The b
,cient volume sefoss the room scsttsrius k
. leaves. To end fro psoe1. rapidly,
s,vously till Of . sudden . discovery a
urst upon me. This VS. the Hosi dsyi ! =
srveled tbst IL bad never occurred 10 me b
siore, bat II bed escaped my mind silI q
Ist moment. when the words. According Il
the Julien msnnsr Of computing" y
hich ssw 10 large print on the lesi Of =
10 old book. caused IL TO borst upou me b.
Is 90 inspiration. had forgotten the Il
,spse 10 ihe modern calendar. The q
.or ~ box, hsvios been sealed on the 6fst Il
y Of April, 1859. 70 b opsosd jost 500 o.
,srs 10 dsy from tbst time. vss doe 70 OF
opened 90 tia: 2ist day oi M.roti
Hov ny hssrt lsspedl Nov The ourss cl
. lifted -pov I vss free. Tree 10 pro b,
ed to the solving Of the mystery which Il
d for 90 long tortured ne. Hos Il
smbledl Eleven shols days swept u
,sy 10 single moment. % tbousb BY . 10
Irsclei II sss truly sondesfoll 7
Oaos more ! took up shs tools, bat
farther 10 the Inscription fofc l
itseii upon ny notice. snd sank up hl
ny s.ady chair With . srosp. Was ! b
be chested. after alii What stayed ny n'
nd nos vss the third commsnd 10 the 10
,oription, The oommsnd tbst d ihs op II
log Of The box some spimsl. large OF b
Isil. shoald b present. Where could el
iod % animal 10 20 short time snd st K
., boar Of ths nishtf And shy psoes b.