Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-17
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE OBlONG BOX.
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leaving lie drew $1,000 from bank anc
at the paying feller's window noticed {
man with a squint in his eye standing
near. apparently with nothing TO occu
py him. Bugbee left the bank. stepped
into a carriage and was driven TO the
station. Walking back and forth on the
platform. he noticed the man he hac
seen at the bank pass 10y with rail
way employee who was wheeling al
oblong box on a truck. The box was
placed in the baggage car. and the con
ductor came running forward. waving
his hands in signal for the engineer tc
pull out. Bugbee got aboard and, tax
ing out a newspaper. began 10 scan its
contents. The man with the squint eye
and his box had made no especial i'm
preston on him.
Drayton Station was a low building
one end being used for passenger serv-
ice. the balance for freight. Il partition
with a door dividing the two sections.
Bugbee arrived at q o'clock in the even.
ing and. after dcposiiing his funds ir
the safe in the station office. went To a
hotel near by for supper. There was
nothing attractive about either the
town or the hotel. and when paying the
hands il was his invariable custom Il
occupy the office ut the station for n
counting room.
Ii was IL o'clock ut night. The sta
ton agent had gone home. and Bugbee,
after making sure that the window
shutters were closed and the doors
locked. took the cash out of the safe
and began 10 prepare it for the pay
ment, which was TO take place the next
day. He sat on u high stool before the
desk in the office, which was partly
Enclosed by glass windows. and he could
look directly through the door in the
partition into the freight house. There
was only a dim light thrown in there
from the large kerosene lamp on the
desk before Bugbee. though enough for
him TO see among barrels. packages
and other articles an oblonS box stand
ing on end. His eyes rested ON II for
q moment. while lac thought, What Is
il I'm my mind connected with an OBJ
long box" He tried To- remember. bat
the incident at the station in the city
had slipped his memory. lie turned
his attention To the piles Of bills before
him.
Half an hour later. looking up from
his work, lie noticed that the oblonc
box was not In its former position. He
blinketl his eyes and looked again. Then
he rubbed them and looked once more.
Neither the blinking nor the rubbing
and could barely distinguish it, stand
ing in shadow about two feet from
where IL had stood before Bugbee was
frightened, not at any threatening dan
ger. but ut himself. He was absolutely
alone in the station. The doors were
locked and no one could get in. There
fore the box could not have been moved
by any human hand. Either there had
come a ''crick" I'm his brain or there
were ghosts about. He carried a pair
OF pistols NJ his belt and took them out
Of their holsters and laid them on the
desk before him.
Bugbee strained his eyes and listened.
but all was as silent and immovable as
a tomb. Then he began to doubt if he
really had seen the oblong box standing
where the light could strike 1t. Per
haps that was the cause Of the dis
crepancy. Some mental freak, common
enough with all persons. had caused
him 10 think the box in one place when
IT was in another. He poOhpOOhed at his
fears and bent again TO his work
Suddenly his heart seemed to stop
beating. From the freight department
had come a sound rs II one OF the
boxes had topplel over and fallen on
the floor. Bugbee instinctively seized
pistol in each hand and looked to-
ward the oblong box. 1t had disap-
peared. Though he strained his eyes.
he could not discover any trace of it.
He listened. but there was Il deathlike
stiffness.
Burbee was not afraid of the natu-
RAJ. but feared that this self move
ment Of inanimate things was super
natural. He was several minutes
screwiug up his courage TO 20 into the
freight department 10 look for the
cause. At last. taking the lamp in one
hand and II cooked revolver in the u h
er. lac made the entry. The obiong
box was lying on the floor on its side
behind other merchandise Bugbee cast
a frightened look around for ghosts.
then went 10 the box and inspected 1t
closely. The cover seemed TO have
been loosely put on. for il was slightly
ajar. Bugbee. surprised. put his finger
Into the crack. pulled il as far open as
the box before it would admit and.
holding his light near. discovered that
the ohlou: box contained man.
fughec got the man out ut the point
Of his pistol. and he confessed that he
was there 10 rob. The box had been
so constructed that he could open the
lid aud step out. But. having been
placed in the light where ,Bugbee could
see him. he had at first imoved il and
himself inside Of il 10y graphing the
box next him while Buebee's eyes were
lowered. \ box had also been placed
before il 50 as to- interfere with his
opening the cover. Ia trying to get
from behind this box the one lie was
l.aa.N o. It..r.. 80.