Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-04-19
THE OBLONG BOX
TOriginai1

hands employed on the section. Befor
leaving he drew $4,000 from bank an
at the paying teller's window noticed
man with a squint in his eye standin
near, apparently with nothing to occu
py him. Bugbee left tie bank, steppe'
into carriage and was driven to tn
station. Walking back and forth on tn
platform, he noticed the man he hat
seen at the bank pass by with rail
way employee who was wheeling al
oblong box on truck. The box wa'
placed in the baggage car, and the con
ductor came running forward, waving
his hands in signal for the engineer tt
pull out Bugbee got aboard and, TAX
ing out newspaper, began to scan Its
contents The man with the squirt 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, partition
with door dividing the two sections.
Bugbee arrived at G o'clock in the even
ing and, after depositing his funds in
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 ~ woo htS fryo,-i q l,io o,,sf<>,,, II,
occupy the office at the station for
counting room.
1t was IL o'clock at 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 to prepare it for the pay
ment. which was to take place the next
day. He sat on high stool before the
desk in the Office, which was partly
lnclosed by glass windows, and he could
look directly through the door in the
partition into the freight house. There
was only dim light thrown in there
from the large kerosene lamp on the
desk before Bugbee, though enough for
him to see among barrels, packages
md other articles an OblOng box stand
ng on end. His eyes rested on it for
| moment, while he thought, what is
t in my mind connected with an OBJ |
ong box" He tried to remember, but |
he incident at the station In the city |
lad slipped his memory He turned
lis attention to the piles Of bills before
lin.
Half an hour later, looking UP from
is work, he noticed that the oblong
OK was not in its former position. He
linked his eyes and looked again. Then
e rubbed them and looked once more.
'elther the blinking nor the rubbing
evealed the box. Bugbee leaned aside
nd could barely distinguish it, stand
Nc in shadow about two feet from
there it had stood before Bugbee was
frightened, not at any threatening dan
err, but at himself He was absolutely
lone in the station. The doors were
'cked and no one could get In. There
ore the box could not have been moved
Y any human hand. Either there had
)me "crick" in his brain or there
ere ghosts about. He carried a pair
pistols at his belt and took them out
their holsters and laid them on the
esk before him.
Bugbee strained his eyes and listened,
1T all was as silent and immovable as
tomb. Then he began to doubt if he
ally had seen the oblong box standing
here the light could strike 1t. Per ,
bps that was the cause Of the dis
epancy. Some mental freak, common ,
Tough with all persons, had caused 8
IN to think the box in one place when
was In another He poohpoohed at his
ars and bent again to his work. Z
Suddenly his heart seemed to stop
ating From the freight department
ID come sound as If one of the
xcs had toppled over and fallen on
e floor. Bugbee instlnctively seized
pistol in each hand and looked to-
lrd the obloDg box. 1t had disap-
AIRED. Though he strained his eyes.
coull not discover any trace of it.
: listened. but there was a deathlike I
Illness. T
3uSbee was not afraid of the natu- II
!. but feared that this self move e
INT of inan'mate things was super 4
tural. He was several minutes a
ewing up his courage to go into the Is
light department to look for the II
use. AT last. taking the lamp in one a
nd and a cooked revolver in the 9th q
he made the entry. The oblong
K was lying on the floor on its side
hind other merchandise. Bugbee cast
frightened look around for ghosts. 10
III went to the box and inspected it u
sely. The cover seemed to have c.
IN loosely put on, for it was slightly f
r. Bugbee, surprised, put his finger Il
o the crack. pulled 1t as far open as CT
box before 1t would admit and. e'
ding his light near. discovered that re
oblong box contained man. is
'ugbee got the man out at the point OF
his pistol, and he confessed that he M
s there to rob. TIE box had been u
constructed that he could open the &C
and step out. But, having been OF
ced in the light where Bugbee could pf
him. he had at first moved it and CO
lself inside Of it by graphing the W
next him while Bugbee's eyes were 60
cred. A box had also been placed CO
ore 1t so as to interfere with his III
ming the cover. In trying to get as
N behind this box the one he was III
lad fallen on its side He confessed
t he had been introduced by a con-
crate whom he was to let In after
ering the paymaster. pi
ugbee locked the man in the freight -
Sc, then put his lamp under cover va
going to the door, whistled. A or