Year: 1860

ened my senses - not destro yed-not
dulled them. Above all was the sense of
hearing acute. heard all things in the
earth heard many things in hell. How
then am | mad Hearkee, and observe
how healthily, how calmly | can tell you
the whole story.


1t is impossible to say how the idea
first entered my brain-but once conceiv-
ed, it haunted me day and night. Object
there was none; passion there was none.
[ loved the old man He had never
wronged me he had never given me in
suit. For his gold ! had no desire. l
think it was his eve yes, it was this One
of his eyes resembled that of vulture-a
pale blue eye, with film over it. When
ever it fell upon me my blood ran cold
and SO by degrees = very gradually i
made up my mind to take the life of the
old man, and thus rid myself of the eye
forever. g


Now, this is the point. You fancy me
mad. Madmen know nothing. But you
should have seen me. You should have
seen how wisely l proceeded with what
precaution, with what dissimulation [ went
to work | never was kinder to the old
man than during the whole week before
killed him. And every night. about mid
night, | turned the latch Of his door and
opened it-oh, SO gently And then. when
| had made An opening sufficient for my
head, put in dark lantern, closed, all
closed, so that no light shone out, and
then thrust in my head Oh, you would
have laughed 20 see how cunningly |
thrust it in ! | moved it slow LIVERY,
very slowly, 50 that might not disturb
the ola mans sleep. 1t took me an hour
to place my whole head within the open


ing so far that could see him as he lay
upon his bed. Ha would mailman have
been so wise as this? And then, when
my head was well in the room, undid
the lantern cauiouSlv-oh, so cautiously
cautiously (for the hinges creakcd) |
undid it just so much that single thin
ray fell upon the vulture eye And this |
did for seven long nights--every night
just at midnight-but found the eye al
ways closed /; and so it was impossible to
do the work-for it was not the old man
who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And
every morning, whea the day broke, |
went boldly into the chamber, and spoke
courageously to him, calling him by name
in a hearty tone, and inquired low he had
passed the night. So you see he would
have been very profound old man, in
deed, to suspect that every night, just at
twelve, ! looked in upon him while he
slept


Upon the eighth night was mole than
usually cautious in opening the door.
watch's minute hand moves more quickly
than did mine. Never before that night
had | felt the extent of my own powers
of my sagacity. could scarcely contain
my feelings Of triumph. TO think that
there | was, opening the door, little by
little, and he not even to dream of my Sc
ere: deeds or thoughts. l fairly chuckled
at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for
he moved on the bed suddsnly y, as if start
led. Now you may think that | drew
barll-but no. His room was as black as
pitch with the thick darkness, (for the
shutters were close fastened, through fear
of robbers) and SO knew that could not
see the opening of the door. and kept
pushing it on steadily, steadily. I'll. .ra


l bad my head in, and was about to
open the lantern, when my thumb slipped
upon tie tin fastening, and the old man
sprang up in the bed, crying out .".f


Who s there = a. -a..


] kept quite still and said nothing. For
a whole hour | did not move muscle, and
in the meantime [ did not hear him lie
down. lie was still sitting up in 5ed, lis
tening-just as have done, night after
night, hearkening to the death watches in
the wall.


Presently heard slight groan. and |
knew it was the groan of mortal terror. 1t
was not groan of pain or Of gref-oh,
no 1T was the low, slifle1 sound that ari
ses from the bottom Of the soul when
overcharged with awe. | knew what the
old man felt, and pitied him, although |
chuckled at heart. [ knew that he bad
been lying awake ever since the first slight
noise, when he had turned in his bed. -
His fears had been ever since growing up
on him. Lie had been trying to fancy
them causeless, but could not. He had
been saying to himself


at is nothing but the wind in the
chimney-it is only mouse crossing the
floor" or, at is cricket which has
made single chrp" ......... .....


Yes, he had been trying to comfort
himself with these suppositions; but he
had found all in vain, Al IN rain be-
cause Death. in approaching him, had
staIked with his black shadow before him,
and enveIopel the victim. And it was
the mournful influence Of the nperceived
shadow that caused him to feel-although
he neither saw nor heard-to feel the pre-
sence of my head within the room. "


When had waited a long time, very
patiently, without hearing him lie down,
resolved to open little-a very, very
little cresice in the lantern. So | opened
it--you cannot imagine how stealsliIy,
stealtLiy, until, at length, single dim
ray, like the thread of the spider, shot
from out the creavice, and fell upon the
vuture eye. 1t was open-wide, wide
open-and grew furious as gazed upon
it. saw it With perfect dis,iuctness-a all
a dull blue, with hideous veil over it that
chilled the very marrow in my bynes. But