Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-05-24

been erased. Monks face was neither
good nor bad, neither bright nor dull !;
but he was man easily wrought into a
passion, governed by impulse. 'lllo' ai5 z
Crossing to the table, he slung his
coat over chair, and stretched out his
hand to extinguish the light. Midway in
the action he suddenly checked himself
looked hurriedly around the room for an
instant, and stood motionless, with in
clined head, listening intently. Not
sound disturbed the stiffness. Pinching
out the light, lie threw himself on the
bed and in the darkness there soon came
the heavy. regular respiration of sleep.
The houses at Agatha nestled under
the north cliff. A hundred feet above
them the railroad lost itself in the black
mouth of tunnel and reappeared be-
yond, high wall of trestlework stretch
ing southwark down the valley to Ely's
Mines. Hours ago, the toiling men and
cattle had laid down to rest, and now the
wild, rocky hills around slept in the
moonlight. No sound broke upon the
stiffness but the mufiied puff, puff, of
the furnace. and murmur of frogs that
rose and fell interruptedly along the
shrunken watercourse The cabins un.
der the cliff shone white and sharp; the
iron on the metal-switch flashed with
a million gems the rails upon the tres
tie, receding. turned to silver, anG the
foliage of early summer glittered on the
trees a few passionless stars blinked
ieebly in the yellow light. where the hill
tops cut against the sky, aud sank be-
low the verge. Calmly, peacefully wan
ed the calmly and peacefully. as
though the spirit of evil had no, stalked
abroad plotting the death and ruin Of
meiis bodies and souls " .uaaF = .
That narrow spot of ground. with the
houses down in the valley, formed the
world for four hundred heople. The fur
mace hands and their families saw moth
ing beyond the hills and rocks that hem
med in their village; knew nothing OF
the mad tumult outside. An untaughi
sturdy race of men. they differed little
one from another. Every day, when the
sun rose, they went forth to toll; and
every night. when the great furnace over
the creek glimmered red, they lay down
to sleep. But ignorance and superstition
filled their hearts, aud anger. and hate
and jealousy, were as rife among them
as in the crowded cities as..a 90
Another day passed, and the night
which followed it was dark and cloudy
Near midnight, the great bell signalled
for the last run of iron. Occasionally
blue flames leaped up from the furnace,
lurid as the fiery tongues of volcano.
The long aud narrow roof brooded
over the sand bed like the black wings Of
some monster bird lowering in the air.
Under its shadow groups of men were
but wavering, dusky figures. Suddenly
as an electric fash. dazzling yellow glare
broke out, and fierce, scorching, wither
ing blast swept from an opening that
seemed the mouth of hell itself. Slowly
out the burning cavern a Kissing stream
of molten iron came creeping down. 1t
crawled, and turned aud crawled, rib af-
ter rib. until it lay like some huge skele-
ton stretched upon the ground. A thin
vapor foated up in the sulphurous air,
and quivereG with reflected splendor.-
The let-shirted men looked weired in
the unearthly brightness. The yellow
glow faded to red, that deepened to a
blood-colorec spot in the night. The
bell rang to discharge the. hands, and
squads of men broke up, scattering in
the dark. -..- ,...ss ...-....-i-, ...f4,
Monk went to his garretroom, hesita-
ted a moment at the door, then passed in
and shut it SO violently that the floor
shook. He struck a match In the
birthstone light horrible demon coun-
tehance wavered. blue and ghastly; but.
when the candle famed, it grew into
Monk face. covered by the black scowl
of rage that had disfgured it once before
"a rage that was freshly reused. Q 3
'lf I'd had my knife. I'd have done
it just now, when | stumbled against him
But he dies Tomorrow night, at.
The words froze on his lips, and his
black, scowling face was suddenly over
spread by strange pallor4 He stood
motionless. as if chained to the floor, his
eyes darted quickly about and he seemed
to suspend his very breath. r, ts ga
A clear, distinct, ticking sound occur
red at regular intervals for minute, and
left profound silence 30 saf .l
Monk raised his bead. 5rstt.4..fes
at sign of coming death. That's
for Peters. There it is again = al. 81
The strange sound, like faint metallic
click, repea ated itself several times.
ID it! don't. like to hear the
thing. But there aoiA be sudden death >
Time after time Monk heard at inter
walls the same faint sound, like the ticking
of a watch for a minute. aud it made his