The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-08-26

uOOE Ol egTea0, 4ud cheWed tobacco
solemnly; and Robert Trustworth
looked ct al the vials and their con. C
tents. = Il was q strange, ri /, audience for
q chemical experiment, and the half:
su1len, half vacuous look Of the, three
seamen would have made . Wrayford
smile at a less momentous crisis Of
his life. '>' : .:.'.
Il don't see how it is to be remem.
bered," said Trustworth, gloomily ;
whats all that cussed gibberish on
them bottles?'
u will explain presently"
.r:,''Wl What are you up to with that
ightf'' . -. H.. s.,>.'''.'
Il am making room for my expert.
ment." =
Wrayford had taken up his small
oil-lamp, and placed over it a green
glass, which he was accustomed to use
at times when his eyes were weak with
overapplication to his studies. This
he placed, as if carelessly, on the sill
of his window, and proceeded very
quickly to direct the attention Of his
audience to the vials upon the tabl e.
.5.,! lA.1 strong. light affects my eyes and
disturbs my. experiments" he said.
"Now watch this piretic acid"
Z "Piratic acidw mutteredz Trust,
worth. eBill, he's chatting us. No
games, Wrayford-you'd better not
upon my soul, you'd better not, old
fellow! !" 5,>s' ''...' !
The experiment proceeded for a
while, g't'l Wrayford explaining, the men
|s!toolid but attentive. Suddenly there
w,as an interruption. -.
, II t won't have the light there y
shouted Bill, with a vehemence that
made Trustworth jump again {; ''it
looks queer to any one outside" :.
ut can't be seen from the village
|j--7:7it-:why, - dash it, though" cried
Trustworth, "there's the coast-guard
lot, and the Lawsons, where Grace
E:sdmonds p is. =. By, Cord, it's a signal
its been arranged-we're done for
if any body's looking out!'
As Trustworth moved the light
away, and the men at the door sprang
to their feet, Wrayford stepped back
to his cupboard, and to a small gal.
vanic battery, which was on the bot.
tom shelf An instant afterward he
was at his table again, looking SC
deadly white that even his enraged
antagonists were struck with his ap,
pearance. ,~a'::... ~ :
~ ut is a trick, then," gasped forth
/ sTrustworth. :i - ~. :, i.
2ytM have not said so,". answered
Wrayford. "But you have. doubted
me, and the experiment is at an end
He swept the bottles to- the, Aoo1
with an impatient hand, and regarded
his prosecutors with defiance. :.
"Tie him up, and take him away
cried Bill eve have not much time
to lose; and 60 he must-it's bust
ness"
Zone moment" cried Wrayford, il
tones which made them pause again
so clear and startling were they
"Gentlemen, you are losing valuable
time, and every second wasted here il
a chance less for your life. The tor
pepo Is stred"
Bill and his friend started at Wray
ford in q bewildered manner, an,
Trustworth staggered back severa
PAGES as if he had been struck.
"Do you mean it, Wrayford-do
you really mean it :" he asked, afte
two futile efforts to get his words out
Il mean it," said Wrayford, stern
~. "Those wires in my cupboart
communicate with q slow-match lead
ing to the torpedo buried in my kitch
en-. Time is sallowed to quit the house
and only time, before the explosion
Doubt my word, stay here if you will
and the Lord have mercy on you
wretched souls !"
! He covered his face with bis ha ands
and whispered . hasty prayer. Whe'
he looked up the men were gone, .an'
he could hear their heavy feet Igsl
Looping madly down the stairs. ,0n
glance round, an instinct to gathe
up q few papers which were scat tere
on the table, and then he was follow
ing them with hasty strides. A mir
ute afterward and three men wer
running along the deserted cliff IVA,
and the fourth, Abel Wrayford, NAL
| ing for the downward path leading t
/ the village. He was already descent
ing when he found that Trustwort
and his associates had turned agai
and were gaining on him rapid,
He had no idea how weak he had b
come, and how incessant applicatio
to his studies had sapped his strength
until he endeavored to increase Il
distance between himself and his pu
J suers. Then he gave way, seized h
an awful pain in the side that arres
> ed further progress, and Trustworth
hands were on his shoulders.
: =, 1T wa-wa-was . trick, then
:, gasped Trustworth. "You can't !,
we must take you away. Its mo
: than our lives are worth to leave ,,
! in Greymoor." .sr: ..ra =, i
Coward r !.n,..s.., .z.r. -. y. nj.
p :
; ]7e.ta BE turned cd and .grappled with Il
d fisherman, le na until the hands Of the OF
{ era were upon him and bore him..
t the earth, .At-the same instant the
D. Was 4 miphtv roar. 4 trembling of q