The Van Buren press., 1876-08-08

That narrow spot oil ground Win inc
houses down in the valley formed the
world for -four hundred people. The
furnace hands and their families saw
nothing beyond the hills and rocks that
hemmed in their village--knew nothing
of the mad tumults outside. An untaught,
sturdy race of men. they differed little
one from another. Every day when the
sun rose they went forth to toll, and ev.
cry night when the great furnace over
the creek cleaned red they lay down TO
sleep. But ignorance and superstition
filed their hearts, and anger, hate and
jealousy were as rife among them as In
the crowded cities.
Another dav passed, and the night
which followed it was dark and cloudy
Near midnight the great bell signaled for
the last run of iron. Occasion; lily blue
flames icaped up from the furnace lnrid
as the fiery tongues Of volcano. The
long and narrow roof broeded over the
sand bed like the black wings of some
monster bird lowering in the air. Uh
der its shadow groups Of men were but
wavering, dusky figures. Suddenly as
an electric flash dazzling yellow glare
broke out, and a fierce, scorching with
ering blast swept from an opening that
seemed the mouth Of hell itself, Slowly
out of the burning cavern kissing stream
of molten iron came creeping down. 1t
crawled, and turned and crawed. rib af
ter rib, until it lay like acme huge skele-
toa stretched upon the ground. A thin
vapor hoated up in the sulphurous air,
and qaivcred with reflected splcndor.
The scarlet. shirted men looked weird in
tide unearthly brightness. The yellow
glow faded to red, that deepened to a
blood colored spot in the night. The
bell rang to discharge the hands, and
squads of men broke up, scattering in
the darkness.
Monk went to his garret room, hesita
ted moment at the door, then passed
in and shut it SO violently that the door
shook. He struck match. In the brim
stone light horrible daemon counte-
nance wavered, blue and CHASTITY; hut
when the candle famed, it grew into
Monks face, covered by the black scowl
of rage that had dis'igured it once before.
\ rage that was freshly reused.
:. If I'd had my knife I'd done it just
now, when stumbled against him. But
he dies to morrow night at"
The words froze on his lips, and his
black, scowlng face was suddenly over
spred by strange pallor. He stood mo
tionless, as if chained to the floor. his
eyes darted quickly about and he seemed
to suspend b $ very breath
A clea-, distinct, ticking sound occur
ed at regular intervals for minute, and
left profound silence.
Monk raised his head.
Its sign OF coming death. Thats
for Peters. There it is again y
The strange sound like faint, metal
ic tick. repeated itself several times.
"D--nit! | don't like to hear the
thing. But there will be sudden death y
Time after time Monk heard at inter-
walls the same faint sound, like the tick
ing of watch for minute, and it made
his blood run cold. He found himself
listening to it with terror, and in the long
silence, always straining his ears to catch
it, always expecting, dreading its repeti-
tion, until the thing grew more horrible
to him than a nightmare. Sometimes he
would fall into doze, and wakening with
a start, hear it, while cold perspiration
broke in drops on his forehead.
1t grew intolerabc. He swore he
would lind the thing and kill it, but it
Knocked him in his search. The sound
seemed to come from the table but when
he stood beside the table, it licked so
distinctly at the window that he thought
he could put his finger on the spot; but
when he tried to, it had changed again,
and sounded at the head of his bed
and he turned only to hear it on the 9th
er side, then in front, then behind. Again
and again he searched, and swore in his
exasperations and disappointment
The sound became exaggerated by his
distemperce imagination, till he trembled
lest some one else should hear this omen
which so plainly foretold his anticipated
crime, Once an hour dragged by, and
his unseen tormentor was silent. His
eyes, that had gitlered with deadly ha-
tired, now wore q startled look and wan
dercd restlessly about the room.
An owl that had pearched on the top
most branch of high tree near by,
screamed loud and long. A bat blew in
at the open window, banged against the
ceiling and darted out.
Monk shivered. Leaning his head be
tween his arms, he drummed nervously
on the table with his fingers. Instantly
the clear metallic tick sounded again
He looked up, and strange light broke
into his iace--a mixed expression OF
amazement and fright. For a moment
he seemed stupctied, then raising his hand
he tapped lightly against the wood with
his finger nail. The last tap had not died
until it was answered by what seemed
like fainter repetition fitsclf
Uttering fearful oath. Monk recoiled
from the table but as if drawn back and
held by wierd fascination, he sat an
hour striking the hard surface with his
nails, and pausing for the response that
each time came clear and distinct
Gray streaks crept along the east, ond
quivered like faded fringe bordering the
black canopy
Still he sat tapping bat no answer came,
lie waited, listened vainly; no echo, no
sound, and the dull, hueess light of the
cioudless morn glimmared at his window,
Then he threw himself on his bed and fell
into restless slumber.
a damp, thick fog enveloped the hous-