The Osceola times., 1876-07-22

Illun you near IL
"When9"
"Just now"
"No."
They say it foretells death. Hush" 4"
The two men sat motionless. Not u
sound broke the silence, not even n
crcak of the old boards in the floor,
nor sigh of the wind, nor tapping
shutter.
"They say it foretells death. | heard
il last night and the night before. What's
that"
Nothing. It's stiller than grave
yard"
81 heard it last night and the night
before about this time, near one. Ii
isn't very pleasant sound, and this old
garret's dismal enough, any way"
"Monk, you're aleared.' Its nothing
Don't waste no more time. I'm dead
tired and sleepy. You wouldn't hav,
been IN this old hole now If il had no,
been for Peters"
mo, it had not been for Peters, tn,
strike, like enough, would have took
But he won't stand in nobody's way
again.
While Monk spoke, he drew out long
slender knife, and ran his fingers along
the blade.
~ tell you, Shifet, we must do it the
night after the blasts done, and the
men in the shed say the coal will run
/ out on the sixth; that's tomorrow.
When Peters is fixed, the manager will
have to give in, or quit running the
furnace"
Both men sat with their arms leaning
upon the table, and the fickering light
OF the tallow candle between them
showed two faces, rough, begrimmed by
smoke and SCOT. and disfgured by evil
passions, that grew fiercer as they calmly
plotted against the lite of fellow be-
ing.
Well meet at one, where the roads
cross. It'll be quiet then, and Peters
house is alone"
"lt'll be all right" said Shihet, with
a grin that rendered his brutelike coun-
tenance doubly repulsivc. "Fm con.
founded tired. Bring your candle and
light me down them Internal stairs
The men stood up. Monk, small and
slim, was dwarfed by the almost giant
stature of his companion. With few
parting words As TO secrecy and silence,
they separated.
Monk stood on the upper step until
Shiilet disappeared, then closed the
door and replaced the candle on the ia,
BILE.
The room, neither large nor small, was
mere hole, smoked, dirty and unpas.
tered, high up In frame tenement house
Two or three chairs, an old chest OF
drawers, a rickety bedstead and pine Ia.
Bile, composed its furniture. Some old
boots and broken pieces of pig iron lay
scattered about. The small box-shape,
window was set just below where the
ceiling or roof sloped to the stairs tha,
went down two, three flights 10 tn,
groun1. There were MANY such place.
IN Agatha, where the furnace hand
lived.
Monk walked rapidly up and dowr
the room, AS it making an effort {,
wear of the excitement that the las
few moments had brought upon him
His features had lost much of tb,
malignant expression, which was by n,
means habtual. His countenance wa
NV haiutHcu VI stAIuptu Win IN
impress of crime like Shifet's, who ha,
just parted with him ut the door
countenance in which every trace of con
science had long been erased. Monk
face was neither good nor bad, nei,he
bright nor dull but he WAS man easil
wrought into passion. governed by i'm
pulse.
Crossing to the table he slung his Goa
over chair, and stretched out his hand h
extinguish the light. Midway in tn
action he suddenly checked himself
looked hurriedly around the room for al
instant, and stood motionless, with in
clined head, listening intently. Not
sound disturbed the stiffness. Pinchin,
out the light, he threw himself on tn
bed, and in the darkness there sool
came the heavy regular respiration o
sleep.
The houses of Agatha nestled unde
the north cliff. A hundred feet abov,
them the railroad lost itself in the blacl
mouth ofa tunnel, and reappeared be
yond high wall of trestle-w work stretch
ing southwark down the valley to Ely
mines. Hours ago the toiling men an'
cattle had laid down TO rest, and nov
the Wild, and rocky hills around slept il
hc moonlight. No sound broke upoI
~ stillnen bat ~ nufled Pu9 pui