The daily gazette., 1878-11-07
IN THE TOWER.
BY T.. NJ.

uistinBulSn tDat tall, slender fOrm-the
qnlck' nervous step and the intent stare
OF tho steel gray-eyes.
80 accustomed had become to seeing
.hlS man pass at regular hours, that /
looked for him as looked for the hour
hand to point the time ON the dlal.plate.
III was one afternoon in August, a little
past the mans usual time for passing. l
was sittinR in my office alone when the
aoor was opened, and this singular look
ing individual stood before me. / asked
the intruder to be seated, but he deelin-
ed the civility ON the plea that he had
business OF Importance to transact, and
that If would go with him for few
moments my servires would be reward
ed.
More for curiosity's sake than for ne-
cuniary benefit, consented.
After walking few squares, we ston-
ped in front of a brown stone mansion.
IL was noble looking structure, and
lowered Tar above the surrounding build
ihgs. My companion gave quick, ner-
vons glance up and down the street, and
then entered the house. Through the
unoccupied building, up many flights Of
stairs, followed this strange man, until
he arrived at "A little iron door, which on
the pressure of secret spring, opened
lie bade me enter. / hesitated; but before
~ W NIfdk he pulled
me in, closing the door after us.
| heard the key turn In the lock. and
then, for the first time, suspected he was
deranged. i looked around the apart-
ment; II was more like tower than n
room. The walls were about eight feet
apart, and reached IA hight of fifty feet
on each tide askylight served as a roof
and window; in the center of the room
was table, through the top OF which
We're stuck sharp pointed steel teeth,
varying in length from three to eight
inches to ring in the wall was fa,ten-
ed one end of rope--the other was
thrown over an iron bar that reached
from avail to wall few feet below the
skylight, and hung in hangman's moose
directly above the table.
"Well," said mine host, after we had
been in the room full ten minutes, dur
Ing winch time neither of us had spoken
word, "you perceive that we are alone:
these bare walls tell no secrets-rest as
sured as to that. When / asked YOU to
come wish me / said that had bust ness
OF importance--a secret to impart 50 T
have IL is the result of fifty years of Sc
life
"My first discovery in the scientific
world was plan whereby two trains GO
ing in opposite directions on single
track could pass each other without dam
aging or checking the speed of either.
Next | discovered how to substitute cleo
tricity for steam and transport beings
from place to place like magic. 1 next
discovered what Franklin sought in vain
an air line to the North Pole. And
then, after years of hard and patient
study, l discovered that which has per-
picked the brains of scientific men from
the beginning of the world-perpetual
motion.
"You may think, sir" continued til o
lunatic, "that after all This, man should
be satisfied bnt no l have one more
grand sthems-a scheme that will crown
all my former efforts-oae that | have
nursed in my bosom from boyhood. l
have searched for manv years to find
some person to aid me ia this grand
scheme; now am rewarded-you are the
man"
"My plan Is this: you will place your
head in that noose," said the lunauic,
pointing to the rope that daDgled over
the table; "then l will rack your body
on these sharp instruments on the top of
the table until the vital spark is almost
ready to depart; and then, for the eli
max of all, when Death with his arrow
is about to pierce the sohl | vii capture
him, and then the present inhabitants of
the world shall live forever-hai hal |
shall rum the occupation of the grave
digger, and generations to come will
honor my name"
lyon will not murder me-" gasped.
"Murder you? Oh, no, 1t will
merely be sllsdended animation. / will
rack your body on this table until life is
almost extinct, then / will capture and
disarm Death you will live forever, and
bestow a blessing on mankind.s
SO saving, he opened a secret drawer
under the table, and drew out sharp
two-edged sword. ] could feel the color
desert my cheeks, and the cold perspira-
on roll down my face; my hands fell at
my side, and grasped the chair | was
sitting in, intending to use it us IA weapon
of defense but, horror! it WAS rlYeted
to the floor. There was no hope; | was
alone and unarlned.
al will now proceed TO business" said
the mailman, after cutting IA hair in two
with the sword.
"Will you not give me time TO pray?"
"You should have taken your mothers
advice land have been prepared; it is too
late now"
AS he said this, he came toward me.
"Look behind you" said | pointing to
the ring in the wall. death is reaching
for You"
He turned his head a moment to look
/ made a fearful leap, caught the rope
that hung over the table, and, with all
my strength, began climbing. When
within ten feet of the iron bar, 1stopped
TO rest, and on looking down on the
demon below, saw him glaring at me
with sardonic smile, and drawing the
sword across the rope where 1t was fast
ened to the ring in the wall.
"Hold," said /, to divert hIs attention
an instant, until / could reach che iron
bar, "follow me, and we will discover the
hidden mysteries of space"
With the agility of tiger, he sprang
at the end of the rope, and was soon aiter
me, sword in hand.
reached the iron bar, and look down
at him, twenty feet below. Taking out
my pocket knife, cut the rope. and the
mailman fell, hls sword turning under
him, aud piercing his body through;
managed to constructs a rope win my
clothes that enabled me to reach the
floor. Tb. madman was dead; the sharp
pointed blades in the table top had gashed
his BODY in a hundred different places.
1 afterw learned that the house with
the strange tower in one corner was
built according to the instructions OF this
deranged genius, and that he spent
lifetime and fortune in trying to dls-
cover perpatual motion.
Mum SOciable.
al n hla Wasr