The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-09-04

Ana time and plaoe arc lost. -
And now saw that ahead Of us there
proceeded towering pillar-like cloud
OF purple somberness.
I'VE must get above that thunder
cloud, or we shall be plunged into its
caldron" exclaimed Walford with !
strange hardness Of tone. 81 have
been in the midst OF q thunder-clo nd
once, and have no desire to renew tho
experience"
but 1t is travelling BY the same cur
rent as we are. Won't it keep ahead?"
asked. (
mo; thunder-cloud IL always sub
]ected to more or less retardation.
wish. Russell, you would cast out some
sand while watch the barometer"
SO standing up, leaned over the side
OF the car-outsido which the bast-baps
were ranged-and followed his instruc.
tons Immediately the balloon scared
upwards In an oblique direction.
Having discharged q dozen handfuls
Of the sand, asked him what our alt
tude now. ~.
Barely $4,000 feet. Go ON, We will
give her another thousand, so IS to
make sure of topping that confounded
cloud"
Having emptied the bag paused and
looked round inquiringly.
"a few more handfuls."
1T Is getting awfully cold,"I said,
letting more sand escape slowly through
my numb fingers.
Eyes. because we arc resisting the
air Whan oho
current, we shan't notice the cold" ho
answered. in his quiet, even tones.
"Then, by all that's reasonable. let
her resign herself. I'm just frozen.
How high are we now?" questioned
huskily, for there was q peculiar
feeling In my throat that made speech
painful.
"Nearly Is, 600 feet"
Surely, thought, he must DO mlstak-
ing the reading. And forthwith con-
suited my own little aneroid, gold
charm given me by Annie soon after we
became engaged. The limit Of the scale,
90, 900 feet, was reached.
Good heavens, Walford. you are
wrong in your readings" I gasped,
swinging round to examine for myself
, the mercurial barometer; he had it in
his hand, and as I turned he let it.
drop Taking step forward, as il to
pick 1t ny. he. instead, set his foot on it,
and there was snap as the glass tube
broke.
Careless he muttered, bending over
the broken instrument
felt terribly vexed, for, judging from
my sensations, felt convinced our alt
itude would exceed by some thousands
the limit of my little aneroid. "Open
the valve-we shall be asphyxiated," l
with difficulty articulated, az I sank
down ON the bench.
He neither answered nor made anv
movement to pull tho valve rope; only
turned his eyes on me. There was a
CLEAN in them that reminded me of An
MES letter.
Was it CLEAN Of insanity? Was
murder or suicide his object? AS that
awful suspicion flashed across nv mind
made to rise and pull the valve rope
myself. To my horror, found my
limbs had lost all power; could no
moro move arms or legs than could
move mountain!
While like one in . dream I vainIv
strove to regain the use of my limbs,
saw Walford possess himself Of the
large tube-fitted bag that had aroused
my curiosity before starting, and which
he had said was intended for an expert.
ment should we ascend high enough.
Applying his lips to the tube, he fixed
his eyes on me. His diabolical purpose
looked out of them. He intended to
sustain his life on the oxygen there
stored until he had seen me gasp nv
last. This was tho ''experiment" then
this was the mode of revenge no had
devised, and with fendish ingenuity
| had so contrived that should work my
| own destruction. While 1 had been so
unexpectedly casting out sand, he had
! been giving me false readings of the
doubtless intended. Rage swelled
within me, but could not find vent even
in speech. Powerless to move hand,
foot or tongue, met his watchful eyes
and tried to throw into mine the de-
| testation, the adherence, 1 felt towards
him. But as I looked my head fell back
wards on the edge of tho car. Then I
saw an imminent catastrophe that
would involve him as we'll as myself
| the balloon was distended to tho ex-
treme, and must inc vitality burst unless
the valve was soon brought into use.
! HE is too engrossed watching for my
last gasp to see the destruction impend-
ing over himself" thought, with grim
satisfaction. tried to lift my head to
see whether his eyes were still fixed on
me, but it was impossible. Then the
bullying form of the aerostat became
blurred, and the next minute my sight
failed me. -
Blind, dumb, and paralyzed. but all
too conscious, awaited my doom.
Thoughts flashed with lightning rapid
ity through my brain. Would the ex-
plosion 1 momentarily expected to
hear wreck the balloon, and in all
probability destroy the murderous
coward, while it forestalled in me the
fatal climax toward which asphyxia
was slowly but surely stealing? Or
would he see and avert the disaster in
time to save his own vile life-though
not mine. In such case, with what
plausible tale would he return; of how
we had been perforce carried into
regions so high that I had succnmbed
to asphyxia, while he, being more &C.
customed to the rarified air, had been
able to Withstand its deadly effects.
Doubtless he thought she would believe
such tales. But felt sure that in her
heart she would loathe him as my
murderer. Ny last thought was, how
would my poor darling bear the shock
that was awaiting her?
must have been in an unconscious
state for some minutes. My first SEN
sation on sensibility returning was that
of somebody gripping hold of me, and
: my first thought was as an echo Of some
former one-''he was trying to throw
7 you out" In moment I was all con.
> sciousness as to the meaning of that
straining grip, and of my own ute,