Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-06-25

1t would blow the building to atoms,
said I, resuming the analysis of Mrs.
Johnson's stomach.
MOP" l heard the policeman remark
in deliberate Yankee tones. you don't
say So?
The next moment I lay on my back,
a gag in my month, terribly frightened
! and sick at heart. Over me stood the
policeman and the first thing that func-
tionary did was looking me stra ght in
the face-to take off his nose. He then
rid himself of his eyebrows, hair and
cap, and became Il determined looking
fellow, with the eyes of a 6end and the
nose of IL Roman.
$50 you Think" said the mctamor
phosed, IN the tones of gentleman.
that nothing can save Joe johnson
from the rope? Poor fellow! 1t does
look like it But my dear professor,
Joe johnson is fortunate enough t"
have in me devoted friend us we'll as
brother. | haye undertaken to save
him, and he shall be saved. In order
to accomplish this end 1t will be necess.
ary to remove from the fee of the earth
not only the stomach OF his miserable
wife yol der, but also, my dear professor
Il ain sorry to be obliged to say it, for
| believe you were my brother s teacher
and friend-yourseif AS we'll. saw
that he was in deadly earnest.
"Your death must apparently result
from accidental least so it must seem
to the authorities. My brother is IN
jail and they will not suspect him, and
they certainly will not suspect me-.
What terrible deed was in this brain
hatchiny-was he going to murder me
Was it myself who was to hang, instead
of johnson ?
No;yes He placed the line pulley
like over an arm Of hanging chande-
lier. This was altogether too slight
support even for one of my tender
franz. 1t was not to be hanging, then.
Under the weight on the floor he placed
a can of -glycerine | recognized
the yellow string 1t was fuse, and it
would burn in sixty minutes. Itwould
run across the marble slab: there was
no hope of igniting any substance that
would warn my friends.
"Do you begin to see through it?'
asked Joe Johnson's brother.
| beleye | cursed him with my eyes.
l could only breathe through my nose,
and great veins were swelling and grow
ing hot in my forehead. Ora wing a
match from his pocket he light ed and
applied 1t to the fuse that little tyrant
that gave man an hour to live, to kill
him at the end of it-that little ire.
pponsible terror that less mercliul than
Providence, told a man the second he
was to die. if fright and horror spared
him himself. Slowly the flames crept
snake like around the twine.
"In one hour said the prisoners
brother, "you will be IN heaven or hell.
I will! watch with yon for half an hour,
and the other half you will spend
aIone.'
He sat down some mi inntes in chair
watching the flame. Then he arose
and took piece of porcelain, with the
murderer 8 name thereon, from the ta-
Bile, and shook his head gloomily.
Il am chemist enough to know 1t is
arsenc,' he said. "Yes, those bright,
metallic eyes, betrayal of the guilty
Science, thou wouldst Kill my brother
thou shalt saye him. Let me see IN
whose hands thou art the most power
full
The half hour wore SLOWLY away. Oh.
heavens! What agony did | suffer Not
for myself, but for my child. The fuse
burned on. on, on: The half hour is
up. The brother Of the murderer rises
to 60. joy.
Commit your soul to Gods keeping"
he SAID. "You hold the evidence Of
my brothers gullt-nothlng can save
you now,
With that he turned to take his hat
from off the table covered with the
crimson cloth beneath which hid my |
priceless boy. Something attracted his
attention. lie held out his hands and
reaced forward. I thought he had dis.
covered my boy. No, he was lifting
something in either hand-the wires of
the electric battery. In another In
stant my boy had leaped from under
the table and was turning the crank
fast and furously.
The murderer's brother was In the
power of my son. He could not drop
the wires he was helpless. How my
boy cried for help The old college
rang with his voice. The prisoners
T. L n