The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-10-20

posed monster with q full proportion
Of unholy light.
It would be endless were / to merely
hint at all the fancies that possessed
my mind. Every object that was
hideOus and roaring presented itself
to my imagination. often thought
that l was in a hurricane at sea, and
that the vessel in which was en-
barked tossed under me with the
most furious Yehemence. The air, set
in motion by the swinging of the bell,
blew over me, nearly with theviolence
and more than the thunder of a tenn
pest, and the floor seemed to reel un-
der NO. as under drunken man. But
the most awful of all the ideas that
seized on me were drawn from the
supernatural ...
In the vast cavern of the bell hide
Gus faces appeared and glared down
on me with terrifying frowns or with
grlnning mockery still more appalling.
| found was becoming delirious and
trembled lest reason should utterly
desert me. feared lest, when utterly
deprived OF my senses, should rise
to do which l was every moment
tempted by that strange feeling which
calls on man whose head is dizzy
from standing on the battlement OF a
lofty castle to precipitate himself
from it-and then death would be
instant and tremendous.
When I thought of this I became
desperate. I caught the floor with u
grasp which drove the blood from my
nails, and yelled with q cry OF des-
pair. l called for help, I prayed, l
shouted, but ell the efforts OF my
voice were, of course drowned in the
bell. AS it passed over my mouth it
occasionally echoed my cries, which
mixed not with it's own sound, but
preserved their distinct character.
Perhaps this was but fancy. To me,
| know, they then sounded as If they
were the shouting, bowling Or laughing
OF the fends with which my
imagination had peopled the gloomy
cave which swung over me.
In twenty minutes the ringing was
done. Half OF that time passed over
me without power OF computation
the other half appeared an age. When
it ceased | became gradually quiet,
but new fear retained me. I knew
that five minutes would elapse with
| est ringing, but at the end OF that
short time the bell would be rung for
a second time for five minutes more.
| could not calculate time. A minute
and an hour were Of equal duration.
l feared to rise lest the five
minutes should have elapsed
! and the ringing be again commenced,
in which case l should be crushed be-
fore | could escape against the walls
OF framework Of the bell. there
fore still continued to lie down eau
tiously shifting myself, however, with
a careful gliding so that my eye no
longer looked into the hollow. This
| was OF itself q considerable relief
The cessation OF the noise had, in a
| great measure, the effect of SIMPLIFYING
me, for my attention being no longer
| occupied by the chimeras had con-
! iured up began to flag. All that now
| distressed me was the constant ex-
pectation OF the second ringing, for
| which, however, settled myself with
a kind of stupid resolution, closed
my eyes and clinched my teeth as
firmly as If they were screwed in vice.
At last the dreaded moment came,
and the first swing of the bell extorted
a groan from me, as they say the
most resolute victim screams at the
| sight OF the rack, to which he is the
| second time destined. After this. how
| ever, I lay silent and lethargic, with
out a thought.
When it ceased was aroused a lit
tie by the hope of escape. I did not,
however, decide on this hastily, but,
| putting up my hand with the utmost
caution, touched the rim. Though
the ringing had ceased it still was trem-
| ulous from the sound and shock un-
der my hand, which instantly recoiled
as from an electric jar. A quarter of
an hour probably elapsed before I
again dared to make the experiment,
and then found it at rest. I deter
mined to lose no time, fearing that I
might have lain then already too long
and that the bell for evening services
would catch me.
This dread stimulated me, and Islip-
ped out with the utmost rapid itv
and arose. I stood, for ~ minute,
looking with silly wonder on the
place OF my imprisonment, penetrated
with Joy at escaping, but then rushed
down the stony and irregular stair
with the velocity of lightning and ar
rived in the bell-ringer's room. My
hands were torn and bleeding; my
| hair disheveled and my clothes tat
tered.
leaned against the wall motionless
and deprived of thought, in which
posture my companions found me
when in the course of a couple of
hours, they returned to their occupa-
tion.-Blackwood's Magazine.
! The duchess" as She L.