The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-08
: 8THE WORLDS
!. # # STORY DEPARTMENT. az +


We shaa wee ~ ye
Eith queer, chuckling laugh she
bah5ied IN Her words must have
male deep impression on Tim, for Il
i ia that br never dared 70 look her
Id tse tace again. but II he saw her
cnmisg hurried into bis den, calling
bis dry sitter him: and 50 Aunt Hannah,
osi Ri Eowslk and Hockamock. alone
nssi tie frssrdoln 81 his bridge and re-
ceiTel No attentions from Scrap
Eat the years rolled BY and brought
n9csii visitation upon the tollman. lie
grew richer and richer ali the time,
SD With bis wealth his sullen avoid.
aacc 81 lis fcliowDen increased. Me
seelnel + regard them ali with hos
tile III riein and 70 have no friends
9n. his ,i0g, mho daily grew dingier
ant r,l ~ ana more distrustfui
81 @.st was going on in the world
I'isl hste@ nothIng and cared no more.
il book was not 70 be seen In his
hDre. alsa he never read newspaper.
Ci irc.lis and steamboats,, which all
t.1e world had begun to talk about. he
did not even dream. Civilization
uaseaed on from one height Of prog
ress - another. great inventions and
discoveries were followed by those yet
more wonderful hut no sound Of Il
canse him
II sle bid any pleasure besides count
Ing his heaps Of money. he found II 10
annoying the nayigators Of the reach
by obliging them 70 blow and blow Tor
half IN hour at a time before attend
ing - their signals Often would he
Keep d skipper waiting until The wind
had changed or the tide had turned.
and tsood days worls was lost. and SO
oppressive did his ill-natured tricks be-
coNc Lliat some ~ his Indignant mari
ners openly threatened 10 tear down
his bridge
iiat Tim and his bridge held unmo-
Tested sway over the reach until d esr-
tain suaaier evening in 49,, when NIT
as the shadows were falling the t9iI-
man was started by terrific screech-
Ing that sGelnad TO come from around
tie len
II Was as loud and piercing as ii ill
the horns and coucb shells in tie Clam
river feet iiad blown at once. and ii
surprised him into an unwonted alac-
rity Leaping emit on the bridge he
seized his bar and swung open the draw
without q moments delay.
The strange noise was heard again.
this time nearer and still louder Never
could horns and shells have blown such
a blast as that Perplexei mnd hall
frightened Tim leaned over the side Of
the draw, and, through the fast gather
ing shadows, looked eagerly down tile
reach
Suddenly he jumped back, bis eyes
bursting from their sockets
With a rnsh aud roar, ffirhtful
apparition had suddenly turned the
bend AMI was heading for tile bridge.
It doomed up ID the dim light, hinge,
nncouth and uncanny. monster
neither of the sea nor Of the air. hut
alive and on fire, breathing ont great
pnffs 81 vapor vomiting blotehcs OF
smoke and showersof sparks, chnrning
the waters with its feet and piercing
the skies with its voice. AS Tim still
looked, another cloud Of steam Kissed
from IFS Hostrils and il shrieRed again.
That was enough Tim stared no
longer With a loud cry Of despair he
bounded to the upper end Of the draw,
Jumped intothe water and disappeared
The monster passed through the
opened drawbridge with sputterinjg, a
trembling and groauing Ii dashed
the murky waters Of the reach high
| against the piers, frightened the birds
from the spruces and sent the cattle
| sporting and scampering 70 the ends 81
the pastures Then in moment Or
two 1t had vanished, and the face OF
nature was serene again.
The draw still stood open. pointing
| up and down the river as il to mark the
course of the strange visitor. Travel.
crs came up on both sides, halted and
turned back, surprising the interrup.
ton to b. the latest device 81 Tins
| malice. For two days traffic between
/ the two towns was at stanistill.
Then some Of the Hockamoclx worthless,
after vainly trying to arouse tho toll
man, went out in boat, climbed Or
| the pier and swung the draw back.
/ Travel thereupon resumed its wonted
! course, and from that day to this Tim.
| bridge has been free to man and beast.
/ After waiting a due time for Tim tc
rcappcar, the selectnen, of the town
made a thorough searchNof his house,
but no trace OF Tim, or his dog. or,
strange to say, Of his bags Of, money,
4 could be found. Not even button,
nor penny piece, nor bouei
Aunt Hannah Kicks always claimed
with many a chuckle that her predic.
tion had been literally fuIflled; bni
j after She had gone the way 81 al
THE prophets. there came to the ears Of
the townspeople a rumor that in one 81
the interior villages Of Maine an old
man, apparently very poor, had been
found dead of starvation and neglect il
| a'wretched howell, his body guarded b
half-blind, snarling old dog and
i stretched upon heap Of straw in
which were hidden several bags 81
money, amounting to a wondrous sum.
i Whether these were the relics Of Tim
Stubs or not nobody ever took pains
70 make snre,E though many 81 the good
1 reople Of Roswick and Hockamock
| firmly believed the bones Of the dog
ard the gold were his. Some Of the
neighboTs were fully persuaded that
4ira was never seen on earth after he
/ jnmnel into the reach, and at the pres,
cnt day oae opinion has about as many
\ champions as the other in these two
i cld towns Lewiston (Me journal
4 Getting At the Facts
And yet, Miss Laura, 2 said the pro-
4 feasor Notwithstanding all that ii