The Penn's Grove record., 1896-04-03
HALF AN HOUR TO LIVE


conscious and when l had collected
my scattered wits l found myself seat.
cd In his horrible chair-stipppcd In.
l tried to free myself, but was firm
ly held; my hands were each fixed In
a kind Of wise, leather outside ind
metal within, as l could tell by the feel.
These things were hollow and like barge
mittens, and within them and luclosinS
my hands was some liquid mercury, l
afterward discovered. As ] took In
these details the door opened and CHS
by appeared.
"Hai hal my fns bird, you're caaeo
at last, are your
Don't stand fooling there" I NIT,
tered. "Your Internal chair Is break
ing my back"
"Oh, is lit Wen soon alter that"
He stepped TO my side. but instead OF
released me he simply loosened the
straps at my back. This was too much
for me; l simply yelled at him that I'M
less he freed me instantly I would sim
ply smash him when I did get free.
when you have finished your ubusa
I will favor you with my Intentions"
and continuing: you fancy l am your
friend, don't you? l am not. l am
your enemy. I hate you. You thought
to win Madge Cameron from me, and
80 far you have succeeded.
Perhaps you did not know I loved
her, but all the same you tried to win
her, and l hate you for IL might
have killed you a while ago, before I
turned on the oxygen and you revived;
/ had my hand on the switch, but no,
/ let you revive to tell you this, to tor
tur" you the more, for have you not
stolen my Madge's love from me? Oh,
Madge, Madgep he cried; "Oh, will you
not love me?
do you think l am going to be an
outcast from society for nothingF he
Kissed. think you l have spent a
whole year In making this thing for
nothing? have waited long for n sub
ject, but at last l can operate, and on
you. Mol mol l don't invent things for
nothing; not II
You have Just half an hour to live;
It is 1880 now; on the stroke of 10 I
complete the circuit and you will fizzls
up"
He left me, a prey to horrible
thoughts. Was there no way of es-
cape? Would no one come In timer
And the time passed on.
The time was almost up, and Clisby
returned. He was all smiles. He asked
me If l had any wish he might carry
out for me. shook my head. He
offered me brandy, and I gulped 1t
down, and more, and | drank that also.
zone minute more" he yelled, land
I send you to Jericho"
He walked toward the swltch-to kill
me-and l sat there looking at him. !
could not remove my eyes; l vas fas
cinated.
And then l saw saw his feet catch
In the wires that led from the switch
10 my hands, and he fell. AS he did so
he clutched the air, and both his hands
came down on the switch contracts.
A dreadful scream broke from his
lips, and he bounded up quite six feet
In the air, and then fell backward right
In the middle of a large, fiat distribu-
ton table. Then ] saw n quick success.
zion of blue flashes, and Immediately
! after this the band came oft the dyna.
A grating sound drew my eyes in the
| 1ipanfinn nP tho tprhInao Gnp,afhIn1
was wrong evidently, for the offside
bearing of one of them was literally red
hot; the governor was wrecked and the
wheel was racing away and increasing
In speed every moment.
1t was not long before something
happened. There was a loud snap, and
then a crash, and l saw the steel casing
ripped up like paper and the water
came pouring into the room, thousands
of gallons per minute.
Slowly the water rose, until, when I.
was about six feet deep, the light went
out. i was floating about In the chair,
but I was anchored to the switchboard
by the wires.
Beneath me l could still hear the un
damaged turbine thrashing away, and
l rose until my head, or rather the top
of the chair, was scraping the roof,
when suddenly l felt that I was falling,
and 1 was rapidly carried toward the
dooS.
The wires held for a moment, but
the Jerk snapped them, and l sailed
along the passage, through the battery
room and out into the open, where,
litter being whirled around a few times,
was left high and dry till the morn
ing. The weight of the water had burst
open the outer door, hence my sudden
exit.
l was rescued from my unpleasant
position by Cameron himself, who had
come to look for me. We found poor,
mad Clisby quite close to where he had
! died, tangled up In some wire, and the
same CHASTITY smile was on his face.
No N but Cameron ave knew what
had really happened on that awful
night. We told the girls that an acci-
dent had happened and that the hermit
was dead.
For a week I lost the proper use OF
my limbs, owing to my c~ramped-up
state when in that chair of his, but be-
fore left Clinton Madge and l found
time to finish our picture and to ar
range a little matter that Is to come OF
In the summer.-Strand Magazine.