Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-06-05

windings better and there, were fewer
belts and shafts, she turned In the direo-
ton of the great bins. Another roar to.t
of a second cars disposal, and sho caught
her breath little as she tremblod lest she
shoul Id be too late.
AZ last she turned corner in tho tan
gled path she was following and looked
down the passagcway along tho wheat
bins. A line Of beams led toward the
cleaning electric light at the farther end
and to the right vast gaping spaces reached
into the blackness far below. Above the
locomotives tugging, as it pulled the
loaded cars into place for the next
dump" could DO heard the rumble of the
mills machinery.
Annie hurried along the narrow path
way-the very one on which she had met
Mr.. Griswuld when he spoke - her about
the consequences of being caught under
the shower of wheat Below, some 20
feet, was another line of planks leading
past the bins, into which, level with the
planks, doors opened. These were for con-
venience in inspecting the condition of the
grain.
On this platform, his body bent as he
peered into the vast bin at his side. was
the superintendent. She recognized his
light gray coat and russell shoes. She
pushed on, intending when she had come
above him to call and warn him of posi-
bic danger. The rope with which no had
moved the lever to loosen the contents of
the last car hung at his side and was still
swinging from his touch. He was evil
IDENTIFY scouting the grain for suspicion
of moldiness
Suddenly, before she was within hailing
distance, though she was not far from a
position directly above the superintendent,
she saw black form shoot out from be-
hind n heavy upright timber directly be-
hind him. The stranger sneaked toward
the door of the bin into which part of his
intended victims body still protruded.
The lame girls heart almost stood still
with fright. She sank to the narrow plat.
FORM and crouching there in the upper
darkness watched helplessly the struggle
going on below.
The stranger had leaped upon the SUI
perntendent and was attempting to throw
him into the bin, but Mr.. Griswold fought
braVely for his life. Once, twice, he was
almost victor, but his assailant had him
at disadvantage. Already his head and
shoulders were hanging over the dark
abyss into which carload of yellow wheat
had sunk and made no impression on the
great space.
Chunk came sound above her head.
Annie realiz, !, with II shudder, that an
other car had been brought into position
over the trapdoor and was ready to be
dumped
The stranger below had almost overcome
the superintendent, and she saw the scoun-
drel glance sidewise toward the rope which
moved the lever.
Iikp n flash thera carOa uDon har for tho
first time realization of what terrible
deed was intended. The body of the super
intendent, hurled into the bin. would be
covered with the flood of grain, and his
fate would be unknown for days, and per
haps for weeks and months.
1t was but a second now before the end
would come Already the assailant had
pushed off the superintendent hands, and
she saw body and limbs disappear through
the narrow door. She could not hear the
body fall on the soft mass of grain beneath,
but she knew it was there
The assassin tugged at the door. He
had nothing to do now but close and fasten
it and pull the lever, and then thousands
of bushels of wheat would bury the I'M
fortunate man IA firmly and fatally as
though the car above should itself fall
into the cavern.
Annie sprang to her feet and gazed ii
moment helplessly about her; then there
met her glance the long lever reaching out
over the bin. If it only could be held !
If the trapdoOr were kept closed, it would
keep back the grain and the superintend-
ent might be saved.
The stranger below had nearly closed
the thick door. In moment he would
pull the slender rope
She looked at the lever. A weight on
the end over the bin would prevent the
traps moving, There was but one way
to accomplish it-she must hold it herself.
On hands and knees she climbed to the
edge of the bin; then, reaching far out on
the pole which moved the door, she took "a
firm grasp. A little tremble told her that
the door had been closed by the stranger,
and she fearlessly swung Off
The slender pole bent and swayed with
her weight, and she shuddered lest the
lever should still work. If it did, she
would be swept down into the abyss over
which she hung helplessly, and the stream
of grain pouring upon her would mean
death to her as well as to the superintend-
ent.
Her small, thin arms and hands were
weak. Already the muscles of her wrists
were aching with the strain.
Twitchl went the lever. The assassin
was jerking the rope. Again and again
she felt the jerk, but still the 1.-the pole
did not rise with her enough to loosen the
trapduor. Although the whole affair had
occupied but moment, it seemed to have
been hours. In an instant longer she
must loosen her hold, and then
The man was evidently growing impa-
tient, and she felt a jerk of unusual power.
There followed a cracking sound, the lever
broke and she was falling through the
darkness the broken piece of the lover
still in her hands.
As soon as she realized anything further
she was sliding down an inclined plane of
wheat, and mans voice, that of the su-
perintcndent, was saying something to her
Far above they could see the CLEAN of
the electric light streaming over the edge
Of the bin, with flour dust floating in it
like NOTES in sunbeam.