Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-12-05

"a ~ yandehed. III soood stupid1y "a
~ pzatlprm where taiey had left Inn,
uu htg ottenk3On WAS aroused by q
slight ticking which be soon Teall1ed
came from the box IN his hand
What was he to do? There was one
thing to which he made up bis mind
and that was that he would never do
this thing. But how? What? Then
suddenly the thought struck him to
make for the river the spies would
think it all right drop the cursed
thing in and run for the nearest police
man.
He had just formulated tbs plan
when a hearty voice exclaimed: Hello
Smith, this is lucky, just the Very man
want; here this way, jump In quick
and Arthur found himself hustled into
a train by Mr.. RushwOrth, who inform
ed him that he was taking him home
as he had some very important CORES
pondence that he must have done at
once. In vain Arthur pleaded pre-
vious engagement, his employer was
ob1urate, and he was whisked from the
train to the brougham in waiting with
hardly a protest he was SO stunned! He
did make one feeble attempt to balk
destiny, but Mr.. &Rushwcrth, CHANGING
back as they were leaving the compart-
ment, spied the box.
Why, Smith, your wits must have
gone wooh gathering; here you've left
this precious box that you've been hug
ging so tightly; there get in, I'll carry
it fer YOU
So they arrived at the house and went
straight to the library. The fateful box
was set ON the table while Mr.. Rush
worth produced number of letters and
proceeded to dictate answers to them
Arthur saw that they would take an
hour at least to finish, and an hour
meant-what?
Suddenly he rose and confronted his
employer. He would make one effort
to get away, then if he failed, tell him
all about it.
MIR. Rushworth, I'm very sorry, but
| can't possibly stay to do this just at
present, a most Important"
Nov, look here, Smith, don't quite
know what to make of you to-nig%xx
you are acting very strangely; those
letters must be finished before you
leave this room. am sorry to act so
harshly, but-well, there, and he
opened the door, will return in an
hour. In the meantime settle down to
work like a good fellow" and he was
gone, closing and locking the door
behind him.
For one short moment Smith stared
in simple establishment at this arbi-
trary treatment; then the full horror
of his position broke on him, and he
started up and sprang to the door,
rafting it fiercely and calling to be
let out; but there was no .'Dswer, and
he remembered with awful distinctness
sentence that Miss Rushworth had
used describing his room. EYES,"
said she, when I have a party and
papa wants to work, and not be dis.
turbed he goes to the library, and we
can make all the noise we choose.
He can't hear a sound; you see its
in that far wing and the doors are
padded and hung with heavy portieres;
grandfather had it done SO that his
studies might not be interrupted"
He looked wildly round the room,
there was not even a shadow; the
light came from great decorated sky
light. No way to get out and-sud-
denly sound broke the silence, the
sound of muffied clock striking the
hour-he shrieked out in maddened
horror as he counted seven; six
minutes more, only six minutes!
All, God! it was too awful; he sprang
to the door again, kicking and thump-
ing it in wild frenzy or horror; then
the tension became too great, and ne
fell forward ON the carpet in dead
FAINT.
Next he wondered vaguely why he
had feared death so much when it was
all over without his even. feeling pain;
then he heard still as in dream:
poor boy, l think it was shame,
and a gentle hand stroked his fore
head and there was a rumble OF
voices. then a shock of cold water,
and he came back from the realm OF
shadows with a spluttering gasp.
He gazed around wonderingly! He
wasn't dead. And he was still in the
library, and it wasn't blown up; and
there was Mr.. Rushworth with a wine
glass; and that hot burning in his
throat was brandy. He staggered to