Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-04
THE LATCH CLICK.

happy faces GalkluB Oh lAeIf prospectus,
when they distinctly heard the latch rise
and fall. Nora turned pale and sank back
in her ehsif faint and trembling
"What ails you, durling2' asked Carl
| anxiously.
"Carl, she gasped, Ego to the door
see if there is any one there-quick,
Quickn
Carl fastened to comply. He searched
the hall, but there was nothing to be seen,
| and he returned to her, saying:
| "There is nothing there, dearest. Did
it frighten YOU
| Before he could finish the sentence the
click of the latch was heard again.
Nora sprang to her feet and, with q
shrek, fell 10 the floor swooning. Carl
soon brought the family to his aid and ex
| planned all that he knew of the cause of
her fainting. When he told Of the strange
clicking of the door the father exclaimed
vehemently:
"What new danger now hangs over my
unfortunate house? What have done to
merit it?''
The old man wept, while Rina and
Carl, with white, scared faces, attempted
to rouse Nora from her deathlike swoon
and after time succeeded.
''What is it, Nora?" repeated Carl, who
was greatly mystifed at the unaccountable
behavior of Nora and her father.
81 can't tell you now, Come tomorrow
and will explain.
Carl bent and kissed her, and then he
went away.
"Oh, father, what DO you think 1t
means?'
Il 1,,k a 4 Il
is going to happen We have never had
the warning without a calamity. You
will hear it again, moaned the wretched
father "You will hear it again.
1t was a miserable night for the father
and daughter, and morning found them
looking haggard and worn. The day pass
ed, and the fatal click was not heard again.
In the evening Carl came, inpatient to
hear of the strange event.
Mr.. Rive began:
"It has been a legend in our family for
ages and ages that when any one connected
with us was going to die or some accident
happen warning was invariably given by
the sign which you have heard My grand
father heard it, and the next day he was
drowned. My elder brother was forewarned
in the same manner of his approaching dis
solution. In fact from time immemorial
we have known of near death by the click
ing Of the latch"
"Mr. Rive, such superstitious stories
ought not TO be credited by an educated
gentleman like yourself" exclaimed Carl.
81 am not superstitious, but this I know
to be true 1t has never failed, and l am
convinced that some terrible peril over
shadows Nora, and on her wedding day ii
will appear We know it, and l am re-
signed. y
Carl was deeply impressed with the story
!; though he strove to cheer the father and
divert his attention from the painful sub.
ject. He had distinctly heard the click
and know that no visible person had made
it, for he had himself searched the premise:
and found no trace of any one. Mr.. Rive
attributed it to supernatural agencies ar
was positive in his assertion that SORT
danger threatened Nora, and that the
warning would be fulfilled on her wedding
day.
The day dawned bright, and the we'd
ding was celebrated in the little chapel
The breakfast eaten, the young couple
were ready to start. Friends remarked OIL
the paleness of the lovely bride, but sup
posed 1t was due to excitement. They die
not know of the worm which was eating
her life away or with what terrible sus
pense she waited for the click which SIN
knew would come sooner or later.
The father stood by with clouded face
for his thoughts were not Of the happy
: scene around him, but Of the awful warn
ing. He loved his Nora as a father loves
his only child, and to lose her, SO young
and fair, was almost maddening to him
He was convinced that she was doomed tt
an early DEATH for that "click" meant
nothing else.
What made the young wife suddenly
shiver and tier half suppressed shrek
Alas, that fatal sound! After the first in
voluntary cry she made no exclamation
but stood, pale and calm.
At last the farewells were spoken, ant
the young couple were in the train speed
ing away from friends and home.
Carl" said Nora, 'the latch clicked
for the third and last time. Did you no
hear it?'
''No, DEAR did not. You must hav
been mistaken-at least, hope you we're
Cheer up. Try and forget this strange at
fair | was by your side, and If you ha(
uedrll UIldb ldlCH L CbrUdluly tUu, lluSu nay
heard it,.
"Icannot feel cheerful, she replied. II
keeps sounding in my ears, and I know
J that we shall meet with some terrible mis-
fortune
> "Don't talk SO, Nora dear, and dom
! keep thinking of evil presentiments.
, have no faith in them Your ancestor
might have supposed such thing to b.
the forerunner of death, but you will b.
, spared to me, hope and trust, for man.
. years.
"Wait,' said the firm voice of Nora. Ant
that one word, uttered in so stern tone
struck chill to the husband S heart.
} A shrek of the whistle, terrible shock
, and Carl knew no more.
. On coming to his senses he found him
| self on cot in little cabin and heard tn
| groans of the sufferers around him. H
t was weak, and his arm aohed violently
: He found himself unable to rise. His frs
8 words were:
, 'Nora, Moral"
. But Nora did not reply, and her fore
I boding came to him wildly. A man an
swered his agonized cry by lifting him III
and pointing to small figure lying mo
tionless on couch. The face was ash
pale, ane blood rickled down from
wound in her forehead.
"Dead!" he cried wildly as he fell bac
unconscious New York News.
: A Natural Solvent.
nho ,,o;e+,co If tho aya ia uarn1n