Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-07
THE LATCH CLICK.

sitting by the glowing fire, with bright,
happy faces, talking Of their prospects,
when they distinctly heard the latch rise
and fall. Nora turned pale md sank bacl;
in her chair faint and trombiisg.
What ails you, darling!" asked Carl
nnxiously
carl, )" she gnsped, Ego to the door
SEQ II there is any ono there-quick,
quick"
Carl hastened 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
1t frightcn you
Before he could finish the sentence tho
click of the latch was heard again.
Nora sprang to her feet and, with n
shrek, fell to the floor swooning. Carl
soon brought tho family to his aid and OK
planned all that he knew of the cause of
her fainting. When he told Of the strange
choking of the door the father exclaimed
vehemently;
what now danger now hangs over my
unfortunate house, What have done to
merit iti''
Tho old man wopt, while Rina and
Carl, with white, scared fncos, attempted
to rouse Nora from her doathlikc swoon,
and after time succeeded.
"What Is 1t, Noray' repeated Carl who
was greatly nystifed 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 thon he
went away.
ooh father, what do you think 1t
mennsf"
al do not know, but something dreadful
is going to happen. We have never had
the warning without a calamity. You
will hear 1t again." moaned the wretched
father. "You will hear 1t again.
II WINS miserable night for tho father
and daughter, and morning found them
looking haggard and worn. The day pass
ed, and the fatal click was not heard again.
In tho evening Carl came, inpatient TO
hear of the strange event
Mr.. Rive began:
at has been u 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 1t, and the next day no 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 suporstitious stories
ought not TO be credited by an educated
gentleman like yourself, exclaimed Carl.
"Inm not superstitious, but this know
to he true. 1t has never failed, and am
convinced that some terrible peril over
shadows Nora, md on her wedding day 1t
will appear. We know It, and l am re-
signed"
Carl was deeply impressed with the story,
though he strove to cheer the father and
divert his attention from the painful sub
ject Ho had distinctly heard the click
and knew that no visible person had made
1t, for he had himself searched the premises
and found no trace OF any one Mr.. Rive
attributed 1t to supernatural agencies and
WINS positive in his assertion that some
danger threatened Nora, and that tho
warning would bc fulfilled on her wedding
day.
Tho day dawned bright, and the we'd
ding was celebrated in tho little chapel
Tho breakfast eaten, the young couple
woro rondy to start. Friends remarked on
the phlenoss of tho lovely bride, but sup
posed II was due to excitement They did
not know OF the worm which was eating
her life away or with what terrible sus-
pense she waited for the click which she
know would come sooner or later.
Tho father stood by with oloudcd face,
for his thoughts were not of the happy
scene around him, but OF the awful warn
ing. Ho loved his Nora as father loves
his only child, and to lose her, so young
and fair, was almost mnddoning to him
He was convinced that she was doomed to
an early death, for that "click" meant
nothing else.
What made the young wife suddenly
shivor and utter half suppressed shrieliY
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, and
tho young couple were in tho train speed
ing away from friends and home
Carl" said Nora "tho latch clicked
for the third and last time. Did you not
hear IT."
mo, dear, did not. You must havo
been mistaken--at least, / hope you were.
Cheer up, Try and forget this strange nf-
fair. l was by your side, and If you had
heard that latch certainly, too, must have
heard 1t. "
II cannot feel cheerful, " she replied. at
~NNf' ia my anu hnOW
that we shall meet with some terrible mis-
fortune"
Don't talk so, Nora dear, and don't
keep thinking Of evil presentiments. |
have no faith in thom. Your ancestors
might have supposed such thing to be
the fororunner Of death, but you will be
spared to me, 1 hope and trust, for many
years.
walt, said the firm voice of Nora And
that one word, uttered in so stern u tone,
struck n chill tn the husband heart
A shrek of the whistle, terrible shock,
and Carl know no more
ON coming to his senses he found HIM
self on n cot in u little cabin and heard tho
groans of the sufferers around him. He
was weak, and his arm ached violently.
He found himself unable TO rise His first
words We're:
Mora, Noraw
But Nora did not reply, and her fore
boiling came to him wildly. A man an.
swered his agnnized cry by lifting him up
and pointing to small figure lying mo-
tionless on couch The face was ashy
pale, and blood trickled down from a
wound in her forehead
Dead" he cried wildly as he fell back
unconscious.-Now York News.