The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-11

cleaning up their rooms and going cr- /
rands for beer and other necessities of
life.
When Adolph finished his first ma |,
chine, no took it down to them and ex-
hibited it with pardonable pride. There
was n dial on it exactly like II clock, al
though it had but ono hand.
Lot us SEQ it work" said Picard.
"Set it so that tho bell will ring in
three minutes"
Adolph did as requested and stood
back when tho machine began to work
with q scarcely audible tick tick. Pi-
card pulled out his watch, and exactly
at tho third minute the hammer fell on
the bell. THAT is very satisfactory"
said Picard. "Now can you make tho
next ono slightly concave, SO that u
man may strap it under his coat with
out attracting attention? Such Il shape
is useful when passing the customs"
II can make it any shape you like,
and thinner than this one if you wish
it."
Every we'll. Go out and get us q
quart Of beer, and we will drink to
your success. Here is tho money"
Adolph oboyed with his usual docili-
~ pNey mp o'NS htt
longer than usual. Picard, impatient at
he returned and ordered him to go up
stairs to his work. Adolph departed
meekly, leaving them to their beer.
"See that you understand that ma
chino, Lamoine, " said Picard. "Set it
half an hour"
Lamoino, turning tho hand to tho fig
ure Won the dial, set the works in mo.
ton, and to tho accompaniment of its
quiet tick tick they drank their beer.
"He seems to understand his bust
ness, said LamOfno.
YES" answered Picard. "What
heady stuff this English beer is! l wi II
we had some good French book. This
makes mo drowsy.
Lamoine did not answer. He was
nodding in his chair. Picard threw
himself down on his mattress in ong
corner Of tho room. Lamoinc, when Re
foil from his chair, muttered an oa,h
and lay where he fell.
An hour later tho door stcalthily
opened, and Adolph's head cautiously
reconnoitered the situation, coming in.
to tho silent apartment inch by inch,
his crafty eyes rapidly searching tho
room and filling with malicious CLEO
when he saw that everything was as he
had planned. Ho entered quietly and
closed tho door softly behind him. He
had Il great coil Of strong cord in his
hand. Approaching tho sleeping men
on tiptoo, he looked down on them for
u moment, wondering whether the drug
had done it's work sufficiently well for
him to proceed. The question was set.
tied for him with a suddenncss that
nearly unnerved him. An appalling
clang of tho bell, a startling sound that
seemed loud enough to wake the dead,
made him spring nearly to the ceiling.
He dropped his rope II chung to the
door i'll q p; uic of dread, his palpitating
heart nearly ~suffocating him with its
wild beating, staring with affrighted
eyes at the machine which had given
such a. unexpected alarm. Slowly re.
covering command over himself, he
turned his gaze on tho slccpers. Neither
had moved. Both were breathing as
heavily as ever.
Pulling himself together, no turned
his attention first to Picard as tho moro
dangerous man Of the two should az
awakening come before he was ready
for it. He bound Picard's wrists tightly
together, til II his ankles, his knees anC
his elbows. He next did tho same fol
Lamoine. With great effort ha ont Pi
cara III n seated position on lls chair
4, tying him there with coil after coil o.
the cord. So anxious was he to make
everything secure that he somewhat
I, overdld the business, making tho two
seem like seated mummicS Swathed in
cord. Tho chairs he fastened immovably
to the floor; then he stood back and
gaZed with n sigh at the two grim seat.
ed figures, with their heads dropping
helplessly forward on their corded
breasts, looking like silent effigies G
the dead.
hopping his perspiring brow, Adolpl
now turned his attention to tho machine
that had startled him so when he first
came III. Ho carefully examined its
mechanism to sec that everything wa
right. Going to the cupboard, he took
up a false bottom and lifted carefully
out a number of dynamite cartridge.
that the two sleepcrs had stolen from =
french mine. These he arranged in {
battery, tying them together. He raised
the hammer Of tho machine and set the
hand so that tho blow would fall in &C
minutes after the machinery was set in
motion. The whole deadly combination
no placed on q small table, which he
showed close in front of tho two sleep.
Ing men. This done, he sat down on Il
chair patiently to await the awakening.
Tho room was situated at the back OF
tho house and was almost painfully still,
not q sound from the street penetrating
to 1t. The candlo burned low, guttcrod
and went out, but Adolph sat there and
did, not light another. The room was
stlll only hall Ill DARKNESS, for tho mool,
shone brightly in at tho window, re.
minding Adolph that it was lust a
month before when he had looked out
On a moonlit street in Paris while his
brother lay murdered in tho room be.
lew. Tho hours dragged along, and
Adolph sat as immovablo az the two
seated before him. The square of moon.
light, slowly moving, at last illumined
tho seated form of Picard, impcrccp.
tibly climbing up, as the moon sank,
until it touched his face. He threw his
head first to ono side, then back,
yawned, drew II deep breath and tried
to struggle.
"Lamoinol" he cried, "Adolphl
What tho devil is this? I say, here!
Helpl 1 am betrayed
"Hush," said Adolph quietly. "Do
not cry SO loud. You will wake La
mOlno. who ia bnci6o won M, o,o