The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-06-24

gerry TO me QtSk ana SET IL down III
front Of Shot"eil. He turned Il little
| brass key il it, and hidden machinery
began to tick-tack, ticEtack, like 1t
clock. lie twisted the box around,
and Shocwell saw Il small dial, with the
hands pointed to nine-tifty O'Clock.
One Of The men attached one end OF
the string to a lever On the box and
with the greatest precaution tied the
other enu to Arthur's left wrist, then
fixed another string to the same lever
and to the other wrist.
Now, see here, Mr. Shotwell, you
have got just forty-siX minutes. and
then that thing goes Off. and God have
mercy on your soul. If you sho4ld
want that thing to go quicker, Just
struggle hard, and if you manage to
pull either of those strings-well, l
guess it'll oblige YOU
Now, Bill, we've got no time TO
waste. Here's the keys; you go for
the safe anu II! TX the desk"
Inside of fifteen minutes ShotWell'S
guests had gone, leaving little trace
of their visit except Il faint odor of
choloroform and that strange looking
black box, with its nonotonous tick
tack, tick-tack.
The whole thing had happened so
suddenly and his brain was SO heavy
with the drug that the men were gone
before he fully realized the horror of
his position. As it dawned on him, he
could not believe it was true; it was
some terrible nightmare. He strove
to shake himself, but the tightening
of the strings on his wrists and half
jar in the tones of thai ceaseless tick
tack brought him back to his senses
with a chill of horror. He glared ter
ror-stricken at the little clock that
was ticking off the moments of his
life-a second each time. a few
minutes and then-he broke out into
u cold sweat; an unmanning fear of
this unknown, cruel thing crept over
him, and for while he sat huddled
in abiect terror; then slowly the soul
of the man steadied itself" He closed
his eyes to pray, and the word that
came was dorothy" WiGh fierce
mental effort he pulled together his
shaken faculties for her sake. For her
he would die like mau. Perhaps she
would know he had been no coward.
Tick tack. tick-tack, twenty minutes
past ten. All, it was time to sit and
talk to "Dorrie." Well, he would do
it-would give to her those last twenty
InlDul6S. Anu So Ilc SctG OII, LIS ldTG
drawn and CHASTITY, but his courage
firm-sat ana bade a long good by to
the girl he loved; thought strong,
manly thoughts of her that kept fear |
from his heart. But while his utmost |
self talked with Dorrie his flesh grew |
gray and pinched, the lonely silence |
broken away by the steady ticking of |
his clock of doom.
hnrNt IA - fh3f nIOhf GqT reading then 4
later fell to wondering of Arthur, alone |
in that great building, and at the |
Thought OF his lOu-lturss All her heart |
went out 10 him, an" p-rhaI.s come of |
her soul, for her hudS tell sleep. |
Then, she too. woke with II start-a |
start of perpieXltY ana feaI; ttAr for |
Arthur. What was ity She passed |
her hand over Der forehead bewild |
cred. What was it-why could she |
not remember? Then the ticking |
of tn clock ~ he m"utEe caught her |
her strangely, and she |
DreathlesS, trembling. Tick |
tack, tick ack. What did it mean? |
Then slowly and softly solemn voice |
fell on her inner ear.
"Good-by, Dorrie Good-by, dar
ling"
'.Ah!" She rose to her full height;
was rigid there for an instant; then |
quietly, ''l es,I know. understand"
She walked quietly to her fathers
room, took his keys. and taking her
hat and coat, slipped unseen out into
the night.
TicE-tack, tick-tack-eight minutes
more.
Eight minutes eight years.
Godl Can l wait? One brave spring |
now would end the torture, and-No,
no, for Dorrie's sake, for the honor of |
love, I'll live my life out to the last
bitter second"
Shotwell closed his eyes u few mo-
ments; then, opening them, he saw a |
face i'll the doorway gazing at him
To him it seemed the soul OF Dorrie |
come to say 'good-hy."
He was not afraid, hardly awed. 1t |
was not real. Dying mems eyes are
strangely clear. He |
noticed the hat, the coat, the |
face drawn with fearful anguish. |
Dorrie herself. \ moment of wild joy |
horror Observation-Disclosures, with that |
But her quick hands touched him,
deity untying the handkerchief that |
gagged him, then delicately slipping |
those fearful strings from his wrists. |
"Hnw long, Arthur - she whis
pered.
He glanced desperately at the clock.
Don't stop to unite ne. Water,
quick. There's bucket. Fiji it at
the tap It's our only chance"
She comprehended instantly. oh,
how slow the water raD. She walked
swiftly to the desk, took the box in her
hands and carried it. ticking, TO the
bucket, placed it in and held il, trem-
bling, as tie water swallowed it, until
there was little rasping jar in the
ticking. Shotwell drew one deep, long
breath as he stopped over the girl and
waited for what never came. One,
two. three minutes passed. Then,
with half--breath of halt
fearful relief he looked down at Dorrie
She was fast asleep, nestled in his
arms and breathing peacefully.
He walked her with a kiss. She
stared at him in sleepy surprise.
why, Arthur, where am l. What
is it, dear? How white you look, and
see, the waters running all over the
floor Xou careless boy-I-oh, Ar
thur, take Inc home.h
ONE OF DODGK'S STORIES.
. DIR. Lord, formerly of Boston, was
resident of the west for about six