The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

But ne could not, he supposed be held
answerable for what had happened; and.
after all. an explosion a. the Mansion
house station would probably regenerats
society az quickly as one az Westminster
bridge
A wholly unforeseen. yet not unnatural
circu,1sIance supervensd 20 prcxe;s. So
ciety from being regsnerated after that
particular fashion. Mr.. Bailey, who had
held the parcel upon his knees during the
brief transit. retained his grasp OF il
when he ieaped out OF the train. on reach
ing his destination, and resisted all his
companions Efforts 10 relieve Asrn o. his
burden
It's all right.-it's all right he ex-
claimed. impatlently Don't bother, man.
bu, come on, I've lot of papers TO look
through at the office. and there's no time
10 be lost"
Most assurediy there was no time TO be
lost,-barely twenty minutes. as the terri
fed Felix ascertained by a glance at his
watch. after he had been %u~rfef f~-r RE
deserted premises In Mlncing Lane and the
gas had been lighted. tie nao osen ,aken
up stairs 10 his employers private room
and made TO seat himself at the writing
table upon which the dread packet had
been carelesSiy thrown down. MIR Bailey.
with his back turned had unlocked a safe
and was hastily examining mass OF
documents. Ii was no longer a question
OF blowing UP other people but OF avoid
ing a swift personal ascent into regions
unknown, and Felix, realizing this, as
well as the probable futility Of e1plana-
tions and excuses. ciutched his package
| and made a wild dash for the door.
"Huiion' cried Mr.. Bailey, Whisking
round: where are you off TO now9 None
of that, young man. If you please"'
Mr.. Bailey. as has been mentioned was
powerfully built One push with his big
~,,@ i,@,H VI. y
die of the room; and to attempt egress
after he had planted himself with his
back against the door would have been
hopeless enterprise. Felix had recourse TO
piteous entreaties.
lie, me 60 sir-for Gods sake let me
go. l must deliver this parcel; you don't
| know how important II is. III be back in
ten minutes / swear,'
mo fear" returned the resolute to-
bacconist. Important as your parcel
may be, ii amt as important TO NE as my
letters and the sooner YOU get them writ
ten the sooner you'll be free TO go about
your business. Here you are. and here
you stay for the next half hour. Make up
your mind to that"
With the desperate courage which
comes of desperate alarm Felix suddenly
resolved TO tell the truth.
Mr.. Bailey" said he. ''if you and l
stay where We are We shall both be dead
men long before your letters are finished.
This parcel contains an internal machine
If you listen you will hear the thing tick
ing-and 1t is timed TO explode IN rather
less than a quarter OF an hour from now.
Mr. Bailey whistled.
The deuce il Isl" he calculated. You're
nice beauty. you are, This comes OF
getting into bad company. Well. my course
is perfectly clear and plain. I'm going to
get out of this irstanter. AS for you, Mr..
Green. you and your machine may go 10
the Internal regions together. No risk to
anybody but yourself. The neighbors have
all left the premises are insured. and you
can't jump out of the windows because of
the bars. Let me advise you 10 spend
your few remaining moments of life in
saying your prayers. l wish you very
good evening"
The man had actually disappeared
through the door. had locked ii on the
outside behind him. and had olattered
down the stairs before Felix could do
more than utter one piercing shrek. Was
ever a hideous murder perpetrated before
with such heartless jocuarity'
For the miserable clerk knew now that
he must die. Escape was impossible: had
he possessed ten times his strength he
would have exhausted it fruitessly
against the panels of the solid door: and
the window. as Mr.. Bailey had said. was
heavily barred Worse than that i was
made Of plate glass and could only be
opened at the top by means OF puneys.
Moreover. the pulleys-clogged. IL may
be. through dlsuse during the long winter
refused TO act. and the doomed wretch
tugged at them in vain. yelling Murder"
at the top OF his voice while he did
Nobody heard him. he was only too well
aware that nobody could hear him. Silent
at last and reduced TO the very extremity
OF terror. he sank down upon the floor
and covered his face with his hands. The
messenger OF death upon the table licked
of the seconds loudly and remorselessly.
Then Fell tea
deavored 10 follow the advice Of vulgar
Philis;ine bourgeois for al that sd
preme moment IL flashed across aim with
horrible dstinctness that neither he nor
the universe could ever have come into
existence without n Creator. Blu. IL was
only a confused meaningless babhle that
escaped from between his chattering
teeth. and nothing came from IL. Man
had not responded to his cries for help
and heaven--as. indeed. might have been
anticipated-turned Il deaf ear TO them
Or was 1t, perhaps. In merciful answer TO
that inarticulate petition that his wits.
such as they were foTsook him. and that
he swooned away?
When Felix recovered consciousness re
was neither In heaven nor hell nor even
purgatory. He was still in the somewhat
dingy place Of business tenanted by
Bailey & Co; his arms his legs and his
head remained attached 20 his body. and
Mr.. Bailey was obligingly sprinkling his
face with cold water.
HAS it-has II exploded?" were the first
words gasped out by the rcsuscitated one
Exploded" returned Mr.. Bailey. NO
Il hasn't nor yet II won't: for the very
good reason that there's nothing IN the
parcel 70 expofe-oniy a cheap clock
that | bought to frighter YOU with Il
don't take a very great deal TO frighten
you. does g. Mr.. Anarchists You and
your internal machines-haw. -aw, haw,"
Il don't understand" said Felix feehiy
An there's quite a fen things that you
don't understand yet young fellow. and
you may thank your lucky stars that YOU
are Ia the employ OF a man who has given
himself lot OF tFclhle TO teach you some
Of them, Instead o. handing you over 20
the police rs you deserve You may
prove 20 he worth e. or you may not: we
shall see. Anyhow | thought YOU had
Il