Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-22

no my work wen ana -senu tn1s CUT 20
his reward. Mr.. Withers, goodnight.
4 wish you pleasant journey to the
new country you are about to visit.
Adieul"
With an irOnical bow he glided from y
the room, shutting and locking the
door after him. When he had retired,
i shut my eyes and tried to think.
Escape was out of the question. I
could not move-my bonds were tied so
tightly that already cranp was seiz-
ing my limbs, and to utter cry for help
was impossible. A dozen times /
cursed my action in having instructed |
the chief to send no men 10 the house !
until nine D. m, for had they come ear
, Ter all would have been wen. But then, |
! how was to have foreseen the horrible |
events which the night was destined to
bring forth?
| The clock pointed to $3.50, showing
that the whole dread scene through
which had passed that evening had
consumed barely 25 minutes, though
naturally the space of time had seemed
like hours Eight-thirty. -. In 20
minutes more, the memorable clock
ticking out the minutes so patiently
would have brought its minute hand
round to the fatal stroke the bomb
would explode-and then. -. A feel
ing of nausea rose M my throat as the
lhideous reality beat its horror into my
! brain, and I strove with all my might to
shut out the black thoughts which over
whelmed me.
For the first ten minutes The agony Of
7 waiting was softened somewhat by the
, hope that something might happen TO
: save me. But when the ten minutes
had passed, my soul grew sick, and a
}, dull feeling of resignation took hold of
q my being. Ny time had come; my
Q course was run; my hour was at hand.
3 Let me face death like man, for, in
s spite of my profession, 1 retained some
y of the instincts of manhood. and re
Q solved to meet the end as quietly as
though q thousand eyes watched my
exit.
7. Fifteen minutes to nine. The
e minute hand seemed to Nnger long
d time, and a sudden hope raced through
II my mind that prechance the clocl
might stop. But a second later saw
ie with a pang that my fancy had de
% oeived me, for the cruel hand moved on
y and now, o Heaven, another MINUS
l. was registered
m Thirteen minutes to ninei An ic,
e. feeling shivered through my body-m,
- tongue clave to the roof of my mouth
&c nausea seized me with a mighty grip
& in three more minutes the explosion
ze would occur, and should have gone on
to the great mystery which laps tn
Of shores OF this worlds life. Three min
Is utes morei
he Ny eyes began to swim, red Ugh
tn was In them, burning them IKE liv
SO coals-a thousand fiendiSh voice
e. buzzed In my ear-but above them a
e. there rang out the tick-tick Of tn
clock, every second bringing me Deare
ID. and nearer to the end.
wv / tried to grasp q prayer, but my LIP
&c were parchetf and could not have move
Id even If the gag had not held them rigid
be tried to frame a silent supplication
Id, the Almighty for deliverance, but m
ur mind could not work coherently, an
tn the entrsaty languished unmade.
ne feeling of measureless despair envo
til oped my soul, and then, as the minuI
nd hand of the tiny clock glanced toward
on the fatal figure, a faintness clutchS
err my being. white mist was in my eye
ng and Inconsistencies ercifully-claime
of my senses.