The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-01

clue to the cause of her rebuke of him.
showed itself in answer to my appeal.
"Confound it all!' he roared. "What
has Miss Warmers case got to do with
you?
could not deny my interest longer
why should I?-so. stepping to Miles
side took her hand in mine.
Simply this" replied, that she is
my intended wife,!
"All right" he muttered. I shall
never forget the terrible look upon his
face as he watched us. Miss War
ner, you have, I understand, some
properties of mine at your lodging.
You will greatly oblige me by leaving
them here this afternoon"
Together we left the place-Millie
and I. She went home to hunt up the
stage dresses - Bruer's property - she
had at her lodging. and I hurried on
to make preliminary arrangements for
our wedding. which we had just deter
mined not to further delay.
That evening as I hurried to the
hall an unspeakable feeling of coming
danger crept over me.
Bruer performed quite up to his Gus
tomary standard. His minor tricks
baf1ed the audience more than ever.
He kept smiling curiously at me, and
his pleasantly spoken words before
closing the coffin lid impressed me
rather favorably than otherwise.
"If she has gone he said, Il will
still have you
Then the lid was tightly closed. and
I waited to hear the drawing OF the
sword-my usual cue to seek safety.
The many different sounds without are
quite distinguishab!e to ones ear when
the aperture in the coffin lid is propr-
ly made. The family heard sound OF
the steel reached me at length, and L
followed the usual method by pressing
my right arm against the usual side
of the coffin. What was this? 1t re-
mained tight! pressed harder-hard-
er yet as I heard a voice. seemingly a
mile off; the "Noww Of the magician.
Again 1 tried the secret part. and the
cold sweat stood on my forehead on
it's failing again. The seconds seemed
to fly. Had there been foul work
here? Yes, surely this could not be
the property" article in which lay.
for every part of the coffin 1 touched
was immovable to my widest efforts.
A prayer rose to my lips and tried
to forget my terrible position. For
get? Merciful heaven! and the terri
Bile point of that sword slowly shut
ting out by it's entrance the tiny ray
of light hitherto visible through the
slot. Immediately above my breast.
and no room to move myself-only to
wait: Picture it, if you can! One
thing remained by which to keep Off
the end for maybe few seconds.
I wrenched my right hand upward
on to my breast, and gripped the hor-
rible point of the weapon until the cold
steel had cut deep into my fingers.
With superhuman strength Of wrist 1
held the blade hard against side OF
the slot. Oh, the iEeXpsessible horror
of that moment! A million flends,
each with the face and voice Of my
murderous master. danced before my
eyes, haunting Woodworking the cry
of my soul for succor.
I could see nothing but them, but
that steel, ever moving lower to its
work. cutting its way into the bones OF
my hand as it moved. kept me con-
scious, yet robbing me of the last
thing I then desired-oblivion Would
the end not come soon?
Bruer, now feeling the resistance to
his trust, kept pressing harder-hard-
er! And now the blade was becoming
impossible to hold What was that
curious noise from without? Then.
with the cries Of that tiendish army
ringing in my ears. travelled into the
world of darkness!
n
Yet an alive to-day! If you ask
my little wife over there she will tell
you what trife it was that snatched
ME from the Jaws of death. She had
postponed returning Bruer's proper
ty" dresses until the time due for the
performance of the coffin trick. At the
Identical moment got into that fear
full box she placed the dresses in
Bruer's storeroom, and then the care
lessnesS which lost the mad conjuror
his victim presented itself before her
quick gaze.
A tiny key is used in the trick, and
the use of this is to open the diminu-
tive lock releasing the coffin's false
side, when the conjuror shuts his as
sistant in. This Bruer had not used,
and Millie came upon it as he had
carelessly left it behind. Divining the
mans awfui intent she ran screaming
to the stage, and few of the audience,
realizing the terrible circumstances,
Immediately left their seats and pulled
the mad illusionist off at the eleventh
hour,
For six weeks lay in hospital-the
wound was at first considered mortal
and when 1 reached the altar with
Millie placed the golden circlet upon
her finger with my left hand.-Tit-Bits
Growth of VIadivostock.