The suburban citizen., 1901-05-04
find If any new trick required rehears

! lueIe IS uOlnlng lteSn luaJ L KNOW OF.
l suppose l must tell you, though that
you will henceforward be my only as
slstant. Miss Warner and I cannot
agree on a private matter and have
paid her a fortnight's salory-more
than l need have DONE She will per.
form with us no more"
But why?" 1 querled, "Surely Miss
Warner has always been most assidu-
ous in her work?"
As 1 spoke he moved his gaze sud-
denly into Miles direction. That
feeling toward me more than friendly
was expressed in the girls face he was
quick in discerning, and his anger,
heated into flame by his newly-found
clue to the cause of her rebuke of him,
showed itself in answer to my appeal.
"Confound it allp' 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 l took her hand in mine.
"Simply this" replied. that she is
my intended wifew
"All right" he muttered. 1 shall
never forget the terrible look upon his
face as he watched us. Miss War
ner you have, l understand, some
properties of mine at your lodging,
You win greatly oblge me by leaving
them here this afternoon
Together we left the place-Millie
and /. She went home to hunt up the
stage dresses - Bruers property - she
had at her lodging, and hurried off
to make preliminary arrangements for
our wedding, which we had just deter
mined not to further delay.
That evening as l 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
baffled 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
1 waited to hear the drawing Of the
sword-my usual cue to seek safety.
The many different sounds without are
quite distinguishable 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 l heard a voice, seemingly
mile off; the "Now" of the magician.
Again tried the secret part, and the
cold sweat stood on my forehead on
its 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 I 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 its 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 of
the end for maybe few seconds.
1 wrenched my right hand upward
on to my breast, and grlpped 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 a side of
the SLOT Oh, the ineXpressible horror
of that moment! A million fends,
each with the face and voice Of my
! murderous master, danced before my
eyes, taunting me-drowning the cry
of my soul for succor.
I could see nothing but them, but
that steel, ever moving lower to its
work cutting it's way into the bones Of
my hand as it moved, kept me con-
sclous, yet robbing me Of the last
thing 1 then deslred-obliyion. Would
the end not come soon? -E'V''s'@%.5'>
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 fiendish army
ringing in my ears, travelled into the
world Of darkness!
Yet am alive to-day! II you ask
my little wife over there she will tell
you what a tribe it was that snatched
Ire 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 I got into that fear
full box she placed the dresses in
Bruers storeroom, and then the care
lessncgs 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 cofin's false
| ciJa whom tbn oouiTro" Shutg his oG-