Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-12-20

To one of these fancies he had readily
yielded; each evening both sat wher-
ever they might be in silence for lit
tie time and let their thoughts go out
freely to each other. Soul talks"
Dorothy called them: and whatever
they were, the result was that his love
for the girl grew more tender, and he
knew that in some subtle manner he
was coming to understand her better
and better each day. These times had
been inexpressibly dear to him Of late.
They were his moments of absolute
rest from the worry of the strike, and
he always felt his brain refreshed, and
afterward was better able to cope with
his growing difficulties.
The pulse of the strike was growing
feverish, and night after night Shot
we'll had slept at the Office, fearing
some kind of an attack on the premises.
By the end of the week worry and lack
of sleep had told heavily upon him, and
as he sat smoking in the mysterious
shadows he determined that this must
be his last night alone; he would get a
watchman to aid him. His thoughts
grew vague and mixed; his pipe fell to
the floor and made him jump, then his
eyes closed for moment, opened slug
gishly, dropped again and he was fast
asleep.
With a start and a fearful sense of
oppression he awoke, struggling wildly
in his chair-tried to cry out, and real
lied that he was tied down. A cloth
was wound tightly over his mouth
while the room was filed with subtle
sickIy odor of chloroform. He heard 8
sneering laugh behind his chair, and
''Well, yer took a purity good nap thai
time, didn't yer?" There was an an
swering growl from anoeher throat
and the two men came round in front
both muff1ed in heavy coats, and pieces
of cloth covering the upper half of theil
faces. One of them carried a small
black box somewhat gingerly to thu
desk and sat it down in front of Shot
well. He turned little brass KEY il
it and hidden machinery began to tick
tack, tick-tack, like a clock. He twist
ed the box around and ShotweIl saw
small dial, with the hands pointing tt
$50 o'clock. One of the men attached
one end of a string to a lever on tn,
box, and with the greatest precautiol
tied the other end to Arthurs left wrist
Now, see here, Mr.. Shotwell, you've go
just forty-siX minutes, and then tha
thing goes off, and God have mercy OF
your soul. If ye should want the thin.
to go quicker just struggle hard, and i
ye manage to pull either of then
strings, well, l guess it'll oblige ye."
Now, Bill, we've got no time t
waste. Here's the keys; you go for tn
safe and I'll fix the desk"
Inside of fifteen minutes ShotwelP'
guests had gone, leaving little trace o
their visit except faint odor of chloro
form, and that strengthening blacl
box, with its montonous tick-tack. tick
tack.
The whole thing had happened 81
] suddenly, and his brain was so heav,
with the drug, that the men were gon,
before he fully realized the horror O
his position. AS it dawned on him b,
could not believe it was true; it wa
some terrible nightmare. He stroye II
shake himself, but the tightening of tn,
strings on his wrists and a half Jar il
the tones of that ceaseless tick-tacl
brought him back to his senses witt
chill of horror. He glared terror
stricken at the little clock that wa!
ticking off the moments of his life
second each time. A few more minutes
and then-he broke out into a coli
sweat; an unmanning fear of this un
known, cruel thing crept over him, ant
for a while he sat, huddled in abjec
terror; then slowly the soul of the maj
steadied itself; he closed his eyes t.
pray, and the word that came wa
Dorothy" With fierce mental effor
he pulled together his shaken facultie
for her sake. For her he would die lik
a man. Perhaps she would know b.
had been no coward.
Tick-tack, tick-tack, twenty minute
: past 10. All! it was time to sit and tall
; to "Dorrie." Well, he would do it
would give to her those last twent
: minutes. And SO he sat on, his fac
drawn and ghastly, but his courag
: firm-sat and bade long good-by t
. the girl he loved; thought strong, mani
: thoughts to her, that kept fear from hi
, heart. But while his inmost self talke
: with "Dorrie'' bis flesh grew gray an
! pinched, the lonely silence broken onl
: by the steady ticking of his clock o
: DOOM
, Dorothy that night sat reading; the
, later fell to wondering of Arthur alon
: in that great building, and at tn
: thought of his loneliness all her hear
went out to himj and perhaps some o