The evening Republican., 1902-07-24

au' AS viii DS Att Saut AoA """
with the fortune in the serviett
close beside him.
Instnctively his hand seeks hi
pocket to assure himself once more o
the presence of the key, that insig
nilicant but only channel between
this Subterranean chamber and thu
out side world. A bagatelle, but it
and it alone, will open the heavy
door. feat of which mona Of his
many tools is capable. But the key
is there, safely enough, within his
reach; he feels it under his fingers
thin. almost fragile. but how power
full. BY means of this he will escape
with the millions that he covered be-
fore him-the beautiful millions that
are to make him rich and bestow hap
pness and pleasure upon him, caus.
ing the jealousy of some, the esteem
and regard of others; that are to
make d reality to morrow, tonight,
now.of Thousand dreams.
He consults his watch. The mo;
ment Of action has arrived. 1t is
perhaps, with more than little ner-
yousnesss that he takes from his
pocket the key Of freedom, f IS it into
the keyhole, and then returns to the
table. A mere touch suilicas to un-
fasten the spring that controls the
internal machine. An irregular clap.
ping sound, which soon resolves itself
into the continuous grating OF the
cog wheel.
The action Of til, thing reminds
him OF mechanical toy That he
had once when a child.
Now he makes haste to escape.
Standing before the door, the heavy
saryiette within his reach, he turns
the key in the lock, but a resistance
seems to arrest the movement OF
the bolt. He presses more heavily
on the key-it is yielding, but the
key bends. A cold sweat on his
forehead, he gently, slowly trys to
disengage the key. A hoarse cry
strangles hint has broken in the
lock.
He does not move, but stands fac
ing the impossible door, stunned,
unable to think, to understand.
And in the silence two distinct
sounds are psrcaivable the beating
of his heart within his breast AMI
near by on the table the unintar-
ruptel ticking of the cloakwork.
The man turns, his eyes large
with fear He secs the brass cylin-
der from whence comes that rayu-
lar sound and the full compreh en-
of his fate dawns upon him. A
look of terror passes through his
eyes. To attempt to stop the move
ment of the engine is out of ques.
ton. The least jar would simply
hasten the explosion.
OF this he is absolutely certain.
The door remains, but in1pcnetrable
and, by profession he knows any at
tempt in that direction is futile. He
would cry ont but a stupor paraly-
zas him aud it would avail nothing.
No, he is conlamel to die an afro
cious death, he has himself prepared
No one could hear his call, and if
a passerby did hear it, it WAS i'm
possible for any one to reach him.
In few minutes all will be over.
His eyes rast on the seryiette
wherein he has wrapped that fortune
henceforth useless He notices the
strap AMI the brigh tness Of the
buckle. He observes all the srr-
roundings. His attention is fixed
on the design of the carpet. He
wishes to move. but cannot; an III
visible force nails him to the wall.
His gaze falls on the brass of the
cylinder from whence issues the
terrifying, overpowering ticking..and
he is unable to look elsewhere. Now
he waits the moment OF the eXplo-
sion. Unconsciously he has taken
out his watch.
Five minutes have already piss
Ell. Tna se;oll hand tlras with a
NIL rApidity, all yet the seconds
sssm intarminable. He lifts his
eyes-ths brass cylinder seems to
have grown lit hls len sthenol,
broalene lit covers now the en-
tr9 table. Still it grows; the table
can no longer bear tit invades
the room reaches the ceiling
Six minutes the ticking becomes
Il formidable sound which surely
they can hear in the street. 1t isas
a locomotive laundering by. The
man silrieks, but to him it seems
that his voi:4 canuot dominate the
uproar of those revolving wheels,
Seven minutes are now
several cylinders, powerful and
enormous; they press themselves
against him, and baffl9 every at
tempted repulsa. From all come
the same maddening roar. .
Eight minutes He fan"ias that he
hears the click thatpresages the crush
ing of the glass tube. See! the
cylinders are bursting and pouring
out an avalanche Of bilis-bills Of
all kinds and values. They are stiff
linz him under their mass.
Nine minutes His eyes hover b..
tween the watch and the monstrous
engines that are crushing him
agains the door. The face of
the watch and the hands dance in a
confused mass before his eyes. He
falls to his knees. his eyes closed, his
hands against his ears that he may
not hear the terrific explosion
that he may not see
The next day they found the body
OF man stretched on pile OF
greenbacks close to thedoOr which
was not locked Near the body on
a small table, lay an ennine, which
was subjected to a carefnl examina-
ton at the municipal laboratory.
The result showed conclusively