The Tupelo journal., 1902-09-26

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the bottom drawer in my heavy desk,
and when | tried to move, / discovered
that my body was fastened securely
to it by a cord wound about it's base.
The knots cut into my flesh. My pos
ture made struggling an utter inn
possibility.
Speeches. and helpless, I gazed up
bewilderedly at my assailant. He
was enveloped in a black macintosh,
and my gaze fingered dazedly on the
discoloured red lining inside the cape
which was thrown over his shoulders.
His sinister-looking face was dis
torted with a look of savage exulta-
ton as he noted my return to con-
seriousness. The next instant an evil
smile crept into his eyes-a horribly
expressive smile that made my blood
run cold, and left me eager for
his speech.
Coolly annexing n of my cigars
he lit it, and, STOPPING, pulled the
smoke deliberately into my eyes.
"Good-evening, Richard Shenstone,"
he said quietly. You're no doubt
surprised to find yourself in your
present constrained position. l re-
greet the necessity, but do you the
compliment of saying that with a
slippery individual like yourself it
is wise to take no risks. Richard
6henstone, I am come to kill you'll"
He announced his purpose as coolly
as if retailing an anecdote. For a
brief second my heart seemed to
cease its pulsation. The next in
slant in the throes of mortal terror,
I was straining at my bonds like a
frenzied mailman. His burst of
mocking laughter fred me with the
strength of a giant, but it WIS in
vain. The fellow had secured me but
too well. Overcome with my siren
uous efforts I collapsed, while the
fiend urged me with horrible chuck
lings to persist.
"Good!" he cried. 81 like to see a
man die game! Now, listen to me,
Richard Shenstone! This day, through
your malignant eloquence, you sen
two men to a living death. You
would say hat you were but an in
strument-their fate was assured,
whoever had pronounced the indict-
ment. Probably so, my learned
friend; but l was in court, and knew
you were ~glorying in the task. Dog
that you are, you gloated over your
victims as if you enjoyed the sport of
it! Fool, and worse than fool, to
imagine that you could defy us with
,or,,ni+xr DIT ararnh If tbic Thara
is one O'Leary left to act as avenger
of his brothers. This night 1 strike
a blow which will vindicate the
brotherhood in the eyes of their
comrades the world over, and by the
same act punish you as you deserve.
A shade of tolerance-a little re-
straint-and you would have been
spared"
He threw the h~alf-smoked cigar in
to the CRATE and, springing to his
feet, crossed behind me to the door.
AS he rose, l noticed that his boots
were covered with galoshes, which
accounted for his noiseless entry. In
a moment he was before me again, a
small black bag in his hand. With
SldlllS CyCS l. WdtCiCd LII do LC
passed over to the telephone and set
the bag down very carefully on the
floor.
Fumbling in his pocket he pro-
duced what appeared to me the
striker of an alarm clock, which he
proceeded, with deft fingers, to at
tach to the hammer of the telephone
hall fnl10unl his auarr y,0rn-
ment as a trapped animal watches
its destroyer.
From his lips there issued the sound
of suppressed laughter as he rose and
surveyed his work. Measuring off
a space directly above the bell he
screwed into the telephone box a lit
tie hook. Immediately below he
screwed another, and then he turned
and bent to open the bag.
mo commonplace end shall be
yours" he snarled malevolently. "You
shall admit the method of your an
initiation has the merit of origin
atty at least. And, more than that,
it shall be contrived by the hand of
as innocent of intent to murder
as any child. Now watch me closely,
my friend, and learn how the hand of
death will strike you"
He plunged his fingers into the
bag and drew out a glass jar full of
water, in which there appeared sus-
pended an inner glass tube filed with
some yellow liquid.
eff you are anything of a scien-
tist," he said, drawing it slowly out,
you will know that this little tube
requires very delicate handling.
Nitro-glycerine, Shenstone? Do you
recognize its appearance? The least
shock to that fragile receptacle, and
-" He elevated his eyebrows and
smiled in my face significantly.
"Now let me explain the modus
o%perandi.
"You will observe here, let into the
side of the tube, the necessary per-
cussion-cap. You see, 1 attach the
~suspending wire to the hook-so, and
this dependent wire to the other
so, which brings the little cap al
most into contact with the ex-
tended hammer of the telephone bell.
Now, my eloquent murderer, what do
you imagine will happen when you
r next rung up? Rung up! By
heavens; that's the neatest touch of
ALL"
He laughed again-a hollow, mirth-
less laugh like that of a mailman.
k1r,