The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-10-09

sPCil oh tiilS edIth ID III my ndnuS.
l will not do it too hastily. You
shall have a few moments for re-
Election before you are launched in
to eternity. Oh, yes, it would be
cruel to kill a man like you without
allowing time for repentance. Ten
minutes-or perhaps a little longer.
Make the most of it, l beg. Think,
amongst other things, of all the poor
devils you have sent to perdition. A
/ few short minutes, and then, the girl
will ring you up. Ha! hal"
He rose, a fiendish glare on his
face, and sprang to the door. I'm
expectedly his eye must have caught
the electric switch, for the next sec
ond the room was plunged into dark
ness.
"a good idea" he snarled. "You
shall wait for death in the dark
not knowing when it shall come up
on you.'
The door clicked behind him.
heard the key turn in the lock and
withdrawn, and as the soft pad, pad
of his footsteps died away along the
corridor, l renewed my straining
like a maniac. The cords tore into
my flesh. The blood surged up in my
head as if the veins that held it would
burst. Knowing that every moment
was vitality precious, fought for my
life with the desperate energy of
despair, until, utterly exhausted, l
collapsed and lay supine and impo-
tent. The imminence of an awful
death froze my blood. Merciful
heaven! If 1 could only free one
hand! If 1 could but scream This
utter helplessness was horrible.
The memorable tick-ticking of the
clock on the mantel maddened my
brain. Suddenly it struck the half
hour. The sound fired me from the
coma of despair into which my I'M
availing efforts had plunged me to
make another spasmodic effort; but
it was useless. My constrained posi-
ton neutralized my strength.
The internal assassin had given
me no chance. Ten minutes! Great
heavens! Five must have flown al
ready.
Great heaven! what was that-a
footstep in the passage? My brain
was surely fooling me! But no, it
clanked nearer. Someone was rat
ting the handle of the door. Hang
the fellow, he's gone!" The voice
l knew it! 1t was Marshall-my
friend Marshall-come before his
time! Thinking me gone, he turned
away.
Merciful Heaven, he must not go!
With the frenzy of despair l beat
tattoo with my heel against the desk.
That's queer; it's all dark" Mar
shall cried. Dick, old chap" he
shouted, "are you there?'
For answer 1 kicked the wood en-
ergetically.
by George" he muttered, there's
something wrong. I'm going to in
vestigate."
In fancy l could see him as, plant
ing his feet against the opposite
wall, he applied his shoulder to the
door, and with the purchase thus
obtained thrust with all his mighty
strength.
Would he succeed in forcing it?
Again and again he tried. dashing
himself against it, but in vain. Back
ing against the wall, he smashed at
it with the fiat of his heavy boot.
The crash was followed by the sound
of rending wood. 1t was yielding
it was yielding! Another mighty
kick, and the hasp of the lock was
torn bodily off, and the door flew
open.
In an instant Marshall's fingers
found the switch, and the room was
flooded with light.
Heaven and earth!" he cried, as he
caught sight of my helpless figure.
What dev;ltry is this?"
Springing across the room, he
forced the gag from my jaws and com
menced to hack the bonds from me.
My mouth was parched, and, utterly
unstrung for few seconds, although
our very lives hung on it, could say
no word. Then suddenly the re-
action came, and / shrieked in mortal
terror:
Marshall, the tube!" He followed
my gaze, and jumped to his feet.
"Nitro-glycerine!" L yelled madly.
"Unhooll it, quick, but carefully,
Marshall, for your life! Place it in
that jar"
In one bound he was at the tele-
phone. The next second he had I'M
hooked the dependent wire, and had
drawn the tube away from the ham
mer. And, as he held it in his fingers,
before he could detach it from the
hook at the top the call came.
B-r-r-r-r! rang out the bell. When it
ceased I was bowling with mad, ir-
rational laughter.
Marshall coolly unlocked the tube,
suspended it in the jar of water, and
took the receiver in his hand
Halo! who're you?" he yelled.
He waited moment for the an
swer, but receiving none, with that
never-failing presence of mind that
distinguished him, in trice he had
rung up the exchange.
'Where did that call come from?"
he demanded. "Good! Put me
through to the Central police sta
ton. Halo! is that you, Jacques?