The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-20

the love of HeaVenn she whispered
get away from here before it is too
late.'
But | am somewhat headstrong by
nature, and the more ready to engage
an an affair when there is some OBJ
stacle in the way. | thought of my
hfty-guinea fee, of my WearisOme
journey, and of the unpleasant night
which seemed to be before me- Was
1t all to go for nothing? Why should
/ stink away without having carried
out my commission. and without the
payment which was my due? This wo-
man might, for all / knew, be a mon
omaniac. With stout bearing, there
fore, though her manner had shaken
me more than l cared to confess, /
shook my head, and declared my in
tention of remaining where 1 was She
was about to renew her entreaties,
when door slammed overhead, and
the sound of several footsteps were
heard upon the stairs. She listened for
an instant, threw up her hands with a
despalrlng gesture, and vanished as
suddenly and as noiselessly as she had
come.
The newcomers were Colonel Ly-
stander Stark and a short, thick man
with chinchilla beard growing out of
the creaSeS of his double chin who was
introduced to me as Mr.. Ferguson.
This is my secretary and mana
ger said the colonel by the way, I
was under the impression that 1 left
this door shut just now. / fear that
you have felt the draught.'
On the contrary said I, Il open
ed the door myself, because / felt the
room to be little close
He shot one Of his suspicious looks
at me. Perhaps we had better proceed
to business, then said he. Mr. Fergu-
son and l will take you up to see the
machine
~ had better put my hat on, sup
pose
oh no, it is in the house.
What, you dig fuller's-earth in
the house?'
emo, no. This is only where we
compress it..
eve went upstairs together, the
colonel first with the lamp, the fat
manager and | behind him. 1t was a
labyrinth of an old house, with cor
ridors, passages, narrow winding stair
cases, and little low doors, the threSh-
olds of which were followed out by
the generations who had crossed them
There were no carpets and no signs of
any furniture above the ground floor,
while the plaster was peeling off the
walls, and the damp was breaking
L tried to put on as unconcerned an air
as possible, but l had not forgotten the
warnings of the lady, even though /
disregarded them, and kept a keen eye
upon my two companions. Ferguson
appeared to be a moroSe and silent
man, but l could see from the little
that he said that he was at least a fell
low-countryman.
Colonel Lystander stopped at last
before low door, which he unlocked.
Within was a small, square room, In
which the three of us could hardly get
at one time. Ferguson remained out
side. and the colonel ushered me in.
eve are now. said he. actually
within the hydraulic press, and it
would be a particularly unpleasant
thing for US If any one We're to
turn it on. The ceiling of this small
chamber is really the end of the de-
scending piston, and it comes down
with the force of many tons upon this
metal floor. There are small lateral
columns of water outside which re-
ceive the force, and which transmit
and multiply it i'm the manner which
is familiar to you. The machine goes
readily enough, but there is some
stiffness in the working of it, and it