Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-03-21

likely think of looking for me in the
cathedral. especially in that dark hole
They would infer that had left the
place ANA gone elsewhere thought OF
the many cases where persons have
started forth en- some ordinary crrand
and had never been heard of again.
remembered the old story OF the bride
playing hide aud seek" during her
wedding festivities. setting into a chest
with Il Spring lock and not being found
for years. when the chest was opened
and her skeleton taken out, Then |
gave way to uncomfortable terror.
heard directly above me the stroke
OF bell! listened for more. but no
more came This enlightened me upon
my position. | must be in the clock
tower, The cioEk had struck the hour,
Looking ny again ut the rcctangle OF
light the terrible fact thrust itself upon
me that the dark space within 1t was
the bottom OF the weight that moved
the machinery and the hands. The
weight was slowly descending and
would crush me. AZ the thought my
iChS kdNt way hNHNhth HNs NhN SUM
in II heap.
Then / arose aud renewed my knock
ing on the door, hammered with my
fists and kicked with my feet, But,
since the substance on which | bella
bored was very poor conductor OF
sound and produced but little effect IN
side what could expect Of II without
During our inspection we had seen very
few persons, and they had all been in
the body OF the church Besides, the
entrance to my dungeon was reached
by narrow winding passage.
| heard the Clos X above me strike
the hours one after another aud count
ed them as one condemned To death
counts those before his execution, My
thoughts were confuseda tumble,
Now | would think OF Lucia, OF her
fright ut my absence, and what she
would do In hunting for me. Again
would dwell upon the horrible death |
would suffer " hen the life was being
crushed out of me Ivy an iron mass
probably weighing several tons. Then
hope came to me ut remembering
that the clock would not be allowed to
run down and might be wound before
the weight had killed me, | wondered
If when II came SO low that | could
brace myself against II would be able
to support its great weight TIL 1t was
wound up,
1t was past noon, as ! have said,
when | went into my prison When
the hour of 3 was struck the weight
might have been from ten to twenty
feet above me. though | had no means
except sight of judging the distance.
1t occurred to me that there would be
special hour for winding, and this
would be at q o'clock In the evening,
The crisis for me was due In about an
hour.
That hour was the longest, the most
horrible, OF my life. | snt down on the
floor looking up ut the coming mass
descending SO slowly that could not
see Il move. II came so near that
! standing on my feet could touch It
with my fingers. l held them there
and could feel 1t move. When 1t came
little lower placed my palms under
1t to see If could hold II up. The
only way could tell II II was sinking
in spite OF me was by the slowly chang
ing position OF my hands. knew that
they were giving way under the weight
and lost hope OF saving myself by this
means.
Slowly came the weight till when
stood erect It touched the top OF my
head. Then | was obliged to stoop,
then get down on my knees. Lastly
/ sat on the floor. Surely the clock
weight would not be permitted to sink
to the floor before being wound, for
this would necessitate the stopping of
the clock. II could be spared two
feet by lying on my side with my
knees drawn up might live.
And to this position ! was reduced.
felt the bottom OF the weight press
ing against my side till finally lost
consciousness.
But not for long. The pressure was
removed. and heard the winding OF
wheels. the click Of cogs. up in the
tower. The clock was being wound,
i WAS BphTtu LOT lWtHty-IOuT HOuI5s
Soon after the hour of 10 sounded
| heard click ut the door, which was
thrown open. and the glare Of lamp
showed me number of excited faces.
Found was shouted joyfully. and
Lucia. pushing forward. tainted In my
arms.
Shutting me up In the clock tower
had had peculiar effect on the luna
tic who had done the deed. He kept
his secret till night. when he accosted
a man passing the church and told
him that the devil In human form had
been following him TO drag him down
TO hell. But he had tricked Satan.
having put him under the weight In
the clock tower. and he had doubtless
by this time been crushed. Tne listen.
err broke away from him. but, think
Ing there might be reality In his story.
returned and. meeting searching
party, had led them to the tower.
| brought my bride straight back To