Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1912-04-05

with spring lock and not being found
for years, when the chest was opened I
gld her skeleton taken out. Then J
gave way to uncomfortable terror.
heard directly above me the stroke
Of tell. I listened FOR more. but no
more came This enlightened me upon
my position. must be in the clock
tower. The clock had struck the hour.
Lookins up again at the rectaAgle OF
light the terrible fact thrust itself upon
me that the dark space withia it was
the bo,toui Of the weight that moved
the machinery and the hands The
weight was slowly descending and
would crush me. 40 the thought my
legs gaye way beneath me, and sank
In heap.
Then ! arose and renewed my knock
ing on the door. hammered with my
fists and kicked with my feet. But.
since the substance on which ! Nela-
bored was a very poor conductor u
sound and produced but little effect In
side. what could expect Of it 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 clock above me strike
the hours one after another and count
ed them as one condemned to death
counts those before his execution. My
thoughts were confUsed-a iumble.
Now ! would think Of Lucia, of her
fright at my absence. and what she
would do in hunting for me. Again |
would dwell upon the horrible death !
would suffer when the life was being
crushed out of me by an iron mass
probably weighing several tons. Then
a hope came to me at remembering
that the clock would not be allowed to
run down and might be wound before
the weight had killed me. wondered
If when it came so low that | could
brace myself against it would be able
to support its great weight till it was
wound up.
1t was past noon, as have said.
when l went into my prison. When
the hour Of > 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
a special hour for winding, and this
would be at 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. sat down on the
floor. looking up at the coming mass
descending 50 slowly that could not
see It move. 1t came so near that
standing on my feet could touch it
with my fingers. l held them there
and could feel it move. When 1t came
a little lower placed my palms under
II to see if l could hold 1t up The
only way could tell II it 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 l
stood erect it touched the top Of my
head. Then I 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. If I could be spared two
feet by lying on my side with my
knees drawn up I might live.
And to this position l was reduced.
1 felt the bottom of the weight press
ing against my side till finally lost
Consciousness.
But not for long. The pressure was
removed, and l heard the winding Of
wheels, the click Of cogs, up in the
tower. The clock was being wound.
I was spared for twenty-four hours.
Soon after the hour of 10 sounded
heard a click at the door, which was
thrown open, and the glare Of a lamp
showed me number Of excited faces.
"Foundr was shouted ioyfully. and
Lucia, pushing forward, tainted in my
arms
Shutting me up in the clock tower
had had a peculiar effect on the luna
tic who had done the deed He kept
his secret til night. when he accosted
q man passing the church and told
hini that the devil in human form had
been following him to drag hiia 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. The listen
er broke away from him, but, think
ing there might be reality IN his story.
returned and. meeting a searching
party. had led them to the tower
l brought my bride straight back to
America, where we have contented
ourselves since our memorable expo
rlence. she is full Of reverence for
holy things and considers my being
shut up in clock tower punishment
1pon US both for our heathenish be-
havior in nosing about in building
dedicated for worship. consider 10
a lesson for hosts of foreigners who
do that very thing. While pious peo-
pie are kneeling at an altar tourists
gre staring over their shoulders to get
view Of a famous painting. While
praises are being sung to the great
Creator these same tourists are strain
ing their voices to tell one another
about the antiquities.
At any rate, we will never do It
again. / have had trouble enough get
ting rid OF the results Of my last trip.
living awake at night, the deep toned
strokes OF town clock take ne back
to that friehfful bell town. and
feel the ceiling over my bed h coming
down to crush me-