Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-02
The Argus Daily Story
a Grim Experience-By Homer Worthington.
Copyrighted 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

tower. The clock had struck the hour.
Looking up again at the rectangle OF
light the terrible fact thrust Itself upon
me that the dark space within it was
the bottom of the weight that moved
thel machinery and the hands. The
weight was slowly descending and
would crush me. At the thought my
legs gave way beneath me, and I sank
In heap.
Then i arose and 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 a very poor conductor or
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 a narrow winding passage.
I 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 tumble.
Now 1 would think of Lucia, of her
fright at my absence, and what she
would do in hunting for me. Again L
would dwell upon the horrible death l
would suffer when the life was being
crushed out of me by an iron mass
probably weighing several tons Then
a hope came to NE at remembering
that the clock would not be allowed to
irh ha xxrasrnd hnfNra
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 1t was
wound,up.
1t was past noon, as I have said,
! when 1 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. 1 sat down on the
floor, looking up at the coming mass
descending so slowly that 1 could not
| see it move 1t came so near that
standing on my feet could touch it
with my fingers. 1 held them there
and could feel it move. When it came
little lower placed my palms under
it to see If I could hold it up. The
only way I could tell If 1t 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 I was obliged to stoop,
then get down on my knees. Lastly
l 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 1 could be spared two
feet by lying on my side with my
knees drawn up 1 might live.
And to this position 1 was reduced.
1 felt the bottom of the weight press
ing against my side till finally l 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.
1 was spared for twenty-four hours
Soon after the hour of 10 sounded
/ heard click at the door, which was
thrown open, and the glare OF lamp
showed me a 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
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. 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 Drought my Dflue 5tFdiSHI Ddck 10
America, where we have contented
ourselves since our memorable expe-
, rience. She Is full of reverence for
holy things and considers my being
shut up I'm clock tower a punishment
upon us both for our heathenish be-
I havlor in noslng about in a building
: dedicated for worship. l consider it
a lesson for hosts Of foreigners who
do that very thing. While plous peo-
/ pie are kreeling at an altar tourists
are staring over their shoulders TO get
, a view of famous painting. While
J raises 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. 1 have had trouble enough get
: ting rid OF the results Of my last trip.
Lying awake at night, the deep toned
, strokes Of town clock take me back
TO that frightful bell tower. and
e feel the ceiling over my bed Is coming
+ down to crush me.