Year: 1878

AAS ""A"NN


skirts of the village, seen by no one
for the night was dark and the vino
high. 1t was in the fall of the veal
and the yellow leaves of the time fel
around him in a golden shower. Bal
he did not notice them any more than
to brush an occasional one from his
long beard, begrimmed like his face
with the SCOT of his shop.


He did not come to halt until he
reached the iron track that ran over
the road which he was traversing.--
Middletown had not been honored by
the steam cars, which, as if to taunt
the place, left it half mile to the
West.


David Thrall threw his burden
down and a sigh Of relief ESCAPED him
Then he struck match and looked
at his watch.


1t was eight o'clock.


He passes about nine, he mutter-
ed. 'lhe passenger goes by at ten,
then the lightning express


He spoke with a tiendishnoss al
most foreign to the human herrt, and
set to work fastening the strong chain
attached to his Internal trap to the
iron rails.


lie had evidently studied this part
Of his work, for he performed it in
darkness and then rested.


But the end was Lot yet.


Throwing himself upon the spring,
he set the trap, and the terrible jaws
were ready to close upon their vic
tim.


The wind threw leaves over the
trap, as if intent on iIing the jealous
blacksmith, and as the clouds scurrled
westward, he saw the star CLEANS fall
upon the leaves that covered it.


1t was picturesque place which
David Thrall had selected for the
deed upon which he had set lis heart.
The road was narrow, indeed not
more than path which led to Mid
dletown, and he home Of Agnes TEN
pie. lie knew the man he hated
would traverse it before dawn and he
knew too, that this trap would hold
him to the iron track.


1t was a revenge almost too terri
ble to be recorded.


There : exclaimed the smith, as he
removed a pace and trinmphantiy
survey the result Of his nights of toll
and The sooty shop. Now let the
prey come The trap is ready. |
wish you pleasant time Of it, Julian
Wingtold. 10 be plain, | should like
to know how man would feel be-
tween two such jaws


Then he picked up the sack and
started back towards MddIetown.


But he had not gone ten yards be-
fore he halted. The trap might have
been set little easier" he said to
himself. Its not been worked much,
and the easier it is set, the surer
shall be Of my prey


Intent upon readjusting the devil
ish intention, the blacksmith retraced
his steps, and for the second time in
that lonely and beautiful spot bent
over the crosstles.


He placed his knees upon the spring
to prevent the jaws from closing and
catching their maker, while he tam
pered with the trigger.


He was in the midst Of his work,
when from some unaccountable cause,
bis knees slipped from the espring, and
oh, horror the mighty jaws closed
on his wrists


With a cry, indescribably full of
agony, the entrappea man tried to
spring to his feet, but the trap, fast
ened as it was to the rails, held him
securely down.


The sharp teeth seemed to cut into
the very marrow of his bones, and he
was experiencing the horror of a hu-
man being caught in a trap. He tried
to crush the spring, but it would not
yield to the power which it had late
ly owned, and then he tried to tear
himself loose.


But the pain occasioned by his ef'
forts was so great that he was forced
to desist lest he should faint, and in
that condition be caught by the train.


If it had but caught my legH he
cried II could tear it loose but