Year: 1876

the room, as IL making an ouOIt W "O'A
off the excitement that the last few mo-
ments had brought upon him. His
features had lost much of the malignant
expression, which was by'Bo means ha-
bitual. His countenance was not hard
ened or stamped with the impress OF
crime like Shifet's, who had just parted
with him at the door-a countenAnce IN
which every trace of conscience had
long been erased. Monks face was
neither good nor bad, neither bright
nor dull; but he was man easily
wrought into a passion, governed by
impulse.


Crossing TO the table, he slung his
coat over a chair, and stretched out his
hand to extinguish the light. Midway
in the action he suddenly checked him
self, looked hurriedly around the room
for an instant, and stood motionless,
with inclined head, listening intently.
Not sound disturbed the stiffness.
Pinching out the light, he threw him
self on the bed, and in the darkness
there soon came the heavy, regular res
piration of sleep.


The houses OF Agatha nestled under
the north cliff. A hundred feet above
them the railroad lost itself in the black
mouth of tunnel, and reappeared be-
yond high wall of tresle-work stretch
ing southwark down the valley to Ely's
Mines. Hours ago the toiling men and
cattle had laid down TO rest, and now
the wild, rocky hills around slept in the
moonlight. No sound broke/upO the
stiffness but the muf1ed puff, puff Of
the furnace, and a murmur of frogs that
rose and fell interruptedly along the
shrunken water-course. The cabins un-
der the cliff shone white and sharp; the
iron on the metal switch flashed with q
million gems; the rails upon the trestle,
receding, turned to silver, and the foil
age of early Summer glittered on the
trees. A few passionless stars blinked
feebly in the yellow light, where the
hill tops cut against the sky, and sank
below the verge. Calmly, peacefully
waned thenight-calmly and peacefully,
as though the spirit Of evil had not
stalked abroad, plotting the death and
ruin of mems bodies and souls.


That narrow spot of ground with the
houses down in the valley, formed the
world for four hundred people. The
furnace hands and their families saw
nothing beyond the hills and rocks that
hemmed in their village-knew nothing
of the mad tumults outside. An un-
taught, sturdy race of men, they diff
fered little one from another. Every
day when the sun rose they went forth
to toll, and every night when the great
furnace over the creek cleaned red,
they lay down to Sleep, But ignorance
and superstition filed their hearts, and
anger, hate and jealousy were as rife
among them as in the crowded cities.


Another day passed, and the night
which followed it was dark and cloudy.
Near midnight the great bell signaled
for the last run Of iron. Occasionally
blue flames leaped up from the furnace,
lurid as the fiery tongues Of q volcano.
The long and narrow roof brooded over
the sand-bed like the black wings Of
some monster bird lowering in the air.
Under its shadow groups Of men were
but wAvering, dusky figures. Suddenly
as an electric fash q dazzling yellow
glare broke out, and q fierce, scorching,
withering blast swept from an opening
that seemed the mouth Of hell itself.
Slowly out of the burning cavern q
Kissing stream of molten iron came
creeping down. It crawled, and turned
and crawled, rib after rib, until 1t lay
like some huge skeleton stretched upon
the ground. A thin vapor doated up in
the sulphurous air, and quivered with
reflected splendor. The scarlet-shirted
men looked weird in the unearthly
brightness. The yellow glow faded to
red, that deepened TO q blood-colored
spot in the night. The bell rang to dis
charge the hands, and squads of men
broke up, scattering in the darkness.


Monk went to his garret room, hesi-
tated q moment at the door, then passed
in and shut it 30 violently that the door
shook. He struck . match. In the
birthstone light . horrible demon coun-
tenance wavered, blue and ghastly; but
when the candle famed, it grew into
Monks face, covered by the black scowl
of rage that had dishgured it once be-
fore-a rage that was freshly reused.


"H I'd had my knife, I'd done it just
now, when Istumbled against him. But
he dies tomorrow night at"


The words froze on his lips, and his
black, scowling face was suddenly over
spread by strange pallor. He stood
motionless, as If chained to the floor,
his eyes darted quickly about, and he
seemed to suspend his very breath.


A clear, distinct ticking sound oc-
CURED at regular intervals for q minute,
and left profound silence.


Monk raised his head.


It's q sign of coming death. That's
for pafara Thara IL IL aorain 4"


The strange sound, like faint, metal
lie tick, repeated itself several times.


ON i'll don't like to hear the
thing. But there will be q sudden
death" -