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Again he stood off and looked at the infernal bit of his own handiwork, his eyes glistening with dread of the thing He turned and fled to the opposite side of the roouillotine which see persistency

"Curse the thing," he groaned "Damn it, I didn't lanced slyly, fearfully over his shoulder and then faced the thing deliberately, his jaws set, his eyes staring

"It is a quick way--a sure way," heto live for and but a few years at most Nobody cares whether I live or die--not even I James Bansemer could not batter me down, as he surely will, if I--"

He crossed to an old chest and unlocked its lid with feverish haste A bundle of papers calances at the insistent axe, he seated hi over the papers

"He won't take his father's rotten es honestly, bitterly earned There's ive him He'll be surprised Twenty thousand" He laid the first paper, his will drawn in favour of Graydon Bansened and addressed; upon the table, and then carelessly tossed the other documents into the chest "By the Lord Harry, I'll have the best of Jah he spurns his God, I wish I could see hiered the document for a tense moment, and then arose to re away in his closet with all his customary carefulness In theface turned toward the gaunt thing of execution His feet seeo on with the horrid deed, his body was rebelling The torture of terror was overpowering hiuttural howl he clasped his hands to his eyes and fled blindly into his bedroo fra call of the thiag of death How long he quivered there, shuddering and struggling, he could not have told In the end--and as suddenly as he had fled--he leaped up and with a shrill laugh dashed back into the other room

There was no hesitation in his body now With a lee he rushed upon the devilish contrivance in the corner, tearing the axe fro the sounds of sh above the din arose the laugh of Elias Droouillotine lay in chips and splinters about the roo him