Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-06-28


waif, but rock whose foundations lie
deep in the heart, and l had tied my
soul to it. l had made Edmund my
con6dant and her friend. l had seen
them together day after day, only too
happy that they seemed to appreciate
each other. Only of late had the de-
mon of suspicion entered my mind
Then | frankly acknowledged my fears
and asked that they should sec each other
no more. And both had refused, not
gently and considerably, but with a cool
Indifference that maddened me. | saw
that there was secret between them, and
| knew it meant that l had lost the
woman loved, and that the man whom
| had so befriended had robbed me of
her.
The thought had ranked in me like
the sting of scorpion. had become
moody and i'll, separating myself from
both of them that | might not witness
the happiness | had lost. This day Ed
mund had come to me and with affected
pity offered me letter from her, which
he said would explain all. All, explain
with cool Indifference the falseness of
them both. had done we'll My act
was justice, not revenge.
| had been sitting with my eyes bent
upon the floor; as | raised them they
rested full on the portrait of Edmund,
which hung upon the wall before me-
My gaze fastened upon it with kind of
fascination. The frank, boyish eyes
looked down upon with what seemed a
mute appeal for the man slowly dying in
the safe. tried to turn away my head
for | felt my evil resolution melting away
beneath its influence, but | could not
With the swiftness of thought sense of
horror for my meditated crime, and pity
for my victim, rushed over me. Deeply
as he had wroDgcd me | felt that l must
forgive him.
| arose and went to the safe, intending
to release him but first called bis name.
There was no answer. The iron walls
were thick, but still his voice, had be
spoken, would have penetrated them. -
Was he dead already?
With fingers weak as child's | turned
the index plate controlling the bolt, and
pulled at the knob. The door remained
immovable had lost the combination
by which had fastened. NY insane
fury had banished every number Of il
from my mind. Overcome with the hor.
ror of my position, | staggered to 0
chair and sat down. My repentance had
come too late. | must be a murderer in
spite Of myself.
| was aware that once having lost the
arrangement by which | had locked the
door, it might be the task of days, per-
haps weeks to recover it again. Mean
while Edmund must die of suifocation
BY the closest calculation the at
mosphere of the safe would be exhausted
in little over an hour, and there was
not the smallest crcvicc by which it could
be renewed.
Once again ran to the door and tried
every combination fancied might be the
true one, but the great metal panel re.
manned as firmly closed as before. Half
an hour had already gone but thirty
minutes of life was left to the poor crea-
ture had SO madly sacrificed to my
jealousy.
10 the latest day of my life I shall
remember the awful experience of those
few, short moments. All my love for
the poor boy came back with redoubled
intensity. | forgot his bascncss to me !;
forgot all but the years we had lived
together as brothers. Vague thoughts
Of fastening for aid and tools to blow
the safe apart came to me, but | knew
that Edmund must be dead many hours
before even that could be accomplished
Back | went to the combination and
whlrlcd it round and round until the
figures seemed to glare like sparks Of
fire before my dizzy eyes. Still the safe
refused to render up its victim.
But fifteen minutes more of life re-
manned for him.
arose once more. uttering a wild
prayer to Heaven for pardon aud help,
and gazed yacantly around the room
My rowing eyes fell upon the three
heaps Of ashes from the burnt letters
lying upon the floor. Whether it was
from some yaguesrecolection or whether
they really existed as / saw them, |
know not, but the three heaps seemed to
have assumed the shape Of three distinct
figures.
They were the numerals, one, Eve and
nine.
For a moment / stared at them
blankly, then the blessed hope that they
might represent the one out of the many
thousand combinations that would open
the safe aroused me. Without pausing
to find reason for the fancy, | set the
numbers one above the other on the dial,
and with tbickly beating heart pulled
desperately at the knob.
Who can imagine tho passion of ioy
aud relief that swept over upon me, as
the massive doors swung slowly back,
exposing the interior Of the safe. Ed
mund lay partly upon the floor, pallid
as death itself, and utterly insensible, |
but, thank Heaven, tho heart still aut-
tered feebly; be was not dead.
IL WIS the effort Of an instant 10 lift
him out Of the safe into purer air, but
the work Of an hour 10 cali hack the life
| had 80 nearly deprived him Of. At
lcngth, with deep sigh he opened his !