Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-29

answered my purpose. Tie arrangement was
a most ingenious one, and I knew that if q
flame ignited one end OF my train no human
power could prevent it from reaching the
other end. l calculated the SUMS apparent
motion south ward day by day. I experiment
ed with duplicate lens of the same power in
my room. Ihad diagram OF the partition,
and could tell to the sixteenth of an inch
where the sunlight would fall at any hour in
the afternoon"
Here interrupted Urquehardt. cit seems
to me, my friend,' said, that you were tax
ing extraordinary pains to become an incen-
diary, and might have set fire to the store
more directly and surely"
eyes," he replied, "but it was no part of
my obiect-though itmight be of unavoidable
consequence-to burn his store"
"Ah, what then was your object"
"You shall learn. Immediately over my
room was the chamber occupied by Miss
in the afternoons. l could hear the treadle
of her sewing machine for an hour at the time.
On the floor above that there was a storerOoIn,
seldom entered, and, as found, well packed
with refuse. Among other thikgs it contained
brought up from the cellar Of the ster. to put
under leak in the roof. Such was the
structure of the building that there was a
space of four inches between the plaster and
the bricks, reaching from that storeroom to
the ground floor on three sides of Adde'S
room. l calculated that with a rubber tube
could pump from my room noiselessly at least
forty gallons OF benZne in one night, and that
when was ready could upset the cask so
that the inflammable fluid would flow down
the aperture on three sides of her room, sat-
urating the lath and timbers, and, caught at
my floor, would run across the boards to the
partition, and thus complete the circuit OF
fire."
"You do not mean to say that it was your
purpose to"
'Tt was my purpose to roast that woman
alive, to surround her with quick and mex
tinSuishable flame, a1d to have her lover
where could point it out to him, and tell
him it was my work: was willing to die
for the satisfaction of bringing discontinue
to him; Of enjoying for one instant my
power over him.
We'll" said, ego on with your narrative"
Everything happened fortuitously. The
house, occupied only by an invalid, girl,
ment, presented few obstacles to the accomp.
lshment of my purpose When Addie was
out could roam all over it without disturb
ing Mrs. Prescott. / succeeded in pumping
fifty gallons of benzine into the upper room,
and to prevent its evaporation and the con-
sequent odor, fitted paper head to the cask
which covered with an impervious coat Of
g ue. l fixed upon a day and made my ar.
engagements
81 told May that had come suddenly into
large fortune, and he had the effrontery to
ask me to loan him quite large sum of
money told him that would let him have
it next Friday. That was the day had fixed
for my bonfire, for Ellingher would be away
on Thursday, and Addia took her French les
sons on that day. would, therefore have the
place to myself to complete everything. The
sun, as near as | could calculate, would serve
my purpose at 3 O'Clock and nine minutes. 1t
would fire the phosphorus on the third shelf,
and that would in four seconds ignate the tur-
pentine and explode the oil jar, which, in
turn, would set fire to the floor saturated with
benzine and shoot column OF flame up three
sides of the girls room. l need not bother
you with all the minute deta Is of my scheme.
In order to show you its ingenious perfect
ton should have to make number of draw
ings and mathematical diagrams
Suffice To say tnaJ tod May he could have
the money if he would come with me to Brook
Ign on Friday and get it, and at 2 O clock OH
that fated day, nervous and pale, set out
with him from the store, every thing being in
train for an explosion at 3 O clock and nine
minutes. He noticed my strange manner.
told him with forced laugh that would eX-
plain it to him when we crossed the river.
tried to be cheerful; but even while | jOked
nay mind was running over the points in my
chain of possibilities. / could not think of a
weak or broken link. When we reached the
heights and got an unobstructed view of the
city, looked at my watch. Itwas two minutes
pasts 3, and my heart was heating violently.
sit down here moment said to my
companion In six minutes something will
take place that will interest you"
"He looked at me suspiciously, but sat
down. The city of New York lay before u.s.
its domes and steeples serving to guide the
eye in search of a particular locality.
"Can you point out whereabouts in that in
extricable snarl your own establishment is 81
asked
Certainly" he replied "There are the un
unstable spires of St. Georges, and they are
only two blocks southeast of the store"
ut was ten minutes past 3. Could it be
possible my plan had miscarried%'
Why do you ask me that question at this
time?" said May, who was watching me.
"Hark!' | exclaimed "Do you hear the
fire bells" At that time they rang the dis.
trict
"Can you count the districts?"
He listened eyes, distinctly"
''What Internal nonsense have You-"
est still! One, three, four! Ha, ha! One
hundred and thirty-four- That's yours
whats the matter with your"
"Matter% Icried, with exultation "Mat
| ter? Look there on the other side of St
Georges spire. Do you see that puff OF
smoke? It's your store. 1t means flame.
More than that it means death. Your love
is in it She is walled up in it. Even nov she
how it putfs up blacker and blacker Why
don't you defy me? Why don't you scorn me-
| for my weakness? You don't say word
| Where is your superiority? Am the master
of Fate then? 1t is possible that I. too, car
| rob men of their loves!'
HE uttered not word, but stared at me as
| if he thought had gone mad.
| "At that moment a coupe came along and
| he hailed it He offered the driver ten dollars
| to get hin to Ej fifteenth street and ThirC
| avenue, and jumped in. Then he held the
door open for me to follow him. A moment
| later we were rafting away toward New York
| I taun ted him all the way. but he sale
a word. Wen drop double tear over he
blackenod remains said, for we are ever
now
"The man drove up Second avenve tc
! to Third avenue. The moment we turned the
last corner we both thrust our heads out O
the windows.
81 was just about to tell the driver not tt
mind the crowd, but inform the police officers
we were occupants of the burning building
and to drive right through, when I caught
sight of the store"
"Wenp