The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-03-14

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streets became evident. No man under
goes this experience. when he has been
away from home many hours, and sees
the red glare rising in the direction of
his own house, without a pang of ankle
ty, if not of terror. How well-founded |
was this sensation in the present case
was made evident ere had walked an
other 200 yards; yes, merciful powers
it was my house that was on firel
1 can scarcely record what followed
I only know that somehow found my
self in the midst of the police and fire.
men. That / explained to the super
intendent who was, and that under his
escort / soon ascertained that all the in
mates of my house, my children, their
governess and the servants, were in
safety, and had been taken into a neigh
boris at the rear; that, as soon as /
found this to be the case, /, accompa-
MED still by the superintendent, mount
ed to the top of an adjacent residence,
whence the fremen were directing the
hose upon the flames.
Once on this vantage point, my mind
reverted to the white chest. Was it
still there? Yes; the flames, though
bursting out from all the windows of
the upper stories, back and front, had
not yet done more than wrench and
crack portions of the glass case. For a
time it seemed as If this would be the
most that might happen. The water
seemed to be getting the upper hand,
and, as il fell in torrents on the hot
roof, such clouds of steam were thrown
up with the smoke as would have COM
pletely hidden everything from view,
but that our position had been skillfully
selected, and was well to windward of
the burning mass. But presently, amid
the roar of the flames, there came a
dull, heavy rumble for moment, and
then, with tremendous crash, the roof
fell in. With it, of course, went the
fragments and framework of the glass
case, and the now-charred-and-bl ackened
chest itself. / had my eyes upon it at
the moment, and down it went deep
into the utter obscurity of the dense
smoke and steam which always sue
ceeds to this climax of conhagration.
| For several minutes nothing was to be
discerned through the overwhelming
wreaths of black-gray fumes. But
presently, though the light from the
fire had been quenched, there began to
be visible, by the aid of the increasing
light of the morning, the depths of this
pit of Acheron. Yet ii was not SO very
deep after all, for the fire having orig
mated on the second floor, the falling
roof had only crashed down, as yet, as
far as the drawing-room, and there,
when my eyes had become accustomed
to the spectacle of the understandable
debris, plainly beheld, resting slant
ways across stubborn remnant of
wall, what had been the white chest /;
it was now split and smashed, and its
contents were revealed.
Good Heavens what was it that /
looked down upon? / turned my face
away for moment with shudder, for
there, protruding through the splintered
fragments of its once creamy-white
wooden case, was huge leaden coffin,
which, in its turn, melted, and, bursting
with the heat, displayed within the un-
mistakable form of shrOuded corpse
1 was in the act of drawing my COM
panion's attention to it in horror, when
suddenly there flew up around it, with
redoubled fury, such a mass of flame
and smoke that it was entirely hidden,
and soon the fire had so spread and
burst out again that the horrible spec
tacle of this unintentional inoremation
was shut from sight, and the house was
finally burned to the ground.
pass over what Immediately followed
after had made. my way back to the
friendly abode where the members OF
my family were sheltered. In a few
days they were snugly settled again in
another home, fortunately not much
the worse for the terrible scare. In due
course the time arrived for looking into
my losses, and while was doing so !
received O letter from Mr.. Gay6ng, who
had come to town, requesting an inter
view. l was glad of this, for foresaw
it must lead to some explanation OF the
strange circumstances surrounding the
agreement / had signed. My curiosity
as to the contents of the white chest
had been rudely satisfied, It was true
but what had been the reason Cor placing
such an object in such a place? and
this was determined to find out. I'm
expectedly Mr.. Gayling disclosed it to
me immediately we met. Il have
asked for this interview, sir" he said
abruptly, because l nm ruined man.
But" interposed, Il am told you
were fully insured"
THAT has nothing to with it," he an
swered; mo insurance can restore the
$4,000 year which lose by what has
happened. / am simply going to tel
you certain facts; because, when you
have heard them, shall pat it to you
whether you will not, out of your ample
means, feel that some compensation il
due me. The fret is, that it has beer
through your tenancy of my house, and
through accident or negligence on the
part of some one for whom You are re
sponsible, that my ruin has been brought
about"
Il don't understand you"
Listen, sir" he went on, "snd you
will. was brought up to the sea and
followed it till mid-life, for was entire
ly dependent on my own earnings. My
only relative Mt this time was an old uncle