Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-11-08


that Le might be promoted to a front
place with salary of go This hope
bad bsen dispelled when Walford sot tbs
el ssgemsnt, and row he, Grattin, had
no part al all, and no chance Of an
appearance during the present run,
upl+ss we,foid bioke down.
just ss the curtain was rung ap there
was great comm1tion behind. Grsttin
hA4 arrived iu state of the highest
excitement, and there were sounds OF |
CONSERVATION and dismay from the mems |
dressing room. Before the curtain had |
was stopped, aud the manager stepped |
forward to ex plain that, owing to ssd
calamity, news OF which had reached the |
theatre but that vary moment, Mr..
WalioTd would 20. be able to appear that |
evening la the isce Of such misfortune,
N Grstiu, with whom they had so long
been tayorsbly familiar, had kindly
consented to sing tie part
The manager said more, but this is all
that is material. The audience was
a mufmer.
What had occurred behind was this
Grattia had, Ia = state of widest excite
iLuLbi IuSheh lLko bnc lnon uItShlhk-
room and announced that Albany Lodge
was Gu fire, and there was reason to
suppose the boy had persisted in the
Aamss. He explained that what must
have been from three quarters OF at hour
10 ~ hour after WadiOrd left his home,
he, Grattin, was passing by with ths
intention OF calling ior his friend, when
he found a crowd around the house and
flames bursting through the windows.
he harmed from the police that from the
first alarm II was impossible to enter the
house. Hence their fear that the boy
and possibly the old woman had persisted.
In the TAGS OF such horrible events it
was clearly impossible Tor Walford to
sing. Grsttin had taken q hanson the
whole way down for the sake of speed.
| The BEST thing for Walford to do was to
lake hsnsom back aud le.s Grattin go
| through the part. So said every one.
and one Of the good natured members OF
| the company, who had nothing to do
| that night, volunteered to accompany
him. So the poor father, assisted by
| those around him, took .of the gay
trappinss OF the stage and resumed the
sOber garb OF everyday life, and went off
| muiely with his friend to the scene OF
| desolation.
When he got there the house was all
| abaze, and he was assured that nothing
| could be done until morning.
Had anything been heard or seen OF
his boy Mo- nothing. Had anything
bsen seen Ut Martha Yes ; she had come
back, and her story WAS strange one.
1t ran as follows
Very shortly after her master had LETT
the house, and jast as she had put the
boy to bed, knock came to the side
door. She vent down, leaving the
psratfin oil lamp burning ON the table
close to the bed, She found at the door
ragged little boy, who handed her a
note. This she read in the kitchen. 1t
vas to the effect that if she came to a
certain public-house the writer would
tell her something which would be
greatly to her advantage and the
advantage OF her master. She did not at
all like tine notion of leaving the house.
In the first place her instructions about
the Toy we're clear. In the second place
the tastenings OF the house were not
satisfactory. The spring lock on the
sid5 door little better than touched the
hasp, and as the master himself knew, a
strong push was sufficient to open that
door from the outside, except when il
was boltsd within.
For long time the woman hesitated
Then, thinaing there might really be
some advantage TO herself and her master
behind this E0te, she resolved to risk
going. Before leaving she went up stairs
! aud lest he boy might teel lonsly-sh,
had been accustomed to st with hin
while h- went 10 slsep-she told him sh,
would leave the lamp slight on tn
: condition that lie lay still, and did no
, &c. out at the bed while she was away
The boy promised and she went
I Al the public house indicated sh
: found s,uut, slstternly woman, VIII
1 appeared to BIZ the worse for drink Thi
woman said she was the writer OF tn
n note aud then, to Martha Grace's horror
assured thu faithful old servant that sh
Il lad 1u intention whatever of beneftn
Il sG4 master OF Albany Lodge, but that he
/. 3sslsn vas that Martha, being 10
O goyiuUh q too4d tenee, as she was Informed
;, sAon ! gradually pillsge that honse; tht
d e1r, the strange woman, would dispose
the goods, sEd that they two shuul
. jivi IL the money betwe sen them.
a Martha broke away from this wretc
"a Indignantly, and hurried back with a
, speed 10 tho house. She had been MOI
n than balt sn hour absent, and when 81
v got back ihe place. was in flames, aud h
% possibility Of getting at the room whel
she had lei. the boy was over. \
It dodJt the child had got out of bed, al
10 wbil- playing with the lamp, it fell al
10 fired I'll house.
q There was nothing for the disconsolat
/ father to do ont to wait there throug
1 tho dfeary watches OF that desolate di
At night, looking at the uncertain flicker
/. tae graiually dying fire
n With morning came the possibility
ID search Then the remains of the Ian
we're found, hui no trace whatever of Il
ar boy. This puzzled people skilled
he fires. They owned they could NAL
notLiuy OF it, They could trace porto
A OF The bedding aud the floor, but nothil
-. wLs,sv-r that spOke OF the presence Of
.e. hntaan bstng. Walford urged T.
he se.rehers TO renew their quest. Aga
M il vain. Absolutely nothing belongs
he To tie boy was found, except, strange
of enough, SONS buttons which we're know
al h belong to his clothes, and a shilliu
Ia Botu Vie father and the nurse agre
that there Gould not possibly have be
m any other silver coin in that room tn
N tha one given hy the father to his SOC t
ns evening" before, rLis coin. too. W
al found in place close beside the ir
90 f45stssd which would roughly cor,
in spoud with where the nurse had mt
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