Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-02

the room where she had left the boy
was over No doubt the child had got
out of bed, and while playing with the
lamp, it fell and fired the house.
| There was nothing for the disconso-
late father to do but to wait there
through the dreary watches of that
desolate, dim night, looking at the
uncertain flicker of the gradually dy-
ihg fire.
With morning came the possibility
of search. Then the remains of the
lamp were found, but no trace what
ever of the boy. This puzzled the peo-
pie skilled in fires. They owned they
could make nothing of it. They could
trace portions of the bedding and the
floor, but nothing whatever that spoke
of the presence of a human being
Walford urged the searchers to renew
their quest. Again in vain. Abso-
lutely nothing belonging to the boy
was found, except, strangely enough,
some buttons which were known to
belong to his clothes, and shilling.
Both the father and the nurse agreed
that there could not possibly have
been any other silver coin in that
room than the one given by the father
to his son the evening before. This
coin, too, was found in a place close
beside the iron bedstead, which would
roughly correspond with where the
nurse had put his clothes. What mys-
teries upon mysteries We're thesel
Even now, it was nine o'clock in
the morning, Walford refused to
leave the ruins, and his friend, who
had stayed with him Loyalty all the
time, set off in search of some refresh
ment. He came back very shortly
and preoccupied as Walford was, he
could not but see that some new and
startling surprise had overtaken his
friend He asked hastily what it
was.
Il don't think | had ought to tell
you, Walford, but if don't some one
else will in few minutes There
was bad break down at the Cremon-
ia last night"
II know there was, and l was the
cause of il" said Walford sadly. But
who can blame me? Look at this.
Where is my boy9"
II don't blame you, Walford, but
Grattin. lie fell on the stage i'll a
faintingfit and the opera had to be
stopped They say he's seriously i'll.
In fact the doctors think he he can't
recover. The papers say there is some
thing wrong with the heart"
81 am very sorry to hear it, said
Walford. Poor Grattin. The sight
of my house in flames, and the knowl-
edge that my little one had persisted,
and then having to dress and go on
in a comic part, was too much for
| him"
While the two men were speaking a
third man came up and said: ''The
police tell me one of you is Mr.. Wal
ford / have a note for you Mr.. Wal
ford"
When the owner of the burned
house had read it he turned to his
companion and said: 'Itcomes from
poor Grattin. He asks me to come to
him at once for Gods sake, or he may
never see me again. He lives quite
close. / will not be half an hour.
Wait for me"
Walford found Grattin exhausted
but able to speak fuently. ''The doc
tors tell me | may go any moment.
will not waste word. | have been
unconscious until just now. | want
you to forgive me if you can, if you
will. | was jealous of you. made
my mind up to destroy you if | could.
The whole plot was mine. | got a
woman to decoy your servant away.
| set fire to your house"
and the boy-the boy?" whispered
the father, pale as death.
us sleeping there" He pointed to
4 door leading off the room in which
he lay. fused chloroform on a hand
kerchief with him and then brought
him here. He is safe. Open the door
and look. l shall never sing the part.
| had better voice than you, but
wasn't as good a man. Forgive me,
and let me die in peace with all on
earth, since there is no hope of my
gaining peace hereafter I have earn
I'd damnation, but | did not kill the
boy. Mercy mercy, James Wal
ford! Hank, There is your boy 5
voice. Is it not sweet enough to your
ears this morning to take away your
anger Hank. That is not the voice
of your boy That is the call-boy.
Monsieur Grattin, the stage waits.
Ready"
And with this word Monsieur Graf
I tim answered his Last Call