The Wilmingtonian., 1885-07-04
nothing could suit me better. !"


$50 from my sight you murderer, cow
ardl 1t is my chained condition that en-
boldens you to speak thus. Oh, for a mo-
ment's liberty l should avenge all the
months of suffering have experienced at
your hands"
"Indeedr aud Langly came near his
prisoner. "But it is not likely you shall be
granted a moments freedom; no, my dear
fellow He took out his watch now. ''Af-
ter eleven, getting late Well, suppose l
have received my final answer You must
give up Marian Mandrake. You won't
leave New York until after the wedding,
will you?"
'No, thousand times no; neither will
Marian Mandrake ever become your
wife,"
"You would rather stay here and starve
and die, eh?'' The Villains manner would
have aggravated an angel to anger and rage
as 1t did the prisoner. "And still, for all
that, Miss Mandrake shall become my
wife,
Maddened, aggravated, almost frenzied,
by the words and manner of the sneering
Laugly, Robert Grantly leaped to his feet,
and forgetting for the momeut that he was
chained, rushed at his foe with the inten-
tion of strangling him on the spot
As he got out as far as the chain would
allow him there came strange sound from
the wall, near the bed tick, followed by a
glad cry from the prisoner, Robert Grant
ly.
By the lanterns light, Ralph Langly, be.
hind the prisoner, saw him rush toward
him, go to the length ofhis chain, and then
come to a sudden pause, then he heard the
sound from the wall, looking, saw the part
Of the wood in the wall which held the chain
give way, and the heavy chain dropped to
the floor told him that his prisoner was
free.
With a sudden cry of fear the villain turn-
ed to flee.
But Robert Grantly was upon him in au
instant, and bore him down on his back Cn
the floor, then with one knee on his breast
aud one hand grasping his throat, he ex-
claimed
"Now you coward, who is masterp"
rise, but the late prisoners grip was one of
iron.
"Give me the keys to unlock the shackles
on my ankles-quick I say!" was Roberts
command.
Its in my pocket" hissed the fear,
stricken man.
Searching with one hand in the wretch's
pocket, Robert Grantly brought forth the
keys to the sh ackles, of the secret room,
and also of the front door, which he drop.
ped into his pocket
'Now then I've got to lock you in here
till return with couple of officers. You
shall pay for all this misery have suffered,
or am mistaken"
Saying which he grasped him still tight
er around the throat, raised him to his
feet and hurled him against tho wall of
the room, where he fell, partly nncon-
scious.
Casting look Of hate and triumph at his
fallen enemy, Robert Grantiy passed out of
the chamber and unlocked the shackles
from his ankles, gained the open street and
breathed the fresh air for the FIRST time in
year.
Ralph Langly gained consciousness, louk-
ed around for some opening to escape ere his
late victim returned with the officers, as, he
had threatened to do. the tables were now
turned on him.
A small air opening just over the bed tick
pre-. ented itself, and he went to gain it by
sJauding the stiff tick against the wall and
then, getting upon it that he might reach the
air opening.
He had got to the top Of the tick and had
grasped the edge OF the opening above,
whtn the straw tick fell over on the large
lantern where the candle was burning, and
he losing his hold of the edge of the opening
fell back into the secret room with
curse.
His first act was to drag the straw tick
frem the lantern but he was too late; the
flames of the candle had entered it and
dense smoke began to fill the room, and
tongues of flame began to issue from the
bed tick.
"My God, the house will be on fire, How
can l escape; how, howe"
lie tried to beat out the fire, but to no use;
the flames of the burning tick caught the
dry door and wood paneling of the room
and heap of old rags in the corner and
three minutes after the room was one cell of
flame, smoke and burning wood.
Yells of agony, curses on curses aud male
dictions cane from the suffocating wretch,
as he battered at the walls in hopeless des-
pair and terror at the fearful fate which
threatened him.
Denser became the smoke, fercer the
flames, and louder shrieked the un fortunate
Ralph.
The room was now one sheet of raging
flame, which began ito communicate with
the other apartments of the old house.
terrible cry ofagony, shrek of des-
pair and pain, and Ralph Langly fell back
into tho raging see of fire, with his dark
soul heavy with sin.
Four days after, the charred bones of
Ralph Langly were found amid the ruins.
All we have to add is, that Marian Man
drake's joy at Robert GRANTEES return was
unbounded, as was also her Indignation to-
ward Laugly, when she heard of her lovers
Imprisonment by that now dead man. And
SO they were married in the summer.