Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-03-14
With a sudden cry Of fear the villain

turned TO fee.
But Robert Grantly was upon him IL
an instant, and bore him down on his
back on the floor; then, with one knee
on his breast, and one hand grasping
the throat, he exclaimed:
NOW, you coward, who Is master 2"
Tie wretch on tbs floor made an
effort to arise, hut the late prisoners
grip was one OF iron.
.C.vo me the !ny 70 u4Iock thee
s4acklesson my ankles-quick, say =
vas Roberts command.
Its in my pocket" Kissed the fear
stricken coward.
Searching with one hand in the
wretch pocket, Robert Grantly brought
eorth the key Of the shackles, OF the
,ecretgoom and also Of the front door,
which he had dropped into his pocket
Now, then, I've got to lock you ii
here till return with couple OF Off
GERS. You shall pay for ali the misery |
uav. suffered, or I'm mistaken.
Saying which, he grasped him still
tighter round the throat, raised him TO
N, feet and hurled him against the wall
of the room, where he fell, partly IN
couscious.
Ca ing look of hate and triumph st
His fallen enemy, Robert Grantiy passed
out of the chamber, and unlocking tie
-Iackles from his ankles gained tie
op1 street and breathed fresh air for
tie first time in q year.
Ralph Langlv. gaining consciousness,
5ohel around for some opening Of
ape ere his late victim returned with
Inc oific rs, as he had threatened to dc.
The tables were turned on him now.
\ small air-opening, just over the bed
ick, presented itself and be went te
gin it by standing the stiff tick agal0st
Inc wall and then getting upon it that
L. might reach the air-opening.
He mad got to the top of the tick ant
Aal grasped the edge Of the opening
above, when the straw tick bent beneath
him and fell over on the large lantern
! where the candle was burning, and he,
losing hold of the edge ot the opening,
| fell back into the secret room with a
curse.
His first oct was to drag the straw
tick from the lantern, but be was too
late; the FLAMES OF the candle had
entered it and dense smoke began Il
fill the room, and tongues Of flame be
gan to issue from the bed tick.
My God, the house viii be OIL fire
How can I escape, how, how 2
He tried to beat out the fire, but Il
no use; the hames Of the burning ticl
caught the dry door ana wood paneling
OF the room and heap of old rags il
one corner, and three minutes after til
room was one cell OF flame and smok
and burning wood.
Yells OF agony. curses on curses all
maledlctions came from the suffOcatini
wretch, as he battered at the walls i
hopeless despair and terror II the fear
ful fate which threatened him.
Denser became the smoke, fiercer tn
flames, and louder shrieked the III
fortunate Ralph. The room was no
one sheet OF raging fame. which bega
to communicate with the o,uer apart
ments OF the oil house. i terrible CT
Of agony. o shrek OF despair asj pair
Ralph Lang.y 1elI backward into h
raging sea = hGe. with his dark sol
heavy with sjn.
For three hours afterward the 81
continued. with fury unabatad, nor d
it cease tll every piece OF timber Of Il
Old house hA3 burned to ashes, and le
naught but black, smoking pile
show where it had once stood.
-Four days after. the charred bones
Rlph Lang1y were foand amid Il
rains.
Al we have to add is, that Naria
1iau1sake's 10y AZ Robert Gransly's r.
turn, was unbouLded, As vas also b
Indignation toward Langlv, when 81
heard Of her lovers imprisonment /
that new dead mau. And SO they We
married IN the spring.