Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-09-19
DIR. BRAND IN CONCLUSION.


When l asked Dick Fenton to relate his
experiences did not mean him to do so at
such length But there, a he has written
it. and as writing is not a labor OF love with
him, let it go.
When Madeline Rowan found the bed, by
the side of which she had thrown herself In
an ecstasy of grief untenanted, she knew in
a moment that she was the victim of deep
laid plot Being ignorant OF Carriston's
true DO ition in the world, she could conceive
no rea son for the elaborate scheme which
had been devised to lure her so many miles
from her home, and make a prisoner of her.
A prisoner she was. Not only was the
door locked upon her, but slip of paper lay
on the led 1t bore these words: mo harm
Is meant you, and in due time you will be
released. Ask no questions, make no foolish
attempts at escape, and you will be well
treated"
Upon reading this the girls first thought
was one of thankfulnes,. She saw at once
that the reported accident to her lover was
but an invention The probabilities were
that Carriston was alive, ami in his usual
health Now that she felt certain of this,
she could bear any thing.
From the day on which she entered that
room to that on which we rescued her Mad
cline was to all intents AMI purposes as close
q prisoner in that lonely house on the hill
side as sae might have been in the deepest
dungeon in the world. Threats, entreatles,
promises of brides awaited nothing She
was not unkindly treated-that is, suffered
no absolute ill-usage. Books, materials for
need4ework and other little aids to while
away time were supplied. But the only
living creatures she saw were the woman Of
the house, who attended to her wants, and,
on one or two occasions, the man whom Car
riston asserted he had seen in his trance
Size had suffered from the close confinement,
but had always felt certain that sooner or
later her lover would find her. an eff ct
her deliverance. Now that she knew he was
live she could not be unhappy.
did not choose to ask her why she had
felt SO certain on the above points. wished
to add no more puzzles to the one which, to
tell the truth, exercised, even annoyed, me
more than / care to say. But did ask her
if, during her Incarceration, her jailer had
ever la his hand upon her.
She told me that some short time after her
arrival a stranger had gained admittance to
the house. While he was there the man
had entered her room, held her arm, ami
threatened her with violence if she made any
outcry After hearing this did not pursue
the subject.
Carr4ston and Madeline were married at
the earliest possible moment, and left Eng
land Immediately after the ceremony. A
week after their departure, by Carriston's
request, | forwarded the envelope found
upon our prisoner to Mr.. Ralph Carriston.
With it I sent few lines stating where and
under what peculiar circumstances We had
become possessed Of il. l Lever received
any reply to my communication, so, wild
and improbable it seems, l am bound to
believe that Charles Carris on's surmise was
rignt-that Madeline was deceived away and
concealed, not from any ill-will towards her.
self, but with a view to the possible baneful
effect which her mysterious disappearance
might work upon her lovers strange and
excitable organization; and | firmly believe
that had he not in some inexplicabe way
been firmly convinced that she was alive and
faithful to him the plot would have been .
thorough success, and Charles Carriston
would have spent the rest of uis Gays in an
asylum.
Both Sir Charles-he succeeded to his title
shortly after his marriage-and Lady Car.
rist0n are now dead, or l should not have
ventured to relate these things concerning
them They had twelve years of happiness.
If measured by time the period was but a
short one: but feel sure that in it thev en-
Joyed more true happiness than many others
find in the course of a ITotracted life In
word, thought and deed they were as one.
She died, in Rome, of fever, and her hus-
band, without, so far as l know, any par
tcular complaint simply followed be-.
was always honore1 with their sincerest
friendship, an Sir Charles left me sole trus-
tee and guardian to his three sons; so there
are now plenty Of lives between Ralph Car
riston and his desire. l am pleased to say
that the boys, who are as dear to me as my
own children, as yet show no evidence Of
possessing any gifts beyond Nature
/ know that nv having male this story
public will cause two sets of directors TO
fall equally foul of me-the natter-of-fact
prosaic who will say that the alb uction and
subsequent imprisonment of Madeline Rowan
was an absurd impossi bility, aud The scien-
tific man, ike myself, who cannot. dare not
believe that Charles Carriston, from neither
memory nor imagination. could draw a
face. and describe peculiarities, by which
certain man could be identified | am far
from saying there may not lie a smp' Q
natural explanation of the puzzle, but l, for
one, have tailed to find it, so close this tale
as began it by saying am a narrator, and
nothing more.
THE END