News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-02-12

! Ior your iaS6 ana decisive answer to my
proposition.
"You have received it often enough
my utter refusal. That's enough. Now,
go away from me-"
"Do you know that you will starve tc
death here"
"Will II"
Eyes, you will" Langly's passion
was stirring at his prisoners GOODNESS,
"These walls are thick, this room lies il
the very heart of the house, your loudesI
cry cannot penetrate scarcely beyond
this room. People think this house un
inhabited-quite right that they should
think thus-nothing could suit me bet
ter
"Go from my sight, you murderer,
coward 1t is my chained condition
that emboldens you to speak thus. Oh,
for a moments liberty I should
ayenge all the months of suffering have
experienced at your hands,"
''Indeed r. and Langiy came nearer
his prisoner. "But it is not likely you
shall be granted moments freedom;
no, my dear fellow" He took out his
watch now. ''After eleven, getting
late. Well, 1 suppose I've received my
final answer. You must give up Marian
Mandrake. You won't leave New York
until after the wed ling, will you?"
mo, thousand times no; neither
will Marian Mandrake ever become your
wife,"
You'd rather stay here and starve
and die. eh ?" The Villains manner
would have aggravated an angel to
anger and rage as it 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 Langly, Robert Grantly
leaped to his feet, and forgetting for the
moment that he was chained, rushed at
his foe, with the intention of strangling
him on the spot.
As he got out as far as his chain would
allow him, there came strange sound
from the wall, near the bed-tick, followed
by a glad cry from the prisoner, Robert
Grantly.
By the lanterns light, Ralph LangIy
beheld the prisoner rush toward him, go
the length of his chain, and come to a
sudden pause, then he heard the sound
from the wall. and looking, saw the
part of the wood in the wall which held
the chain give way, and the heavy chain
dropping to the floor told him that his
prisoner was free.
With sudden cry of fear the villain
turned to flee.
But Robert Grantly was upon him in
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"
The wretch on the floor made an
effort to arise, but the late prisoners
grip was one of iron.
"Give me the key to- unlock these
l.
was Roberts command.
''Its in my pocket" hissed the fear
stricken coward.
Searching with one hand in the
wretch's pocket, Robert Grantly brought
forth the key of the shackles, of the
secret room and also of the front door,
which he had dropped into his pocket.
''Now, then, I've got to lock you in
here till return with a couple of Off
GERS. You shall pay for all the misery l
have suffered, or I'm mistaken
Saying which, he grasped him still
tighter round the throat, raised him to
his feet and hurled him against the wall
of the room, where he fell, partly un-
conscious.
Casting look of hate and triumph at
his fallen enemy, Robert Grantly passed
out of the chamber, and unlocking the
shackles from his ankles gained the
open street and breathed fresh air for
the first time in year.
Ralph Langly, gaining consciousness,
looked around for some opening of
escape ere his late victim returned with
the officers, as he had threatened to do.
The tables were turned on him now.
A small air opening, just over the bed
tick, presented itself and he went to
gain it by standing 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, 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 of the opening
fell back into the secret room with
curse.
His first act was to drag the straw
tick from 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 be-
gan to issue from the bed. tick.
"My God, the house will be on fire.
How can escape, how, howl"
He 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 a heap of old rags in
one corner, and three minutes after the
room was one cell of flame and smoke
and burning wood.
Yells OF agony, curses on curses and
maledlctions came from the suffocating
wretch, as he battered at the walls in
hopeless despair and terror at the fear
full fate which threatened him.
Denser became the smoke, fiercer the
flames, and louder shrieked the un-
fortunate Ralph. The room was now
one sheet of raging flame, which began
to communicate with the other apart
ments of the old house. A terrible cry
Of agony, shrek of despair and pain,
Ralph Langly fell backward into the
raging sea of fire, with his dark soul
| heavy with sin.
For three hours afterward the fire
continued, with fury unabated, nor did
it cease till every piece of timber of the
old house had burned to ashes, and left
naught but black, smoking pile to
show where it had once stood.
Four days after. the charred bones OF
Ralph LangIy were found amid the
ruins.
All we have to add is, that Marian
Mandrake's Joy at Robert Grantly's re.