The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-15
DIR. BRAND IN CONCLUSION.

When l asked D,ck Eenton to relate
his experiences l did not mean him to
do so ut such length. But there. as he
has written it. and as writing is not =
labor of love with him. le- it 60.
When Mad.l ne Rowan found the
bed, by the side of which she had
thrown herself in Al ecstasy of greet.
untenanted. she knew in 4 moment that
she was the victim of deep-laid plot.
Being ignorant of CarristoD true posi-
ton in the world. she could CONCEIVE
no reason for the elaborate scheme
which had been devised to lure her 50
many miles from her home, and make
4 prisoner of her.
\ pr soner she was. Not only YVES
the door locked upon her, but a slip of
paper Law on the bed, 1t bore these
words: NO harm is meant YOU, and in
due time you will be released. Ask no
questions. make no foolish attempts ut
escape. and you will be wei treated y
Upon reading this the girls first
thought was one of thankfulness. Sne
saw at once that the reported accident
to her lover was but al invention. The
probabilities were tAat Carriston WAS
alive. and in his usual health. Now
that she felt certain of this, she could
bear anything.
From the dav on which she entered
that room to that on which we rescued
Ler. Madeline WAS. to all intents and
purposes. As close a prisoner in that
lonely house on the h Inside n she
might have been in the deepest dungeon
in the world Threats. entrea';es.
promises of brides, ayailed nothing.
She was not unkind,y treated that $,
suffered no absolute III Usage. Books,
materials for needle work and other
little aids TO while away time were sup
p ed. Bat the only Ii inc 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.
She had suffered from the close con!!ne-
meut. but had always telt certain that
sooner or later her lover would find her.
and elect her deliverance. Now that
she knew he was alive, she could not
be unhappy.
Ca-riston and Madeline were married
al the earliest possible moment, and
left England Immediately after the ccre-
mouy. 4 week alter their departure,
BY Carriston's re iue,t. l forward d tie
envelope found upon our prisoner to
Mr.. Ralph Carlson. With it sent u
few lines stating where and under what
peculiar circumstances we had become
possessed of il. | never reCe we'd anT
rep.y to my commu nication. SO, WI d
AMI improbable a. it seems, am bound
to believe that Charles Carriston' 5 sur
mise was right-rhat Madeline was de-
coyed away and concealed, not f ON
am III will toward herself. but with I
view to the possible bareful effect which
her mysterious disappearance might
work upon her lover strange and exc
citable organization; and / firmly be-
lieve that had he not IN some inexpl;ca-
bic way been firmly convinced that she
was alive and faithful TO him. the plot
would have been 4 thorough success.
anu Charles Carlson would have spent
the rest of his days in an asylum.
Both Sir Charles-he succeeded to his
title shortly after his marriage - and
Lady CarTiston are now dead. or |
should not have ventared to relate these
IolANtl-iLi-
twelve years o. happiness Ii measured
by time, the period was but short one:
but feel sure that in it they enjoyed
more true happiness than many Others
find in the course OF 4 protract d lie. IN
wor.l, thought and deed they were IS
one. She died in Rome of fever; and
her husband. without, so far As | know,
any particular complaint, simply fol-
lowed her
was always hono-ed with their sim
cer.st friendship. and Sir Charles LETT
me sole trustee and guardian to his three
sons; so there ere now plenty Of lives
between Ralph Carriston 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 my having made this
story public VIII cause two sets of OBJ
jectors TO fall equally foul of me-the
mat;er-of-fact prosaic man who win say
that the abduction ami subsequent. inn
pr sonment of Madeline Rowan was an
absurd impossibility, and the scientific
man, like myself. who can not, dare
not believe that Charles Carriston, from
either memory or Imagination, could
draw face and describe peculiarities
by which a certa a man could be iden-
tilted. l am far from saying there may
not be simple. natural explanation Of
the puzzle. but ], for one, have failed 10
find it, so close this tale as began it
by saying am narrator, and nothing
more.
THE END.