The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-24

is too dreadful"
Il can't" aud Mary shook her head. Il
wish could, father, but It has sort of hor-
rible fascination. Look at all these up
turned faces; it is the same with them all.
You can see that there is not one who would
not go il he could"
The doctor again went forward toward
the house.
''Carne, my dear fellow" he shouted.
lump of at the end of the house into the
shrubs on the beds there, it's your only
chance"
Again the mocking laugh was heard above
the roar of the fire. The flames were
breaking out through the roof now in sew
eral places.
at will not be long before the roof falls
through" Mr.. Armstrong said. Come
away, Mary. will not let you stay here
any longeru
Putting his arms round his daughter, he
led her away. She had not gone ten steps
when there was a tremendous crash. She
looked back; the roof was gone and vol
cano OF flame and sparks was rising from the
shell of the house. Against these the figure
OF the mailman stood out black and clear.
Then sudden puff of wind whired the
flames round him. He staggered, made
half step backward and fell, while a cry
went up from the crowd.
ITS all over, DEAR Mr.. Armstrong said,
releasing his hold of his daughter; and then
with Jacob Carey and three or four other
men, he ran forward to the house, lifted the
body of Reginald Carne up and carried it
beyond danger of falling wall.
DIR. Arrowsmtl and the clergyman and
several of the neighbors at once hurried to
the spot.
He is not dead" jacob Carey said. as
they came up, 'he groaned when we lifted
him; he fell on to one of the little flower beds
between the windows
mo, his heart is beating" the doctor said,
as he knelt beside him and felt his pulse,
''but | fear that he must have sustained
fatal injuriesn
He took out flask that he had, thinking
that cordial might be required, slipped
into his pocket just before starting for the
scene of the fire, and poured few drops OF
spirit between Reginald Carne's lips.
There was faint groan, and a minute
later he opened his eyes.
He looked round in a bewildered way,
but when his eye fell on the burning
house look of satisfaction passed over his
face.
81 have done il, he said. "Ihave broken
the Curse OF Carne's Hold"
The doctor stood up for moment and
said to one Of the grooms standing close
by;
OSb u SIdDlO QOOr OH lIS hinges ara
bring it here; we will carry him into the
gardeners cottage"
As soon as Reginald Carne was taken
away, Mr.. Armstrong and his daughter re
turned to the village. A few of the villagers
followed their example; but for most of
them the fascination Of watching the flames
that were leaping far above the she'll of the
house was too great to be resisted, aud it
was not until the day dawned and the flames
smouldered to deep, quiet glow that the
crowd began to disperse.
SIT has been n terrible scene" Mary said,
as they walled down the hill.
"a terrible scene, child, and it would have
been just as well if you had stayed at home
and slept comfortably. If ! had thought
that you were going to be so foolish | would
not heve gone myself"
you know very well you could not have
helped yourself You could not have sat
quietly in our cottage with the flames dane
ing up above the tree tops there if you had
tried ever so much. Well, somehow am
sorry for MIR. Carne's death, for suppose
he will die"
~ doa't think you need be sorry, Mary
Far better to die even like that than to
live till old age within the walls of a mad
house,
Eyes; but it was not the death, it was the
horror of it"
There was no horror in the case, my
dear. lie felt nothing but a wild joy in the
mischief he had done | do not suppose th at
he had a shadow Of fear of death. He ex-
ulted both in the destruction of his house
and is our inability TO got at him. really
do not think that ne is to be ptied, although
it was terrible sight to see aim. No donbt
he was carrying out long-cherished idea
A thing of tlis sort does not develop all at
once. He may for years have been brooding
over this unhappy faint of insanity in lis
blood, and have persuaded himself that
with destruction Of the house, what
the PEOPLE here foolishly call the Curse OF
the Carnes would be at an end"
But surely you don't believe anything
about the Curse, father?
mot much Mary; the Curse was not upon
the house, but in the insanity that the Span
ish ancestors of the Carnes introduced into
family. Still, l don't know, although you
may think me weak-minded. that l could
assert conscientiously that do not believe
that there is anything in the Curse i self. One
has heard of such things, and certainly be
history of the Carnes would almost seem to
justify the belief Ronald and bis two sis
tiers are, it seems, the last of those who have
the Carne's blood in their veins, and any
how Miss Carnes murder and Ronal1'S
misfortunes do not seem to have anything
ity. AT any rate, dear, l, like you, am glad
the Hold is destroyed. | must own that
should not have liked the thought of your
ever becoming its mistress and indeed
have more than once thought tnat before |
handed you over to Ronald, whenever that
event might take place, | should Insist on
bis making me promise that should he sur
vive his cousin and come into the Carne's
estates, he would never take you to live
there. Well. this will be new incident for
you to write to him about. You ought to
feel thankful for that; for you would other
wise have found it very difficult to I'LL your
letters till you hear from him what course
he is going to adopt regarding this business
Of Ruth Powlett and Forester"
Mary smiled quietly to herself under
cover Of the dark ness, for indeed she found
by no means the difficulty her father sup
posed in filling her letters ut is nearly
4 O'Clock, she said, as she entered the house
and struck light. at is hardly worth
while going to bed, father"
"All right, my dear, you can please your
self. Now it is all over | acknowledge | feel
both cold and sleepy, and you will see moth
ing more of me until between 10 and II
O'Clock in the morning"
80. If you 60 to bed of course shall not
stop up myself" Mary said; "but am con-
WINGED that l shall not close an eye"
And am equally convinced, Mary, that
in a little over half an hour you will be
sound asleep" and in the morning Mary
acknowledge that his anticipation had been
verified.