Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-11-21

haven't II Now, il you could put II in
that way to my uncle, he would sleep
over il once or twice, and leave me
enough to 60 into business in good shape.
Am right or not?"
"You are right. Your uncle is not an
unjust man, nor an unforgiving man, as
you and know. But here the law
yer sighed, 1T is too late.
And Giles Brockle, looking unconcern-
edly out of the window, and seeing all
the people in the neighborhood had left
their houses for the purpose Of observ-
ing the rising waters that were covering
the streets below them, asked:
How is it too late?" His eye rested
upon the windlass as he spoke.
"I'have Just received word from your
uncle. He has been stricken with paraly-
sis"
WHAT exclaimed Giles Brockle, ris-
ing suddenly. He placed hand on his
hip as he leaned toward the lawyer. my
uncle dying?"
Il fear he will never be able to change
his will"
The lawyer bent his head. That in
stant Giles dealt him terrific blow. The
force of the blow was so great that it caus-
| ed the lawyer to fall prone upon the floor.
As Giles stood over him, glaring down
on him, he opened his eyes once, twice.
Quick as flash Giles drew o revolver
from his hip pocket, placed it over the
| PROSTATE mans heart, and fired.
The dying man uttered one groan, then
was silent.
Giles ran to the front door, locked it,
then returning to the lawyers private
room opened the back door. The safe
was on rollers. To push it across the
floor was the work of minute. There
was no difficulty in rolling it to the edge
of the well-there were boards strong
enough to support twice the weight Of
the small safe.
He did not look around him to see if
he was observed. His one oyerm astering
thought was to throw the safe into the
we'll. One tremendous effort and the safe
plunged down to the bottom Of the we'll.
Then, and not till then, Giles Brockle
looked about him. Not soul was near.
No human eye saw him. The few people
living in that locality were absent from
their homes, doubtless discussing the food.
The body? What should be done with
that horrible thing lying there?
Giles turned to q mantel-piece. The
lamp on it was seized quickly with one
hand as with the other the murderer
grasped the waste basket, flung the con-
tents on the floor, broke the lamp with
his heel in the middle of the paper, and,
striking match, set fire to the paper and
fed from the house.
He ran out of the back door. As he
ran out Of the house, he discovered the
board bridge that he had observed there
earlier in the day had disappeared. A
large pond of water lay before him.
Simultaneously with this discovery, an
appalling sound smote his ears. The
murderer lifted his hands heavenward,
one minute; the next he was at the mercy
of the food.
The first plunge in the waters that en-
quilted him aroused in Giles Brockle the
resistance many men display when threat
ened with certain death.
He was superb swimmer. He was
strong, supple, and young. The thing
that he had often thought of had really
happened. He knew he was battling for
his life in the waters that leaped down
upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of the
valley from the South Fork dam.
He struck out manfully the moment he
around him, he was two hundred yards
man near. him crying for help, for the
love of heaven. But Giles did not SO
much as look in that direction.
Women and children foated beside
him. Some were whirled in eddies, others
were borne in straight line.
He beheld the roof of house floating
near him. 1t was altogether detached
from the remainder of the house. To
pull himself up on this was easily ac-
complished. Then he looked about him.
A little distance from him man on
board, in safety, suddenly left it with a
cry, and plunging into the food swan to
a girl who was sinking. The man held
her up with one arm and swan back to
the plank with the other. Then he placed
the girls arms and head on the plank and
talked to her.
The man was Algernon Somers. The
woman was his wife.
AS the plank was swept to the large
roof whereon Giles Brackle stood calmly,
Algernon Somers caught the roof and
strove to lift his wife on to it. She was
xhausted-almost senseless, He strove
again and again.
Meanwhile Giles Brackle looked on
calmly.
At last, by superhuman effort, Alger-
non succeeded in pushing his wife upon
the roof.
Then Giles Brockle coolly put out his
foot and pushed her off. Atthe same in
slant he tramped upon the hand that
grasped the roof with the tenacity that
marks the struggle for life, and Algernon
was compelled to relinquish his hold on
the roof. When he turned to look at his
wife, she was disappearing in the seeth-
ing hell Of waters that surged around
him.
In that awful moment Algernon lived
an age. The events of years were recalled
in an instant's time. Where we're the
people who wished him pleasant voy-
age ten minutes since? All swept away.
And this was what had been predicted.
Surely this was the fate foretold with
bated breath by people who lowered
their voices when they talked of the
South Fork dam.
The warning was not false alarm.
Would to heaven they had harkened to it.
He pictured to himself feet rider rid
ing with headlong speed down the slopes
shouting to the startled inhabitants, Fly
for your lives!" But few needed the
| warning.
Something struck the back of the
swimmers head. He looked around.
Great God! An old man and an old
woman with snow white hair were whirled
past, clasped tightly in each others arms,
while just behind them cradle fioated
smoothly on.
The cradle was unbroken. It sat up
well in the Kissing, boiling waters, while
the babe lying in it laughed and crowed
| and hald mn ifa honds