The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-01-24
fss and tho Current News y. ~

day after the eeparate visits of his
daughter and Randall Belmont to Mrs.
Van Wyck, he determined to have an
end of them. He would satisfy-him-
self by ocular inspection that the treas-
ure was safe.
He sat moodily by the window, after
. supper, repulsing every attention of his
daughter, impatlently waiting for the
silent hours ofthe night, that he might
execute hig purpose.
The hours passed slowly. Near ten
o'clock, Jessica took o candle to 60 to
her lonely room.
She hesitated, with her hand upon
the latch.
Did some premonition of the events
that uight hideous in her memory then
assall her? Do coming events thus cast
their shadows before2
"Good-night, father" she said.
Good night"
Five minutes later he looked up, and
saw her still standing there.
a1aas Sani SrsTana-1;rI2 na fadf ?, Ina rrowled.
The door closed between them. New
er were their mortal eyes to see each
other again.
Bryson waited till the hands of the
| clock pointed to midnight. Long since
| he had ceased t. wind the striker; it's
sound in the night had smitten his
soul as with the voice of thunder.
Then he unlocked the closet door,
pulled out the money, and counted it
all over.
1t required an hour to do it; but il
was all twenty five thousand dol
lars. He stuffed it back into the little
4 ~, nd nl
What restless fend then led the
man down into the cellar, to look
around, and be sure that nothing ap
peared there that might betray himP
No man can know; not oven the tor
mentel criminal himself could hav,
told. s.
iagSs as r s Would ia sEs%s fEa@ssdI soIs shai I'll,
secre'. He peered into overy pook anf
! corner OF the cellar. He he. 3 the can
die down to the bare ground, and Il
the stones, as If he expected to see the
dead hand OF Mason Belmont thrus
OUT
He gave himself up to the deliriun
that the scene and the hour wrought ir
his brain.
at is mine, say-mine; rightfull,
mine!" he shriekel. The dead wall.
of the cellar gave back the echoes
He was my enemy; he ruined me
when he might have saved me. 1 had
my revenge; his treasure became mine
It's only fraction o his wealth wish
it was more. But had my revenge
and the money is all mine!"
bis hands gestured to suit the words
and the candlest;ck fell from his grasp
with an oa'h he snatched it up So
quickly that the flame was not extin
quished. Then he hurried up to his
room, ~~a, throwing himself, dressed
as he was, upon his bed, soon lei
asleep.
10 those who are inclined to be su-
perstitious, it might almost seem as i
the hand of the murdered man had
been stretched forth from his unknown
grave in that cellar, to overwhelm his
assassin with o terrible revenge.
Unperceived by Tom Bryson, til,
flame of the overturned candle hac
touched a single dry shaving. 1t crep
slowly thence, by several scraps of pa
per and dry refuse, to heap of brok ell
boards. There was no draft to fan it
but feeding steadily upon the com
bustib!e contents Of tho cellar, i
reached the joists and the foorins
above. 1t seized upon the stairs, ant
at last swept into the hall, consumin,
the door like paper. A window wa
shattered with the heat; the wind from
without blew and famed the fire; i
roared at last all through the lowe
rooms, and the heat and smoke as
cended to the upper atoxy.
The Old hR9 s y d my stef
e was doomcdi