Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
CHAPTER III.

The confagration sudden and furious.
Bran lokel had arranged that there should be
no rescue, for no one save the maid servants
were about. Even Cousin Myra and Theodore
were not at home As l was replacing the
stones in position could hear the terrible roar
of the flames, accompanied by the crash Of fall
ing brick and timber Everything was pro-
crossing finely. In brief space of time the
laboratory would be mass of glowing embers
and only few charred bones would be found
| amid the ashes for the coroners Jury to sit
| upon. The teeth would. knew. be most likely
to go through the intense heat unscathed. and
they would be silent but unanswerable witnesses
that Dr. Septimius Clegg Was now numbered
with the dead.
| L felt strange satisfaction glowing within
nv breast as entered the silent bidine place
| of COggerynossett and recolect made u pro-
| found reverence and said with your permits
| sion. brave chieftain." Then lighting the Gu
| rious old brass lamp which Septimius the sec
ond had suspended from the wall / opened nv
desk, took out some loose sheets of paper and
began to write down these experiences as you
| find them here.
One, two, three days went swiftly by as my
chronometer made known to me, and began
to look forward with somewhat of regret to the
time when l should be called upon to take nv
leave of Coggerynossett. The deep stiffness Of
the place was most delightful balm to my mind
SO lately racked and torn by cruel fate as have
related to you. But now what golden vista
opened before my eyes The fair Theodore
rose before me with a heavenly smile lighting
up her glorious countenance, and Writ, my be-
loved Writ. came, too, into that dark chamber
and spoke to me III tones sweetcr than ever
emitted by organ pipes. was profoundly. in
tensely, completely happy. Day after day
went by. The end was almost there, when sud-
denly strange faintness came upon me-
pushed my book aside and drank a glass of
water, but still the beat of my heart grew
fainter and fainter. l rose. staggered toward
my bed, fell upon it and tried to speak, but it
| was too late-,ny soul seemed to have He'd.
Every member of the cOroners jury was O
| friend or neighbor of mine. and as their eyes
rested upon the little heap of charred bones
which had been raked from the ashes the tears
trickled down the cheeks of many of them, for
had always tried to do my duty and men were
pretty generally constrained to speak well of
me.
After making the findings usual in such
cases the jury recommended very strongly to
| the guardian of the person Of the lunatic the
necessity of restraining said lunatic Of his lib
| erty in accordance with the statute in such
cases made and provided.
Heaven in its inscrutable wisdom often be-
| friends the evil docr so that he may be led to
rush on the more swiftly and surely to his de-
struction. Bran Yokel WAS not slow to act
upon the recommendation OF the coroner's
| jury. The very next day, accompanied BY a
| stalwart constable, he fell upon my poor boy,
who was sitting quietly in his apartment and
dragged him to the farthest end of the house
where there was located what we called the oak
room, low ceiled chamber, walled with heavy
oak and having but one small window, to which
an iron grating. for some reason unknown TO
me. had been fitted. Writ made q hard fight
for his liberty, but his magnificent strength had
been sapped by long-continued inactivity, and
he was soon powerless in the hands OF his
captors.
Theodore had been absent from the house at
the time Of the arrest, but hearing Wirts cries
of rage alternating with appeals for mercy and
frantic repetitions of her name, she had rushed
| upon the scene in breathless haste.
| Hold, sir" she called ont to vokel 'swhat's
the meaning Of this outrage? Release Mr..
Clegg. Let this infamous proceeding 70 NO
farther. I'll be responsible for his actsl'F
"Theo, Theo, save me-" pleaded Writ. "Ny
reason has returned to me- Go and rouse our
| friends. 60. 60 quickly, Theo!'