Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-03-05

iePiy not Jest yet, o coorse' lhey IL
wait q bit-yo'H see
Three minutes to eleven, and still
no bridegroom
For an explanation of this unusually
dramatic scene in Tong Church we
must go back three days. Philip
Dantln had striven to keep his rage
against his brother within due bounds,
but had failed His stuffed specimens
i'll the subterranean rooms could not
console him, nor could his live beasts
either. These underground rooms
were quite remarkable feature of the
Great House. They dated from the
sixteenth century, if not earlier. For
one hundred years or more they were
disused. Philip, however, persuaded
his father to expend money in making
them tolerably habitable and very
suitable for the kind of museum he
had accumulated. The furthermost
of them was the very ''sanctum sancto
rum" of his oper ations At its ex
treme end there was an ancient door,
way of chiselled stone several inches
in thickness, and beyond that utter
darkness and the beginning of laby-
rinth which had not been explored for
ages and was left to itself. 1t was be-
: lieved to have no issue.
S On this third evening before the
day that was to make him happy
fellow, Jack Dantin found his way
into his brothers den to have chat
with him. For time Philip bore
y with his high spirits uncomplainingly,
i though Jack s praises of Eva were like
, so many thorns in his side. Eventu-
ally, however, his patience gave way.
= He uttered an exclamation which made
IS his brother start in surprise.
: 'Why, old fellow, what is the mat
y ter? You surely don't He stopped.
T. There was that in Philips face which
T. told him much
y eyes; you have guessed it," said
d. Philip, with shrug of the shoulder.
x ''It is rather hard, but the less said
lie about it the better, Twenty years
y hence it will not matter q straw"
&c Jack was silent. He sympathized
u with his brother more than he could
tell i'll words.
is Then it was that, like lightning
flash, the dreadful suggestion rushed
at into Philips mind. ooh, by the way, y
lie he said, casually, 81 wish you would
oblige me by giving a hand to this
s skinned thing. l want it out of my
e. road for time"
IT, Certainly, Phil. Where shall We
IN cart it?" was the reply as Jack sur
veyed the gruesome body of fayed
la alligator, upon which the elder Dan.
III tin had been operating.
+ ''The passage is just the place for
ee it. I'll find the key"
The key was found, the heavy stone
= door was swung open, they carried
J their disgusting burden into the cor
o ridor, and then Philip, who WAS near
. est the room, slipped back, banged
= the door and locked it, and had sped
c up stairs and into the park in re-
n n markably short space of time. He
u threw the key into one of the ponds,
- and then fell to congratulating him
Il self upon his diabolical conduct.
Since then he had not visited his
he museum. The doors were all fast
re locked. No one could get access to
g them. If Jack Dantin shouted till his
u lungs burst no one would hear him.
y. 1t may be imagined what Il wretched
't yet fearfully glad time this interval
CT before the wedding to-day was for
6 Philip Dantin. He professed to be
'S entirely ignorant of his brother Is
Vi whereabouts but limited at having
seen him striding across country to-
+" wards II certain large town whence
IN there was II constant train connection
m with London.
~ The elder Dantin and the servants
DC had every confidence in Jacks reap
pearance in time for the wedding, and
y that until the eve of the day itself,
it Philip, too, expressed his agreement
le with this view of the matter.
le In fact, however, poor Jack, when
1t he realized what had befallen him,
gave himself up for lost. 1t was ter
lie rible to remember where he was under
lie such woeful circumstances, and stun
20 ming to recall that it was his brother
W who had incarcerated him. As the
J. hours sped by he saw clearly that lie
was destined to die, and that Philip
II meant to profit by his death. Like
1t most habitual smokers, he carried
e matches with him. For time he was
g lavish with them, then he husbanded
them. The hours passed, His watch
a told him that it was night He wound
>, it up, slept, reawakened, and struck
is more matches
1t In the meantime he had thought of
e many things But in one thing only
e did he take any interest The passion
= of self-preservation was strong in him,
t for his own sake and Eva's. He re-
solved to try the passages and see if
, haply he might prove the truth of the
old legend which made them sort of
:, arterial connection between the church
n and the Great House. The first day
was spent in the grim groupings, which
y seemed likely to be only too futile.
q Their only result was to make him lose
e himself in the sitting maze. That
= night he slept he knew not where, with
# block of chiseled stone for pillow.
T. 4 match 1ioht had shown him tba+ he