The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-04-13

intense establishment. OF course I had
heard the outline of his story, but till
he told me all I was really ignorant Of
the details leading to his unhappy
smash. Until our meeting here we had
not seen each other since the old Oxford
days, when we had been fast friends,
though he was an exquisite of the house
while l vas a member of the studious
Balliol. Ella, we have both Of us
changed a deal since then!'
The speaker ceased.
1.-THE devil!" suddenly exclaimed
Jones, starting forward and peering
over the balcony.
No one noticed the noiseless approach
of Flip from the inner room.
whats up?" drawled Villiers.
"A woman in black just left the
doorway and is crossing the street."
pooh, sit downl The heats been
too much for your never too strong work
ing brain"
There! She's standing at the corner
and looking up at us-Vasiili!"
"Sair.'.
"Who just left the house?"
"Me no savvy, sair."
A wave of hot air suddenly swept
with a hollow sound through the room,
like a breath from the angel of death,
then all was donbly still.
Good heavensl Lii" gasped Har-
vey, who had now glided to the front
and looked ove the balcony.
Ppfcpn onu opo oorJI GOV n -orJ ho
was off, down the stairs and out of the
house like a mailman.
The dark figure at the street corner
seemed to be reckoning.
"Whewf' whlstled Villiers.
Again that sitting blast of air swept
over Limassol. 1t was followed this time
by a rumble like the faroff roll of heavy
artillery. The grumble swelled to a
roar; the balcony seemed to SILVER; the
house swayed like a ship in a storm and
then became steady, just as a deafening
crash of falling masonry reused the still
night into hideous wakefulness. Weird
figures fitted here and there in every
dishabille, shrieks of terror mingled
with cries of anguish, all was widest
confusion.
The first shock of surprise over, Viii
Tiers and his companions rushed down
and out into the street, the far corner of
which was one vast debris.
Fallen houses blocked the roadway,
and here and there means issued from
under masses of timber and masonry.
AS well as they could ViIIiers and his
friend allayed the panic and organized
a species of relief party to clear the
wreckage caused by the severe shock of
earthquake, for this it was, and free the
wounded and separate the dead.
Among the latter just as the day was
breaking they lit on the mangled re-
mains of their late comrade, Flip Har-
yey. But hunt as they would they could
discover no sign of the yelled stranger.
Months afterward when we had all
gone our different ways and | was fill
ing another post in Madeira, l received
a letter from Jones i~nclosing the follow
ing newspaper clipping:
About 2 a. m. on the morning of Aug. {, IS7-,
the private yacht Marie, belonging to Sir
Henry Winter, was driven by a squall of wind
onto a sunken rock while running among the
lonian islands. She is supposed to have foun-
dered Immediately, and so far no trace of her
crew has been discovered. We regret to add
that Lady Winter was on board.
1t was close on that hour when the
earthquake shock was SO disastrously
felt at Limassol. and Lady Winter had
been Miss Lily Fanel
l have altered the names in this
strange story, but for the rest-well,
there are more things in heaven and
earth than are dreamed of in our phi
losophy. The remembrance of these re-
markable incidents has caused me many
a sleepless hour, and I confess my in
ability to explain them. Let those who
may chance to read the story explain it
if they can.-London World.