The record-union., 1896-05-31

S~~-N~
out. 1t was of greater worth to me than
all the wealth about me. / sat still and
waited. / suppose I must have fallen
asleep again, for faint sound reused
me. 1 stood UP and listened. Some one
was hammering in the wall behind me-
The strokes of the hammer sounded
family, but there was no mistake ABOUT
them. Some one was working steadily
for my release. I meant TO shout out
to welcome them, but the sudden relief
was too much for me, and for time
think 1 must have remained in a half
conscious condition. When L recovered
the sounds had ceased
Had they given up the search: HAD
my hope vanished?
l looked at my watch and calculated
that it must be day again. L felt very
weak and exhausted. had been With
out food for many hours, and 1t may
have been that my senses were keener
and my nerves at a greater tension on
account of this. Be this as 1t may, IL
dawned upon me that my deliverer had
been working at night. Why Where
was the need of secresy in my deliver
ance? My hand unconsciously fell upon
a packet of bank notes. 1t seemed
somehow to answer my question. Ihat
night workman knew nothing OF me.
He had heard of the treasure. / counted
the slow hours until l judged 1t was
night again, and then the sounds be-
gan again. They were much nearer
than when 1 first heard them, but the
work was not finished that night.
/ felt very weak, but hope lent me
strength, and having located the sound,
I set to work on my side to help the
worker as much as possible. With
large staple, which 1 succeeded in
knocking out of the dungeon WALL L
worked all day loosening the bricks,
and then, as night approached, L sat
down to think over the position. II the
worker were a thief, he would probably
be desperate, having struggled so hard
for success. Doubtless he would be
armed; but if not l should be no match
for him in my present condition. Con-
science. however, would probably make
him cowardly. 1 might succeed in
frightening him. There was an old
coat and cap in the room, evidently left
there by the miser; and thinking that
possibly the robber knew something of
the miser, to have guessed his hiding
place so well, 1 decided to put these on.
] lit my candle, very near It's end now,
and collected the jewels, and the notes,
and the will, and the letter, put these
into the pockets of my cloak and rolled
it into a bundle. Then my candle
spluttered and went out and l anxiously
waited for the sounds to begin. What
a long time l sat there listening! Sud
denly there was a blow SO loud that it
sounded only just on the other side OF
the bricks I had loosened. The worker
seemed to know that the end was near,
for he was very busy. He did not pause
an instant l waited, my bundle in my
hand.
There was a crash. A light flashed
in my eyes, and 1 set up the most un-
earthly yell / could l almost fright
ened myself; but I certainly fright
ened the other man. / shall never for
get the shrek of terror that rent the
air. The light vanished, and the sound
of quick, scuff1ing feet grew fainter.
Now was my opportunity. l groped
my way to the wall, stumbling over the
fallen bricks The air was more stuffy
in the passage than in the room, but
was not very bad, and 1 went forward
into the darkness as fast as my feeble
dim light in front of me, coming
closer. The man was returning.
put my hand out to steady myself
against the wall of the passage. 1t was
further back than I expected, and 1 al
most fell toward it. 1t was fortunate l
did so, for I found myself in narrow
recess, out of the path of the coming
man. The light came nearer. 1 held
my breath. The man walked slowly
and on tip-toe, and in his hand he held
revolver. 1t was not until he had
passed me that / recognized him. 1t
was Mark Gilman. No wonder I had
frightened him. wearing that coat and
cap!
When he had gone some way, I came
from the recess, and continued my
journey down the passage. Mark Gill
man had evidently recovered himself
after his first fright, and had gone back
to finish his work. 1t would probably
have gone hard with me had he found
fme on his return.
Presently I stumtged rather than
walked into what seemed an open cave.
For a moment L thought 1 had wan
dered back to my old prison; only, look
| ing up, / saw two stars. / ventured to
strike a match, and found the chamber
| heaped with rubbish and brushwood.
| I was in the old ruined tower standing
alone in the field.
| How I got back to the Hall I do not
know. I do not remember how I ex-
planned my return at such an hour in
| the morning. I know 1 locked my
cloak, and all it contained, in my safe,
| and drank some brandy with feverish
| eagerness, and then everything sud
denly began to turn round slowly, and
then faster and faster, until the lamp
| seemed circle of fire round me, and 1
remember no more.
| 1t was week before I began to re-
member things and nearly three weeks
| before 1 was allowed to go out. Then
| could only get as far as the old toll-bar.
| l stood leaning against the deserted cot
| tage, looking down the road. A lady in
| black was walking briskly toward me,
but I did not recognize her until she
held out her hand.
| Frank"
Ethel 1 exclaimed, and I felt the
| blood rush through my veins with re-
newed vigur.
| 1 date my return to health from that
moment.
| II am so glad you are better. I had
very bitter thoughts about you, until /
knew you were i'll. My father died sud
denly three weeks ago"
Three weeks! How long ago it
| seemed.
And Mark Gillman?" I asked.
| Il will tell you tomorrow. Do you
think you could drive over and see me
| Tomorrow"
| Il WILL" I answered.