The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-01-08

GSSSS9T1 love with him, let
When Madeline
Rowan found the bed, by the side of
which she had thrown herself in an
ecstasy of grief, untenanted, she knew
in moment that she was the victim
OF deep laid plot. Being ignorant OF
Carriston's true position in the world,
she could conceive no reason for the
elaborate scheme which had been de-
vised to lure her so many miles from
her home and make prisoner or her.
A prisoner she was. Not only was
the door locked upon her, but slip
of paper lay on the bed. 1t bore these
words: mo harm is meant you, and
in due time you will be released. ASK
no questions, make no foolish attempts
at escape, and you will be well treated.
Upon reading this the girls first
thought was one of thankfulness. She
saw at once that the reported accident
to her lover was but an invention. The
probabilities were that Carriston was
alive, and in his usual health. Now
that she felt certain of this, she could
bear anything.
From the day on which she entered
that room, to that on which we rescued
her, Madeline was to all intents and
purposes as close a prisoner in that
lonely house on the hillside as she
might have haan N tho nnannGt DIM
geon in the world. Threats, entreaties,
promises Of brides availed nothing She
was not unkindly treated-that is, suf-
fered no absolute ill-usage. Books,
materials for needle work, and other
little aids TO while away time were
supplied. But the only living creatures
she saw were the woman of the house
who attended to her wants, and, on one
or two occasions, the man whom Car
riston asserted he had seen in his
trance. She had suffered from the
close confinement, but had always felt
certain that sooner or later her lover
would find her and effect her deliver
ance. Now that she knew he was alive
she could not be unhappy.
did not choose to ask her why she
had felt so certain on the above points.
l wish ito add no more puzzles to the
one which, to tell the truth, exercised,
even annoyed me, more than / care to
say. But 1 did ask her if, during her
Incarceration, her Tailor had ever laid
his hand upon her.
She told me that some short time
| after her arrival a stranger had gained
admittance to the house. While he was
there the man had entered her room,
held her arm, and threatened her with
violence If she made an cutlery. After
hearing this, did not pursue the sub
| ject.
Carriston and Madeline were married
at the earliest possible moment, and
left England Immediately after the
ceremony. A week after their depar-
ture, by Carriston's request, 1 forward
ed the envelope found upon our pris-
oner to Mr.. Ralph Carriston. With It
sent a few lines stating where and
under what peculiar circumstances We
had become possessed Of 1t. / never
received any reply to my communica-
ton, SO, wild and improbable as it
seems, I am bound to believe that
| Charles Carriston's surmise was right
that Madeline was decoyed away and
concealed, not from any ill-will toward
| herself, but with a view to the posi-
BILE baneful effect which her mysterious
| oh
| lovers strange and excitable organi-
cation; and / firmly believe that, had
he not in some ineXplicable way been
| firmly convinced that she was alive
and faithful to him, the plot would
| have been a thorough success, and
Charles Carriston would have spent the
rest of his days in an asylum.
Both Sir Charles-he succeeded to his
title shortly after his marriage-and
Lady Carriston are now dead, or /
should not have ventured to relate these
things concerning them. They had
twelve years of happiness. If measured
by time the period was but a short one,
but l feel sure that in it they enjoyed
more true happiness than many others
| find in the course Of protracted life
In word, thought and. deed they were
as one. She died in Rome, of fever.
and her husband, without, so far as |
know, any particular complaint, simply
| followed her.
/ was always honored with their Gin
cerest friendship, and Sir Charles left
me sole trustee and guardian of his
three sons, so there are plenty of lives
between Ralph Carriston and his de-
sire. am pleased to say that the boys
who are as dear to me as my own chill
dren, as yet show no evidence of pos
sessing any gifts beyond nature.
l know that my having made this
story public will cause two sets of OBJ
| jectors to fall equally foul of me-the
matter-of-fact prosaic man who will
say that the abduction and subsequent
Imprisonment of Madeline was an alb
surd impossibility, and the scientific
man, like myself, who cannot. dare not
believe that Charles Carriston, from