The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-10-07
1hisrcllaucnus
SAVED BY A NEGATIVE.

|
ming flashes that are printed in maya
| zinesy They don't know when a flash
is coming, and can't make it stay still
while they photograph it, can theyT'
Not likely laughingly replied;
1.-The lightning takes itself. If there
| is thunderstorm at night all that is
| necessary is to put a sensitive plate in
| the camera, uncover the lens and point
it at the sky, when the next flash of
| lightning will record itself upon the
plate, which then must be developed
i'll the usual way"
'Is that all?'' returned Donald.
How very easy. Couldn't we take
some2 Do let US try"
"All right" replied, "but first of
all we must wait for a thunder storm,
so when there is another at night get
your Photographic traps ready, and
Well see what we can do"
Donald and l were enthusiastic
cyclists, he being one of several years
standing, but | only since we came to
live here in Woodford, on the bord-
ers of the new forest, and | found it
| very convenient to ride to the railroad
station-five miles away-or to Sails
bury or Southampton, as our village
lies midway between those towns.
Charmed by the lonely forest seen
cry, l had lately practiced the fasci-
mating science of photography and
thereby secured many n beautiful
scene of woodland glade. Donald, too,
soon waXed enthusiastic ovrr it, and
many a interchangeable day did
we spend securing pictures of the ex-
quisite scenes that abound around
our home.
The marvellous photos of lightning
that appeared on the Strand had eX-
cited Donald's wonder and curiosity,
leadingto the conversation with which
this story commences.
He had not long to wait for a thun-
derstorm, for on that very night ragged
one of exceptional violence 1t began
about II o'clock, and Donald, who had
retired 70 bed some time before, burst
into my room. fully dressed, and
shouted
Come on, father; there's tremen-
dous thunderstorm coming up, and
such flashes of lightning I'm off to
the dark room to put some plates in
the slides, go get the camera ready
The front bedroom window is the
best one to expose from"
Here let me state that our house
stands about ten feet from the road
side, and the view from our front
windows comprises the road aud the
common opposite us, a small piece of
waste land partly surrounded by the
noble trees of the New Forest.
By the time that | had made the
necessary arrangements at the window
Donald rejoined me, bringing three
double dark slides loaded with the
sensitive plates. I'VE ought to get at
least one successful photo out of this
lot" said he.
Soon the storm, which had gradual
ly been drawing nearer, burst over US
with terrible fury, the lightning flash
ing with amazing brilliancY, the thun-
der rolling with deafening roars. One
| by one the plates was exposed under
conditions that justified the eXpecta-
tions and good results, and Donald
was in high glee. just as was about
| to expose the sixth-and last-plate
he said: why don't you take flash
| light photo of the common with one?
| Illuminated by the celestial electric
! light, you know. Point the camera
towards the centre of the common, Just
| for fun. I'd like to see how it comes
| out"
acted upon his suggestion, and no
sooner had | got the camera in posi-
ton than a flash of lightning, so vivid
and brilliant in its intensity as to mo
mentarily blind us and ring from us
| fearsome and terrified ''Oh!'' imprint
ed the scene on the sensitive plate.
| I'm glad that's the last plate, "said
Donald, when the deafening peal of
thunder allowed him to make himself
heard, for l should not care to stand
: h. 40. Il, 1.
| flash as that. Shall we develop the
plates toniSht?''
Not if know it," 1 replied. BE
off to bed now, and We'll do them the
! first thing in the morning."
But we didn'; for we were awakened
early by violent ringing of the bell,
and upon going down in my dressing
gewn and opening the door ! beheld
| the village constable, with white, hag-
| gard face, on which fear was strongly
| marked in every line.
| "Oh, sirr' he gasped, will you come
| over on the common with me? There's
the corpse of a man lying there, and |
| fear he's been murdered, for there's q
knife stuck in his breast. ! want YOU
| to come as witness before touch the
| BODY
Lying on the common! Murdered.
| Impossible.' | said. But wait a mo-
ment till l have dressed and I'll come
with you"
| The conBtable's tale was only too
true, for there, lying on the damp
grass-his hair and clothes sodden with
last nights rain; with upturned face
and with the blade of a large knife
buried deep in his heart-lay the
corpse of Ivan Solenski, the hand
some young tenant of The Hermit
age" and sutton for the heart and
hand of the lovely Marie Devereux, of
Forest Hail." While the constable
guarded the body hurried for the
doctor, who upon his arrival declared
that life had been extinct for some
hours.
Good Heavensw lie calculated
this knife belongs to Gerald Merriees
See, here are his initials,n and there,
on the silver mounted handle, were
the letters ''G. NJ
That evening Gerald Merrilees, the
handsome, weil-built young owner of
The Home Farm and Solepski's
rival for the affections of the bean
teous Marie DevereuX, was arrested on
a charge OF murder, upon the sworn
information of the butler of Forest
Hail." who deposed that on the pre-,
| vious evening Merrilees had had a