The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

You've brought that book?" she said.
huskiIy
Brought ito answered. COT course.
IL IS what | said-the key 20 the mystery.
and may act as the title deeds of that old
house
She said no more. but sank into chair.
and sat back watching me while [ opened
the lanthorn, took a couple OF candles
from the sidebcard and lii them at the
smoky flame.
How stupid.~ / muttered We've left
the flat candlestick. but pom my word.
when | stopped at the door | didn't feel
ready to go and rake it out Of that dusty
old curtain
No. painted my wife; 1T was -horrid-
Bed, Not vet" said. excitedIy I'm
going to have look FIRST in this book
My wife uttered low. despairing sigh.
1 won Z stop long, | said. opening the
cover and looking for the owners name.
but finding none. though on one side 0f
the FIRST page the date. in a particularly
clear round hand. March 20. 1875.
There. I cried: that's something as
to the time that house has been shut up.
Wait moment.
/ turned over the leaves by scores until
reached the pen about three-parts OF
the way through. but there was no date
visible until / turned back about score
left-hand cOrner-'OCtOber fS19.7
Here my wife had quite recovered her
self, and drew her chair up TO mine. her
curiosity mastering the effects Of the
II don't see any name" / said. as 1
turned over leaves at random: but it's
plain enough what il is-a physicians
everyday book. Here they are, notes OF
the cases he has attended. with the names
of patients and their ailments. and the
prescriptions administered
These, as it seemed by rapid glance,
went on for about ten years. when quite
a change came over the little paragraphs.
which. so far as I could make cut. dealt
with experiments in chemistry. one In a
few words expressing disappointment at
something which had been sought for not
having been discovered
My word, this will he Interesting I
said; but we must leave il tonight Let's
have a look at the last pages. though.
| turned 70 them. and we read several
with increasing eagerueSs, dwelling long
upon the last. which told OF increasing
weakness and the despair of a man who
seemed to have given up the last years OF
his life to the experimental search Tor
something which was to prove an infalli-
bic cure for certain of the ills OF human
nature, and the gradual awakening OF the
seeker to the fact that he had been a
dreamer.
There It was, all recorded can
not recall the words-but the gist OF il
was that the writer had neglected
his practice, which had dwindled to
nothing. and in his infatuatiOn fOrsak-
en- friends and relatives, living almost en-
tirely. alone. We read. too. that fndiag
the house opposite for sale, he had
bought it for laboratory. and quietly
had it connected by tunnel under the
pathway from cellar To cellar. and then
had the windows and door bricked I'D 50
that he could pursue his studies in COM
plete seciusion, retiring whenever he
liked.
Lastly. in the poor dreamer's own hand
writing was the record of his feeling
that his life was nearly at an end and
of his preparations for the final act
! cannot recall even the brief note
which recorded this. but il was some
thing like this My wife says it was
word for word but 1 am not sure. How
ever, here it is, as nearly as can recol-
lect:
Tomorrow is my birthday-ninety-
three; and il is forty years since gave
myself up to the pursuit Of an aliurinS
phantom, perhaps from vanity. but
Heaven knows / had the welfare of the
world at heart. l believe / shall have
strength enough left to build up the wall
again that / once had broken through.
and for which L have nightly taken
bricks from the store. brought in by the
builder. who at my wish repaired the gar
den wall of my dwelling-house- The bag
of cement ! have ordered will suffice for
that--if I have sufficient strength-h
have sufficient strength. IL will not be
noticed in the dark cellar perhaps when
1 am missing and they search, Tor they
will see only "a wine-bin with rough
wall at the back
Two days-but it is done. Sleep. How
sOon?'
.sHal' / said. closing the book; enough
for tonight Complete self-immolstion-
When he felt that the end was close
at hand sighed my wife How terri
blei How strange
why. il is 3 o cIock.' I said sharply.
land the candles are half burned down
Here. quick. Wait till I've locked up the
lanthorn.
You are not going to take that book
up with you. dear? said my wife, look
ing at me aghast as L lifted it from the
table.
Indeed. but / am" I said. Il shall
put it in the deed-boX.
I'm our bedroom? No. no: don't. dear:
it is too dreadful. Lock it up in the closet
VERY we'll said. and I locked the
dusty old folio in the oak closet oy the
fireplace.
A very short time after We were in
deep sleep, and in dreams | was seeing
a yenera BILE grey earded old man toll
somely building himself up, as II We're,
I seemed to see him go and lie down to
take his final sleep, with his claSpeG
hands upon his breast and his dim eyes
covered with dust, gazing blankly up to-
ward Heaven while he lay mOtiOulesS,
deaf to the clamOr outside. the shouts.
the rattle of wheels, and the roar OF the
mob who had come to break into the
house TO make discovery OF the murder
said to have been done
Yes yesr" 1 cried. excitedly, but with
out moving.
oh. pray, pray wake cried my VIE:
Don't you hear? Can't you See2 Fire!
fire.
l was awake now. to spring out Of bed
and, following my wtfe's example, hurry
on some clothes. We needed no light, for
a ruddy glow seemed TO be coming down
from above, and before 1 was half-dresS-
ed someone was laundering at our
knocker.
massage filing and a couple of engines
were already at the end of the place
against the posts and bars
Yes. yes.'' l shouted Where IS the
fire.
Next door. sir cried a man. upon
whose brass helmet the glow was shin
ing Come down; we must run the nose
uD on your roof.
/ hurried down and admitted the fire
men and police. one, who seemed TO be
the leader. saying.
The place IS going II Ike 4 furnace,
and you'd better get out your plate ana
any valuables YOU want to save. The po-
lice will help YOU.
was almost stunned by the news. con-
fused as | was by being awakened rom .
deep sleep, and IL was some minutes De
fore / could realize that the blank mouse
was on fire apparently from top 10 DOT,
tom. and a great shear or name anu
smoke reared out from the roof.
In less than an hour We were gazing ~
the fire from a house a few doors lower
on the opposite side. where in nelShDor-
" way we had been taken IN. 70 see tnat
C,,r Mace and the adjoining one beyond
were all involved and our h0usehOid
goods were shriveIins up in the names
ITS horrible. dear 7 said; but don
fret You have all our important papers
and the insurance policies
Yes. dear. all in the deed-boX- j saved
it at once ~. ID .,s
we'll WHY that tindery old curtain must
have fgnited from the spark left upon the
snuff when it fell and put the candle out
Then il must have slowly SInOuidered tIH
il burst into flame. Never mind; we nave
saved the chronicle. / would not have
lost that MS. book for hundred