Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-08-09


an eccentric old aunt who was exceed
ingly wealthy.
1t was the old story-Arline's mother
had married beneath her, and from
that hour had been as dead to her
relatives; but when kind Provi-
dence threw the forlorn young girl un-
der the housekeeping carriage horses
OF the dowager Lady Wallis, and she
later on discovered that this lovely
creature was her own flesh and blood,
a sudden love for the girl sprang up
in her withered old heart, which re-
suited in her adopting this niece as
her sole heiress.
Two years later Airline was bereft
of her eccentric, but kind relative, and
found herself once more alone in the
world, this time possessed of a most
bountiful fortune.
Then it was, with the abruptness of
cannon shot, Captain Brand ap-
peared upon the scene.
He had a thrilling story to tell OF
his vessels laundering in gale off
the African coast, his narrow escape
from drowning, of being cast ashore,
found by wandering Arabs, taken into
captivity, sold some years later to
tribe of the Great Sahara, so that he
finally drifted to Dahomey where,
through the assistance of the faithful
woman he had been forced to marry,
he eventually made bold and success
full escape, though his companion gave
up her life in throwing herself in
front of a spear that was meant for
him.
Airline accepted it all as gospel truth,
and would have at the time believed
even a much more miraculous series of
adventures could such have been by
any means invented by this modern
Munchausen.
This was before she knew Captain
Brand so we'll
She spent money with liberal hand.
He was enabled to indulge his love
for fine clothes to its full bent. He
smoked the finest cigars, drank the
most expensive liquors, and she feared
he frequently INDUCED in gaming.
Thus year went by.
Captain Brand had ceased to beg for
money. He demanded it as his right,
and in sums so large that Airline was
growing alarmed.
He had tried to influence her to
make her will leaving all her wealth
to him; something might happen to
her, though Heaven forbid, and she
would not like to think of the great
property going to strangers while her
poor papa was left unprovided for.
Airline refused to do as he requested,
something within warning her against
it.
Some time after the dreadful sus-
picion had flashed into her brain that
Captain Brand was having will
forged to suit his ideas governing the
case.
Even then she had not realized what
this might portend. How should an
innocent trusting young girl desirous
of bestowing all reasonable benefits
upon the man she had come to believe
was her father-how should she sus-
pect that this ungrateful man could
conspire with unprincipled confeder-
ates to actually take her life, yet by
sucn means as would make it seem
cruel accident?
While in Antwerp he had professed
keen desire to visit the dungeons of the
Steen, and yet always made it appear
as though she were the one most
interested in the abode of ghostly
memories.
An expedition was accordingly
planned.
Airline never could tell just how it
came about. She remembered Captain
Brands enthusiasm in leading her
deeper into the recesses, and how he
suddenly disappeared while she was
examining some object of interest;
how she waited for him to reappear,
until, growing alarmed by the dimin-
ishing size of her candle. she had en-
deavored to find her way back to the
party; how she tripped and fell, losing
her light. Then she cried out in terror
as the awful darkness closed around
her, but no answer came.
Then she realized that the others had
gone; that this cruel-hearted man she
called father, had deserted her, pre-
tending to believe, no doubt, that she
had gone above with a portion of the
party upon whom the horrors of the
dungeon soon palled.
He could also take it for granted
she had gone away with her new-found
frierds, and not show any alarm for