The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-22
CHAPTER xxx.-tcontinued.,


an easy chair, with her red rair loosely
falling around her pallid, worn face.
The tears roll down her cheeks. at in
tervals. in large, heavy drops. She is
weeping over the ashes Of love, over
wrecked hopes. and lost life. Heavily
over her hroods the spirit of the night,
boding of death.
As the night advances, the clouds
have it all their own way, yelling the
sky with profound darkness; and the
winds wax fercer. The air is filed with
the alternate shrieks. and sobs of terri
fed nature. There is heavy rain. with
which the monster sports, dashing it. and
whirling ii, and scattering it in gusts,
and eddies. and masses.
Heavy footsteps upon the carriage
drive; but the tempest absorbs every
sound into itself Over the gravel,
which stands out lightly from the black
ness that encompasses it. moves
large, dark, numbering object. 1t is
man, bearing another, seemingly sense
less. upon his back Slowly, staggering
and swaying at times under the weight
and the wind, he advances to the hall
door. There he lays down his burden,
he walks cautiously round the house,
looking up at all the windows. There
Is faint light in two, but seemingly
emitted only by night tape-s. All seem
to be sleeping.
He cautiously tries the windows upon
the ground floor. All were securely fast
ened. In a corner of the building there
was a smaller window, like that Of n
pantry. With his diamond ring he cut
out one Of the panes Of glass, put his
arm through the cavity and with some
difficulty succeeded in reaching the fast
ening that secured the sash. He raised
the window and crept through. He took
a lantern and some matches from his
pocket ard struck light.
1t was not a pantry he was in, but
small bedroom. Passing out at the door,
he found himself in the servants offices.
He took off his boots and crept noise
lessly along the passage. until he reached
the corridor. He halted at Silas Cars
tons door and listened, with his ear
TO the keyhole. All seemed quiet.
He assembled the stairs. As he reach
ed the first corridor he became sensible
OF strong, pungent odor and a niisti-
ness in the air, like smoke. he looked
about him for some cause and crept fur
Their along the corridor. Beneath the
door, and through the keyhole of one
Of the rooms, shone a red glow.
: Great heavens! had accident anticipat-
ed his intention? Was this FIRE? He
turned the handle of the door-it was
not locked. His doubts were solved in
an instant. A body Of hot, binding
smoke rushed into his face, nearly over
PIONEERING him. The room was in flames!
Hanging across the arm of chair was
the body of a man, either dead or in
Sc lsible. Lost and awe-stricken. Rod
well stood helpless and transfxed, gaz-
ing upon the awful sight.
At that moment Judith. hurrying out
Of her room, appeared upon the scen~
Miles away, a carriage containing an
old gentleman is speeding furiously al,ng
the Essex road. Upon the box are swo
policemen.
On through the pelting rain and the
rushing wind. beneath the shadows OF
overhanging trees and along the open
road. the soaked, blinded driver. scarce
~ able to see yard before him, gallops
the horses.
Look. lookr' cries a policeman, sod
denly pointing ahead.
There is a glare rising up in the black
sky--a wavering, red glare, that bright
ems and fades, fades and brightens.
The old gentleman within, who, ssite
OF the storm, is continually putting his
head out of the window to see what
progress is being made. sees it, too.
Faster, faster for heavens sake.' he
cries. do you not see that fire? II
must be the Manor House; there is no
other house near"
What is that dark object advancing
so swiftly towards them? A horse, 9al-
Looping furiously, darts past like an ar
row and is lost in the darkness.
What is ,that!' cries the old gen5le-
man, looking out OF the window again.
But only the wind hears his voice.
The glare in the sky grows stron, GER,
nearer. Up rise showers of sparks, and
up rolls the red smoke, and faster .nd
faster speed the horses, until they stem
running a race with the wind. Mach
ing themselves against the tempest
Judith and RoGwell face one another
but only for an instant. With a cry
of agony, she rushes towards her f.th-
err The fire surrounds him now, screen
ing him from all human help. The fla mes
and smoke drive her back with taeir
scorching breath. With wild fury. she
turns upon Rodwell. Recovered from
his momentary panic, he is flying: but
as he reaches the head of the stairs. she
is upon him. with the grip of tigxass
and CALLING wildly for haIn
he struggles fercely, twines his fin
gers in her long hair, and with the
other hand rains heavy blows upon he,
head and face. but still she holds on
never ceasing her wild cries for help
Other cries begin to mingle with hers
and the sounds of battering at doors
The prisoners are aroused to a sense OF
their danger. as well as the servants be-
low. He will be detected, after all, an5
through this wild cat of a woman. SUD
denly there is a dull thud-her voice is
silenced-he has hurled her over the
balusters.
Down the stairs he springs. In the
hall he meets the two terrified servants
In their night dresses, who scream and
run back Quick as lightning he shoot.
back the ponderous bolts of the door
and the next moment is flying along thu
graveled drive. through the iron gates
and out into the highway, where he ha.
left his horse. tied to tree. One bouni
and he is in the saddle, barefooted am
bareheaded. One look behind-a re-
glare IS shining through the windows
and away he dashes through the dark
ness. and the rain. and the bowling wind
On. on, over the open common, wher;
the tempest RACES in unresisted fury :
then under the swaying. groaning trees
plunging into yet deeper darkness Down
DOWN dovn-the speed redoub,es. he /.