The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-09-10

prayers be granted? Shall | ever have q
knife? Can / ever cut my way out of
this weary prison, out to liberty, and
preaching?'
July 19.-Hsllelijah. Ny prayer 10
heard! A knife came TO me with my
food; sent me. | presume. by accident.
1t was forgotten, and now it is mine!
/ shall write no more. ! shall instantly
get TO work: | shall soon be free man.
Elfenstein paused and passed his hasd
over his forehead in deep thought. A
sudden idea had seized him; it was this !:
Ethel Nevergail and he must have been
in the corridor when this poor creature
escaped. Yes; poor creature. These
last lines told that he must have been
insane. or nearly so, at least. when he es-
capped.
But he had no time to think; few
more words remained TO he read. and his
audience were eagerly waiting. These
were written in pencil. and the letters
were crooked and feeble. as though done
in great weakness.
August 1S.-I am sick. dying per
haps. o joy, if this should prove to be
death | am weary tired. worn out, but
| thank God | am again myself.
Now | know | am Sir Arthur Glen
denning. Lately | have been confused,
and thought myself a minister My brain,
my poor brain, was unstrung. At last
| am myself.
A knife came to me and | took out
the screws from the shelves. opened the
panels after pushing the shelves aside,
and escaped from my prison.
I'm the corridor | came upon young
girl and man. Strangers; knew that
at once. Both were strangers Yet L
feared recapture.
Il rushed forward, dashed the light
from them, and then another frenzy seiz-
ed me. and my poor head nearly burst
with pain. | uttered cry in my agony.
Then another. as | rushed through the
Well-known ruins.
The night air revived me. l had not
felt its cheering influence, drawn fresh
mouthful of outside air, in twenty five
years. | opened my mouth, | expanded
my chest. | drank it all in.
What cared | for the storm the howl
ing wind, the falling rain? 1t was de-
light. it was rapture. | was free! l
was free.
Il knew not where to go. but sped
away. away. and rested not until | was
hidden in the cave in Demons wood.
There | slept and rested. There | quiet
ed my overweight nerves, and thanked
God for the blessed knife.
Morning came, and again | tried to
think. My brain seemed heavy, and |
could scarcely remember my own name.
But it came to me after awhile. Rev.
Edwin c. Stiles a minister of the Cos
pei. But how could | preach in these
threadbare clothes? | must get suitable
garments. | had money; | always had
had money. l had it in my pocketbook
when cast into prison. My prosecutors
did not rob me.
so l took the cars and went to Liv-
erpool. where | bought a suit of clerical
clothes, and books. and papers to sell.
1 bought also little wallet in which
TO lock up these pages. Something tells
me | must never part with these my pa
pers.
Yes; / have them safe. Now lying
here, the wallet is safe in my hands.
returned to the village then. and must
have wandered around, selling my books
us Rev. Edwin G. Stiles.
But now. | am sane My senses
have returned. | am Sir Arthur Glen
denning. and | am dying know | must
have been insane. or partly 80, for the
last few weeks; but my mind is clear,
perfectly clear tonight.
In this cave | was taken i'll, and could
scarcely move for days. | had food to
last for week or more, and | crawled
out once in while, for water.
But now food has gone. | am too
weak 10 drag myself to the spring.
thirst. | am burning with fever. | think
| shall die! Farewell earth. l shall
write no more; but with my latest sigh,
| thank God that die free man"