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

Two men stood above me- and firm
! hands seized and pressed me back, while
"A gag was forced into my mouth. A dim
| light was burning and | saw that. al
| though masked, one figure was like FitZ
roy's. and his dressing gown was wrap
ped around his form.
"Oh, how | struggled TO free myself
| Once | did get hand loose, and tore the
mask from one face, to find it was not
| Fitzroy, but Reginald who was perpe-
trating this outrage upon me, his elder
brother. Turning then to the other,
recognized the form and voice of Antoine
! Duval.
"ln the course of the conflict Reginald
drew out a dagger and plunged it into
my arm. then threw the dagger, red with
blood, on the carpet. saying grmly:
?" 'Fitzroy's dagger. Lie there and tes-
| tify that he did this deed!'
oh. my brother, my innocent brother.
have they dared accuse thee of my
death? This question harrows me night
| and day. Alas, | trembIe for Fitzroy.
| when such d tend as Reginald has prov
| ed himse to be is let loose upon his
! track.
But to go on: Binding my hands--for
| all my strength could avail little against
! two hardy men-they passed a rope
around my body. after first putting on
my clothing and. dragging me from the
| window. swung me from the balcony to
/ the ground below.
! carrying then my helpless form to
the lake, they there bound up my
wounds. staunchng the flow of blood.
! which until then they had allowed to drip
| az it would, then turned and noiselessly
| bore me to n lonely cave. situated in the
| heart of Demons Wood--a place never
| frequented, and, | presume, the existence
of which was unknown.
| This place had been prepared for my
reception, and after fastening me firmly
to staple with a chain they had i'll
readiness. they left me, gagged and help
less, then alone for two days and one
night. Twice they both came with food,
and, while one stood with a pistol over
my head, to prevent a word, the other
! fed me.
ION the second night they visited me
about midnight, and merely saying:
"'All is now ready for your reception.
rise and so with u.s. they placed me in
a wagon as before and took me back to
! the Hall
| Leaving the wagon concealed outside
the grounds. they between them carried
me TO the ruined part. and. entering,
conveyed me into this, my prison, which
they had secretly arranged for my use.
| was not brought here at once. it seems.
because on the very night of their daring
outrage they had discovered that some
revolving iron shelves they had fitted to
| the entrance could not be securely fast
, ened, as the large screws to be inserted
were too short. Not wishing to postpone
the horrible business, they had hastily
prepared the cave. and held me there I'M
| til other screws could be procured.
Now all was ready and here. just
eighteen years ago, | was thrust and kept
n prisoner by means of a long chain fast
ened from my ankle to an iron bolt in
the wall. / was securely fastened. then
| the gag was taken from my mouth and
the ropes from my limbs.
| From that hour | have seen no human
face, heard no human voice. These walls.
| know. are several feet thick. built so
that no sound can issue from them No;
a movement can be heard. unless the pan
els are open, and then hut family.
oh innocent. ruined brother Oh.
| forgetful Constance! When sh all cease
to think of these two?'
| Earle Elfenstein paused when he
reached these last words. and large tears
of sympathy still rolled over his cheeks.
az they had often done during the read
ing, while every one of his intent listen
ers were similarly affected. Conquering
his emotion by an effort. he again read
| on:
May "a, 1S-Nearly seven years
since | last wrote on these pages. Not
once during that time has there been
change in my lot until tonight.
Tonight a different hand opened the
panels. | knew instantly that it was not
Reginald's. Something certainly must
have happened to him. The jerk was
wanting.
"A soft, uncertain way of pushing
them apart attracted my attention. There
was longer pause, seeming study of
the modus operandi of the revolving
shelves, and a slighter push made them
turn more slowly. Yes, | am sure
stranger has been let into the secret of
my confinement; and that stranger,
think, must be a timid woman.
lime g. 1S-Something terrible has
happened to my brain. | am wild. am
undone, | can remember nothingi Who
am |? Where am |? All, yes: have il.
was a peer; am 30 no longer.
Il am a poor minister of the gospel
confined here for the sake of religion.
am. in short, Rev. Edwin c. Stiles. How
strange that l am here! can remember
nothing.
But | have a Bible. and | read and
preach long sermons, and pray continu
ally Yes. some day | shall, think
be released | shall preach the gospel
How strange my head feels. Sometimes
think | am going mad"'