The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-08-11
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CHAPTER Xxx.

ONCE chalip anu iaSiH t+AS
him, said:
"This, Mrs. Clum, Is little bag con
tanning something very much valued by
the poor man who has just left TINS
world. / presume II will acquant us
with the residence and address OF MS
near relatives. In order that they may
be notified Of his death, ! deem II my
duty to Immediately examine Its contents
and as / do so, | wish you to be pres
ent. as a witness to the TRANSACTION
The key to the wallet DR.. Eitensteh
found tied close to the edge OF the nan
die. Inserting this in the lock, he al
once opened It and drew forth its con
tents.
All that presented itself to his notlc'
was about ffty pounds in money, and
package Of closely written papers. These
were without address or signature, Du'
seemed short journal Of daily events
Little did DR.. Elfenstein dream, as he
so coolly turned over these leaves, that
they contained matters so vtaly impor-
tant to himself and his future life!
Seeing no other mode Of ascertaining
who the dead man really was, the doe.
tor commenced at the beginning to read
as follows:
"June1S-My God, my God; Why hast
Thou forSaken met Is now almost daily
my cry. Alone, horribly. cruelty alone!
how can 1t be that | still existf
"Nearly eighteen years have | survived
this dreadful solitude, and not until to-
day have | gained from my unnatural
keeper the slight boon of pen, Ink and
paper This gained, will divert myself
by noting down some incidents Of my life.
But to what purpose do writer Who
can ever read what, out OF an aching
heart, shall commit to these pages2
"Yet, after my death, some person
may penetrate this living tomb, and then
they shall here nee recorded the terrible
wrong, the fearful fate that has thus be-
fallen an unhappy peer of the realm!
"Have | been missed from my home
Has any one mourned over my unexplain-
cd absencef Has my posr Constance
wept over my loss2 And has my dear
brother Fltzroy forgiven my harshness
now that he thinks me dead2
"Deadf Yes; all think me dead!
see clearly at this late date the whole
Of Reglnald's Gendish plot He used that
dagger on my arm to draw blood, In or
der to leave the impression that | hat
been murdered, before he shut me int
this living tomb.
Yet | live. I, Sir Arthur Glenden
hng, Bart, am alive to-day, lncorcerat
ed in this concealed room built In tn,
ruined part Of my own residence"
"Haw exclaimed Earle Elfenstein
starting to his feet, as he read thus far
"What have here? II this be true, W
have before US an explanation Of 81
Arthur's fate. Mrs. Clum, we must hav
others present at tho reading Of this In
portant paper, Let us both seek instant
ly for the presence Of our nelghbors. Wi
you summon Lawyer Huntley, who live
next door, while 90 for Rev. Mr. Lee
Not one moment will we waste, for VIII
knows but yonder corpse may be all tha
is left Of poor Sir Arthur Glendennlngf ?
Replacing the papers and keeping tn
precious wallet In his hand, Earle at one
left the house for the manse, while Mrs
Olum ran out to summon Mr.. Huntley
In less than half an hour they both n
turned to the physicians ofiice, accom-
panied by the above named gentlemen.
Then, while eager attention was to b
seen on every face, the doctor agai
opened the wallet, and read, as far as "
have written above,
"Merclful heaven, can this be true!
exclaimed Mr.. Huntley. doctor, pleas
read that last clause once more. al
80 dazed with surprise that can scare
ly understand It."
"Yet | live. |, Sir Arthur GlendeI
ming, Bart, am alive to-day, incarcerats
In this concealed room, built In the RUNE
part Of my own residence" again rea
DR.. Elfensteln, and after pause /
continued:
1.-THE fact that this room existed wi
known only to my father, Sir Geoffre
and he, shortly before his death, conhdt
the secret to my brother Reginald an
myself. We three were alone togetht
when he taught us to open the pane
by the aid of sharp pointed knit
and after leading us inside this stranl
apartment, he charged us to keep the G
lstence of the place a profound secret,
the time might come when such hiddt
retreat might prove Of immense lmpo
tance.
Dear fatherl how little did he drea
that Reginald, for the sake Of usurplI
my lawful title and estates, would drt
me hither, In the darkness Of night an
by claiming me like beast to the foo
by the help Of his valet, Antoine Duvt
keep me a prisoner for months, yea
life!
ut was the only time | ever saw tn
room, until the night | was thrust With
Il by my inhuman brother Reginald tw
days and one night after | was forcibl
taken from my bed.
"Ah, that night when they overpov
cred me in my own room; shall l evt
forget III l had retired rather earl
than usual, aud had fallen Immediate
asleep. About midnight, should judg
was awakened by feeling a hand pres
Ing something to my nostrils,
II instantly had my complete sens,
10 dashed the hand with the chlorofor
ed sponge from my face, then spra
with bound upon the floor.
"Two men stood above me, and fl
hands seized and pressed me back, VIII
gag was forced into my mouth, A d
light was burning and | saw that,
though masked, one figure was like Hi
roy's, and his dressing gown was wrs
ped around his form.
"Oh, how | struggled to free myse
Once did get hand loose, and tore
mask from one face, to find It was l
Fitzroy, but Reginald who was peri
tratlng this outrage upon me, his elC
brother Turning then to the other,
recognized the form and voice of Antoi
Duval.
"In the course of the conflict Regini
drew out a dagger and plunged II ii
my arm, then threw the dagger, red VI
blood, on the carpet, saying grimly;
'Fitzroy's dagger. Lie there and t
tify that he did this deed!
"0h, my brother, my innocent broth,
have they dared accuse thee Of l
death1 This question harrows me niG
and day. Alasl tremble for Fitzr,
when such a iend as Reginald has pre-
ed himself to be is let loose upon
track.
"But to go on: Binding my hands
all my strength could avail little agail
tive hardy men-they passed re