Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-03-11
CHAPTER xxx

FITe minutes from the tine that Roger
dashed from the burning building, blind
with smoke and burning Wherever tie
flames had licked his sesh, the whole nil
was tgt-e-ing and threatening 70 fall. II
had yielded Itself 50 completely 70 the
demon fire that il burned Ike Enier.
Just az this tine z nan staggered from
the doo-, threw up his arms ss = falling
burning rsfte- struck hin. and dr0pp--d
Ike : rock No one dared 20 % his as
sista1ce. for the whole mill WAS about
10 t0pple over in that very direction.
Those who were looking. however. saw
Z seccnd figure emerge from the building.
He stumbled over the Captain. s:OOped.
and raising the fallen man. bore him 10
2 place Of safety just as. with a mighty
roar. the burning structure gave way,
/ sending q myriad Of sparks skywsrd as il
crushed in ike al eggshell.
Roger was not seriously hurt. True.
be bore upon his arms burns that w0uli
never Be wholly lost, but they would be
sacred scsrs. for they were received while
/ he had in his arms the Eirl be loved.
When he recovered his senses he found
/ Carol bending over him. supreme lore
written On every linezment Of her sweet
face. Her soft lips pressed kisses uion
his wounded arms. Between those two
no clouds could ever come again; they had
been baptized in fire, and the bond was
e-nented forever.
! His face and hair had escaped because
he had been wise enough 20 cover Them
with q wet Goth. all but the eyes. and
he had ducked his head when passing
through the flames.
Presently be was able 10 arise. end
then he found q group near by. bending
over e form upon the ground. II was
the Captain.
A strange fate had brought together
all thOse whom he had wrOngei 10 see
the arch schemer die Above him stood
the Russian detective. SCARED a little
from contact with the flames. and yet
still worth a dozen dead men. Lawrence
Richmond. Jack. and the girl who had
been the wife Of the dying man. as she
belieyed-Nora Warner.
kneehng beside the Captain was the
gypsy, Barbara Merrl-E.
The two men. locked in the room end
with the FIRE roaring round them. rem
dered desperate by their situation. had
hurled themselves against the door. but
the effort was useless, and they would
undoubtedly have been burned alive but
that the-detectiye chanced to remember
an Ak that was lying in a small closet.
With this they assailed the door By
turns, Ike two great Farnese Herculae.
but il was almost too late, for the smoke
was filing the room. and. when they did
manage 10 smash the lock Of the door. il
was only TO find themselves face TO face
with huge billDws Of seething flames tLat
swept up the stairs and licked up the
woodwork.
The Captain rushed down first. and was
just in time to receive the crushing blow
from the rafter outside the building.
Thus did the vengeance Of heaven over.
take the plotter when that Of man seem.
. ed almost without hope.
, lie lay there dying nowhere could
. be no mistake about that-and his eyes
wandered from one face 20 another. light.
, ed up by the glare Of the still burning
. remnants Of the haunted mill.
: When he saw Roger approach. support.
. ed by Carols arm. something that wa.
almost a smile came across the diving
mans face, and he beckoned for them
70 draw still nearer.
Death has caught me. cousin" he
hoarsely whispered, as they bent over
: him. Il have wronged many in my life
, but now all is over. and 20 TO pay ia,
7 penalty. Is there one here who can ssy
he or she will not forgive me: In the
name o. heaven. do not refuse a dyinr
man this request"
, All were silent. No one denied him
this. and. although his voice grew weak.
, cr as he proceeded. his face lighted N
strangely.
Nora. | see you have found happincs,
; with that noble young man. and il i ro,
SO hard to forgive; nor can you. cousin
now that all the clouds are cleared away,
Lawrence Richmond, you will find tbe
false paper held over you on my per.
son. 1t was forgery. for you were in.
nocent Of the crime, though circum.