Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-09-14
clay came nome at almost reck


less speed, deposited bride and groom
in their several places. and tried 10
sleep afterward. But the effort was
vain. He had sense OF something
impending, a feeling that he had in
Cured risk, and needlessly.
To rid himself of it he got up about
three O'Clock, dressed. and went out
side, resolved to walk until daylight
He had got about ten blocks away,
when quick light-fash made him
turn about. There was not cloud
the stars burned white in a velvet
purple sky. But against it. to south
ward, he saw mounting spiral OF
smoke. tinged ominously with red un-
derneath He turned and ran toward
it, shouting aloud as he ran. But
strange to the place, he came round
aboutly to the fire-barely in time to
see haunting sight
A big old mansion, half ruinous.
was spouting flame from half its low.
er windows-the inside must be
furnace, the stairs impossible. The
gratings set in the windows were red
hot, and beginning to bend-the
heavy doors still resisted. but were
blistering outside. And at an upper
front window, also barred, though but
lightly, Mason stood, trying vainly to
wrench away the bars. Clay shouted
at him. He nodded, but kept on strug-
Cling. With superhuman effort he
pulled away half the grating, turned
and came back again with something
helpless, shapeless, limp within his
arms.
Help was coming-men and ladders
Before the ladders could be set, the
men got up them; flame-tinged smoke
wrapped the figures at the window.
AS Clay reached his arms for Mason's
helpless burden there came a blast
as of the pit, almost full in his face
He reeled away from it, by a miracle
keeping hold, and dragging out the
old wreck of man. Eager hands re-
lieved him-he called to Mason-but
there was no answer! Fire had done
Its work. taken its toll.
Grandad never knew. He died be-
fore sunrise. Men said, even in the
presence of death, he had sacrificed
his grandson to his avarice. 1t was
his fear for his boarded gold which
made him insist upon the grating.
Except for it, both might have been
saved.
II hate to speak i'll of the old,
specially after they're dead" said
Landlord Ware. But ] reckon old
George Mason would be right down
glad if he knew he had taken his
money and his grandson with him"
Clay remained for the reading OF
the will-that same sense OF respon
sibility chung to him. When he heard
the dry-as-dust document he was glad
he had not shaken off his hauntings
For with much verbiage, but plain be
yond peradventure, the fortune was
left to young George Mason, with the
hope, not the condition, that he marry
Flora Mcleod. and the provision thai
should he die, childless and interstate
his heir should be his lawful wife
Failing wife, the next of kin cam,
| in.
There were dozen of them, a
least, outwardly grief-stricken. ye
with eager expectant eyes. Clay smiled
grimly as he rose to face them. ant
say:
Then send for Mrs Elsie Ensl.
Mason. witnessed the marriage
and have the certificate, intrusted M
| for safe keeping.
To this day Ashmore has never ha'
such another sensation. Not evel
when three years afterward John Wal
| ter Clay, Esquire, was very quietl,
married to the young Mrs. Mason
People thought it odd they did no
settle down in Ashmore-only littl
of the money would make the oil
Mason place the finest in town TIL
house had burned to the ground to b
sure, but the situation was unrivaled
Mr.. and Mrs Clay did not deny that
| yet neither wanted to live there
even though they did not believe i
ghosts.