The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-11

Clay came home at almost reck-
'r~ tied bride and groom
in their several places, and tried to
..terWugu lmt the effort was
impending, feeling that he had in
Cured a 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 a quick light-fash made him
turn about. There was not cloud
the stars burned white in velvet
purple sky But against it, to south
ward, he saw a 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 a
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 a 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 blast
as of the pit, almost full in his face.
! 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
81 hate to speak III of the old
specially after they re dead" said
Landlord Ware ''8ut | reckon ole
| George Mason would he right dowr
glad If he knew he had taken his
money and his grandson with him."
Clay remained for the reading o.
the will-that same sense Of respon
sibility chung to him When he hcart
the dry-as-dust document he was glaC
he had not shaken off his hauntings
For with much verbiage but plain be
yond peradvcnture. the fortune wal
left to young George Mason, with thu
hope not the condition. that he MARI.
Flora Mcleod. and the provision tina
should he die. Childlcss and intestate
his heir should be his lawful wife
Failing wife, the next of kin cam
in.
There were n dozen OF them, a
least, outwardly griefstricken, We
with eager expectant eyes, Clay smile
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 Wa
ter Clay. Esquire, was very Quietl
married to the young Mrs. Mason
People thought II odd they did no
settle down in Ashmore-only littl
of the money would make the oil
Mason place the finest in town. Tn
house had burned to the ground to b
| sure, but the situation was unrivalet
Mr. and Mrs. Clay did not deny that
yet neither wanted to live there
even though they did not believe 4
ghosts