Year: 1879

/


Before had been in the house month
it began to act as nightmare on me. an
incubus l could not shake off. l was op-
pressed and depressed by it in way
quite unaccountable. was puzzled with
myself. could not have believed four
weeks before that could ever have be-
come SO affected by such contemplate
restlessness, disquiet ami dstrust. These
feelings at last reached such a pitch that
| finally changed my bedroom. | would
not sleep any longer directly underneath
| this accursed mysterious fabric.


Another month passed, during which
more than once was tempted to go Sc
cretly on the roof and look at the thing
again there was no harm in that, that
was not forbidden in the bond, and need
hardly say, saw nothing to provoke any
new comment.


About week after my last visit to the
roof lengthy debate kept me at the house
of commons, and walked home for the
| sake OF fresh air, found the midsummer
dawn breaking as l struck Park lane.
Reaching Oxford street was startled by
observing in the western sky strong
light not due to reflected sunrise. At that
moment fire engine passed me at full
speed, and presently the first sign Of
commOtion which conhagaratiOn causes
became evident. No man undergoes this
experience, when he has been away from
home many hours, and sees the red glare
rising in the direction of his own house.
without pang of anxiety, if not Of ter
ror. How well founded was this sensa-
ton in the present case was made evident
ere had walked another POO yards. Yes,
mercitul powers! 1t was my house that
was on fret


| can scarcely record what followed;
| only know that somehow found myself
among the police and firemen that ex-
planned to the superintendent who was.
and that under his escort l soon ascer-
tained that all the inmates of my house,
my children, their governess and the SER
wants, were in safety, and had been taken
into a neighbor's at the rear that as soon
as found this to be the case l, accom-
panied still by the superintendent, mount
ed to the top of an adjacent residence.
whence the firemen were directing the hose
upon the flames.


Once on this vantage point my mind re-
verted to the white chest Was it still
there? Yes the flames though bursting
out from all the windows Of the upper
stories, back and 'front.' had not done more
than wrench and crack portions Of the
glass-case. For time it seemed as If this
would be the most that would happeus
water seemed to be getting the upper
hand, and as it fell in torrents on the hot
root such clouds of steam were thrown
up with the smoke as would have COM
pletely hidden everything from view, but
that our position had been skilfully se-
lected. and was well to windward Of the
burning mass. But presently amid the
roar OF the flames there came dull heavy
rumble for moment, and then with q tre-
mendous crash the roof fell in. With it
OF course went the fragments and frame-
work of the glass-case, and now the
charred and blackened chest itself.


| had my eyes upon it at the moment,
and down it went into the Obscurity of the
dense smoke and steam which always sue
ceeds to this climax of conhagration.-
For several minutes nothing was to be dis
cerned through the overwhelming wreaths
of black-grey fumes. But presently, tho
the light from the fire had been quenched.
there began to be visable by the aid of the
increasing light OF the morning, the depths
of this pit of Acheron. Yet it was not so
very deep after all, for the fire having orig
mated on the second floor, the falling roof
had only crashed down as yet as far as the
drawing-r room, and there, when my eyes
had become accustomed to the spectacle of
the debris, plainly beheld, resting slant
ways across stubborn remnant OF wall
what had been the white chest; it was now
split and smashed, and its contents were
revealed


Good heavens! what was it l looked
down upon? l turned my face away for
the moment with shudder, for there, pro-
truding through the splintered fragments
of its once creamy white wooden case, was
a huge leaden coffin, which in its turn
melting and bursting with the heat, dis
played within the unmstakable form Of a
shrouded corpse! was in the act OF draw
ing my companions attention to it in hor-
ror, when suddenly there flew up around
it, with redoubled fury, such mass of
flame and smoke that it was entirely hid
den, and soon the fire had spread and burst
out again. and the horrible spectacle of
this unintentional incremation was shut
from sight, and the house was finally
burned to the ground.


l pass over what Immediately followed
after l had made my way back to my
friendly abode, where the members Of my
family were snugly sheltered. In few
days they were settled again in another
home, fortunately not very much the worse
for the terrible scare. In due course, the
time arrived for looking into my losses.
and when was doing 50 received let
ter from Mr.. Gayling, who had come to
town requesting an interview. was giad
of this. for foresaw it must lead to some
explanation of the strange circumstances
surrounding the agreement had signed.
My curiosity as to the contents Of the white
chesthad been rudely satisfied, it was true,
but what had been the reason of placing
such an object in such place? And this
| was determined to find out. Unexpect-
edly, Mr. Gayling disclosed it to me i'm
nlediately after we met.
IL have asked for this interview. SIR.


he said abruptly, "because am ruined
man."


"But," interposed, II am told you
were fully insured"


"That has nothing to do with it," he
answered: ''no insurance can restore the
S3. 900 q wear which lose by what has