The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-07-02

but all the while the fathers heart
wandered TO the mystery of his daught-
| er's strange seclusion, and all the while
AdIowe studied upon the same subject.
IF could only get clue to Bea-
trlce's secret" thought the guest.
Fate seemed inclined to throw the
desired clue into his hands.
The two gentlemen were in the
midst OF an apparently absorbing dis
cussion concerning a person for whom
neither cared, when a iivered porter,
whose duty ii was to stand near the en-
trance door, burst into the drawing
room, his face the picture Of widest
alarm.
''If you please, my lord, Z" he gasped,
scarcely conscious of what he was say
ing, There is SMOKE coming from the
Lady Beatrice's dressing-room. Some
thing must be ON fire within.
The Earl leaped to his feet.
The room on fire ~ he calculated.
Yes, my lord. I'll give the alarm.n
MOP commanded his lord sternly.
Say nothing to your fellow-servants.
Stay in the lower hall.o
His lordship pushed aside the astoun-
ded servitor, dashed up the stairs
bAtIEC oLtliS at Il tAlilts anu Iu6IGt1. tON-l
ward his daughters rooms.
Load Adlowe followed at his heels.
There was smoke in the hall, issu-
ing from one of rooms of the Lady
Beatrice. Clearly something was
burning within.
A group of servants, anxious and
frightened, stood near the door. The
Earl ordered them away peremtorily,
aud they dared not disobey him. They
filed away through the various passa-
ges towards their own domains.
"Go down stairs, Adlowe," said the
Earl. 81 am going to break the door
in"
81 will help you," was the brief re-
sponse.
The eyes of the two men met. The
Earl did not dare to say that he knew
not what should meet his gaze when
he opened. He had neither time nor
inclination to explain. Submitting to
the unavoidable presence Of AdloWe he
said:
Come, then /; put your shoulder to
the door 20
'sAdIowe obeyed. The Earl lent his
assistance. The door yielded and burst
open. The two men rushed into the
room.
Itwas full of smoke, so dense that not
an object within the apartment was
perceptible. Coughing and choking,
the Earl crossed the floor and threw up
the windows, establishing draft of
air.
Lord Adlowe quietly closed the door,
and stood against it.
The apartment cleared rapidly, and
the intruders soon observed the cause
Of the disturbance. A fire was burn
ing in the CRATE, and one of the live
Goals had snapped out, finding lodg=
ment in the thick pile of velvet rug.
Here it had smonldered and burned
with sickening oder and heavy smoke.
The Earl caught up the rug, rolled
it tightly, stamping out the fire, and
then flung il from him,
Lord AdloWe looked curiously a
round the apartment,
1t was dressing-rOom fit for an en-
press.
But the owner of all this splendor
was not there.
Lord AdlOwe darted quick, scrutini-
Zing glances to the various couches and
chairs, but the form of the Lady Beat
rice did not greet his vision.
''She is in one of the other rooms,n
he thought; II mean to see her before
| leave themW
He had scarcely made this resolve,
when the Earl said.
1.-THE fire is extinguished, Adlowe.
Many thanks for your assistance. Let
us return to the drawing-room ~
"But the Lady Beatrice"
SIS in one of the other rooWs, of
course. In her b0udoir, or bed-cham-
ber;n and the Earl looked from the
right to the left, the dressiug-room oc-
eapying middle position between the
two rooms mentioned.
"She must be suffocated with this
smoke," persisted Lord Adlowe, ad-
herring to his resolve. perhaps she
is lying on the floor, i'll a SWoon."
The Earl grew even paler. He look
ed at his guest hesitatingly. He was
anxious, now that he stood upon the
threshold of a discovery, to probe the
secret of the Lady Beatrice. But he
could not bare his heart to his daught-
er's suitor. He thought a moment,
then said:
Remain here, Adlowe, while look
in the boudoir."
He moved towards the front room,
opened the door, and passed in.
Lord AdloWe-tirm in his bold pur-
pose-also approached the entrance and
looked into the room iu question.
1t was unoccupied.
The suitor of the Lady Beatrice re-
treated as soon as he made the discoV-
cry, while Lord Hampton stood bewil-
! dered under the cleaning gas-lamps.
When the Earl came out, AdIoWe
met him with an inquiry as to the state
| of his daughter.
''She is in her bed-chamber, said
| the Earl briefly, moving towards the
last-named room.
He opened the door, entering Sleep
apartment. The couches were unoccu-
pied, and the father approached the bed.
parting the lace curtains. Ha
Lord AdloWe stood in the door way.
watching him intently.
The pretty lace-frilied pillows were
| plump and round, the white satin bed
| spread smooth and straight. No form
| lay within the dainty, perfumed
sheets; no impress of figure was visi-
| bleanywhere.
Chow strange!" muttered the father.
"Where can Beataice be? She must
be in her bathroom"
He knocked at the door of the bath
room. No one answered, He looked
| in. No one was there,
"Not here!" exclaimed the Earl, in
complete establishment. ".ler doors
are all locked, to give the impression
| that she is here. She must have quit
| ted the house. But where could she
have gone? And when? And how?
He went to her wardrobe and closets,
| but the bonnets, shawls, and mantles
of the Lady Beatrice were all there.
He knew well the varions articles of
his daughters wrappings, but not
shawl or cloak that he had ever seen
her wear was missing.
The only evidence that threw any
liuht t1noD fhn en- hiaat xx,,,c tha f1;ooox-