The Republican journal., 1872-05-09

I
mot yet dear, but they must come in
a few minutes
And again | ran and shouted but the
dismal corridor only echoedmv own fri ght-
ened tones and gave me back no answer
dolly dear" | cried again, through
the key-hole, only wanting her to speak
dolly, | am here"
Then the little weak voice answered me.
Miss May dear, feel so strange, Just
as if | couldn't breathe. And hear odd
sounds-do you ?n
''No, darling, nothing Perhaps you
hear the boys"
"N--no. VIII they come soon.
II think 80, pet | am going to hasten
them now. [ shall only be minute or
two away"
Don't go yet" the child pleaded; wait
a little minute, Hugh is sure to come.
1t is so dark"
Then put my mouth to the key-hole,
and spoke to my little one again.
''Do you hear me darling ?"
Yes"
Then, Dolly, dear, If sing your tavor-
ite hymn, will you sing it with me We
would do us good and cheer us"
She began the hymn at once, without
waiting to answer me; and Joined her,
singing as loudly as I could, glad that
my plan had succeeded so well. But
presently | missed the little smothered
voice, and | stopped, calling ont to ask
| why it was.
Il can't sing, Miss M4y"-the answer
seemed more faint and distant now, tho
my ear was at the key-hole; II feel as if
| could do nothing. Don't 60"
II must my darling" cried in untold
fear; II must 90 for Harry"
fled along the passage, calling at
every step, stopping at every door and
window, with the same cry, Hugh IIar-
ry! boys"
At last, through one of the staircase
| the house and followed. | was lust in
sight of them, when saw Hugh seize
Harry, who laughingly held the key up
at arms length out OF bis brothers reach
As Hugh sprang to grasp it. Harry flung
it from him Notwithstanding l.. i'll one
moment, over the stone wall Of the kitch-
en- garden; but none but myself could see
that Il fell into the old unused wcM
saw the key drop, though | did not hear
it; and looked for one hopeless moment
down the shaft, while Harry's cry was
half laughter, and Hugh's angry exclama-
ton pierced me where stood Then |
ran wildly back to the house. hearing
nothing and seeing nothing by the way
| | sped in through one of the servants en-
frances, shouting. AS | ran, 10 tell them to
send men to Sir Rupert's room with tools
! to break the door. knew they heard and
understood me, though never stopped
to say it :; and | fled ON breathlessly along
the corridor, crying now, in my passion
ate eager fear, that | was coming to res
cue my darling. But this knew, cried
| below my breath, in the death like muf1l-
ed fear which was clnging round my
| heart
"Here | am, my pat,n whispered
bending to the key-holc; you shall be
let out in moment now.
But no answer came from my implisUn-
| ed child
''Spe;tk to me, Dolly dear" [ cried, MY
| voice sbrilI and trenulous; ''just one
/ word"
And | listened with beating heart for
| the distant voice But no answer, not
even faint, faint word, came back to
| me.
Il am so lonely here without You. pet. "
| NO answer >tll.
Then | beat at the door wildly, crying
literally shrieking ng-lor help. | heard
/ footsteps hurryin9 up the distant stairs,
and called to the servants TO make haste,
breaking off in that cry to plead again
with my little one for Just one word.
: Dolly darling! Dolly Dolly, an-
| sWer me one word, dearest"
/ The steps came on through the passage
and into the room, and a crowd of curious
| or troubled faces gathered round me
Some one took my hands from the door,
and started back, uttering brokcnly my
thanks and gratitude.
One heavy blow upon the door broke it
a little, but did not open it, My glad cx-
ultant cry pierced the thick panels
NOW we are coming. Dolly dear, now
we are colning;" and While they tired II
| second time in vain, | wiung my hands,
still crying with all my useless strength
"Now, darling now you are to come to
| me-"
The door burst open then | felt sud
denly blinded and bewildered by looking
into the darkness beyond, and | crept
back little way The men clustered III
to the narrow closet Hugh and Harry,
| foremost of them all. We're cropping in the
dark As they called their little sisters
name.
With a new and Sudden strength
| pushed the crowding forms aside, took the
| heavy pictures easily in my shaking hands
and moved them away us il they had been
OF feathers weight. Then, even in the
deep gloom | could see her-l often see
her so, even now, in my troubled dreams
With the little white figure in my arms,
the long bright hair hanging against me
-.one tangled, clotted mass touching my
hand with a touch that wrnng my heart
with a sharp and shuddering agony
came out from the darkness.
think they all drew back from me rs
bore her through them, but the crowd of
| horror stricken faces followed me atar OFT,
as | tottered from the gloomy rooms with
my darling.
My darling! All, it was too hard Just
yet to think that this little bleeding form,
in its soied and stained white dress was
not my little one, but tlere she lived al
ready another lite than ours, far, far away
from us all, in Il white robe that never
should be stained nor spotted more.
| | laid her on her own little bed in the
sottened lampGght; | washed the little
white shoulder that had been 50 cruelty
| bitten; | washed and brushed the soft
ripping hair and then | sat beside her
and my eyes We're aching, aching as they
were fixed upon the little white still face
| know not who came or went; know
not if any one stayed with me. | know
not how many hours | sat 50; but at last
| late-very late in the winter night
whose chill | could feel, knew that the
door had opened for the mother to come
in. | heard each footstep as it fell upon
my own heart, while she came up to the
side Of the little bed opposite me
l slowly lifted my heavy eyes, in which
all light and life seemed to have died for
ever, from my little ones face to the one
that bent above it--a face | could hardly
have recognized. My lips moved | was
trying to tell the mother how killed her
child; but no sound came. | fancied
was speaking fast and loud, but though
the words were framed by my tight stiff
lips, no sound followed. Looking across
the bed, the mother strangely, coldy