Middletown transcript., 1872-01-06
CHAPTER v.

would await tho return Of the baronet.
CHAPTER v.
Blood follows blood--and through their NOR
tai span,
In bloodicst deeds they end who first In blood
bcgan."-Ayron.
The stay Of Sir Henry Norton st the
Scottish capital proved longer than be had
expected. II was tho last day Of the year
when the baronet returned to Apsley
House aud his FIRST enquiries were con-
cerning Maudc. But nd one would give
any information in regard to tho Trevcl-
Iyns-they had neither been seen nor heard
Of. for somo months.
Sir Henry Norton. and his cousin Cap.
tain Bouveric, decided to visit the Grange
on the following morning; mud accord
ingly. on tho New Years morning they
proceeded thither, accompanied by Lady
Norton and her daughters.
Much to the establishment OF all, the
Grange was deserted. The main entrance
was tried. 1t wns locked. Sir Henry and
his party entered by the covered way which
led IRON the chapel, and thus gained nc-
cess to the upper chambers. The oaken
stairs and massive rosewood furniture were
covered with dust The building had
evidently not been inhabited for some
time. AS il by n common impulse, all
proceeded to the chamber occupied on the
night of sMaude's marriage with thcl'aronet.
What'a sight here met the gaze Of the
explorers
The heavy onkcn panel Of Sir Ralph
Trcvcllyn's room had been broken in.
The floor of the chamber was stained with
blood, MS we're also the yellow silk cur
tains of the bed, The bcll.ropc had been
cu,-and the print Of n bloody hand was
ON the WALL nigh it. Something shining
on the floor attracted Captain Bouycrie' $
attention. lie picked it up II was {
diamond aiyre,tc, with the initials . X
r." craven on the ccEire stone.
Evidently deed of blood had been com
mitted in that room. But who were til,
, perpetrators Who the victim:
The frs, thought Of sir Henry Nor,oi
was to dcsist from further search, and al
wise the authorities ut Carlisle Of the dis
covery which had been made. On tn,
following morning two commissioners ar
r rived, aud at once proceeded TO search th'
Grange
! The building was explored from iurrc
to foundation. g.-but nothing was foun'
, which could ttroY any light upon tn
| dark deed committed in that upper cham
=. bcr The commissioners were about I
. lock Tie entrances to tho Grange. aud dc
{ part, when SIR Henry Norton observc'
4 the stains, Of blood on the arras in ,h'
r western corridor. Following these stains
II they led down to the snbtcrrancan passag
9 connecting the Grange with the chapel
4 at the entrance to which they ccascd-bn
the western wall bore the prints Of blood
hands. as though some oac, staggerin
+. under the weigh, Of heavy load had lcan
4 ed against i, for support. The chaps
- was now searched from this entrance, br
IS the mystery remaiued unsolvcd, and III
;. commissioners were once more going
d depart. when Sir Henry Norton, who ha
) been for some moments intcntly gain
!. upon the large slab in front Of the alta
r. rails, suddenly exclaimed:
}. She Is undcr Tia! stone' ~
;. The stone was examined. when il vi
8 found that one corner Of it was raise
about two inches above the level Of Il
I. acor-whieh ,as Sir Henry observed. mu
have been done since the afternoon
ID Maud's marriage, as. on that day, he ha
ID noticed that particular corner to be eve
y with the floor aud the base OF momeu
s, ent on the right.
@. To remove u stone twelve feet squn
,c aud several inches in thickness. tho par
n required assistance, which was sent 70
70 and on its arrival, the stone was slow
~ moved from its place, disclosing the boz
Of Maudc Trcvcllyn, nrrayed in the san
Q. white dress which she wore on the day
is her marriage with the baronct.
All efforts to find a clue 70 the perp
I'd traitors Of the dark deed proved utter
IN fruitless. That Sir Ralph Trevellyn, nj
he his cousin Arlette. were principals in I
|. work Of blood, will appear from tho M
in ra,ive. But who aided them In removi'
that stoncl They never did It withc
nc help. Who we're their abcttors? G,
III ,ainly the old steward Giocchi, and I
w two female domestics. could not ha
he proved sufficient for the task. That
on halph had assistance from persons outsi
a: Of tbs Grange. 10 clear. But the ent
nd mystery Ia one Of those which shall :
bc deciphcred until that day when I
~, sea and the earth shall unfold the!s ds
100 secrets. ;,
or Sir Ralph Trsvellyn and his gui
ii. paramour Arlette Ninottj. potbine '
Sir ever AFTER heard. Aiter the lapse of thi
years, I'D one claiming the propsrty.
ed 6ranss and its lands eschested %
Orown-snd the home and lest ressi'
- place Of the beautiful Bot ill-isted Br
70. of Trcvellyn was lsh 70 its silsses snd
- dAsn1ati0u