The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-16

] DtlnW.
She kept her eyes fixed upon the iron
ladder, but every bar OF II was intact,
and so intent was she on noticing this,
that though the lantern had been sway
ed good deal by the wind In its de-
scent. she was suddenly startled by
finding that II was resting upon some
| thing and seemed to be able 10 90 no
! further. And she saw that what she
| had believed to he q damp and almost
| bOttOmles5 well. was not in reality more
than some twenty or. thirty feet below
! the false floor that covered il.
/ still il is deep enough for tile fall to
have stunned Kate II II did not instant
/ " Kill her; AMI now. with burning anN-
! iety and hre1ttlcss terror Grace leans
/ over to look, as she hopes, upon the
/ corpse vt her sister
! Can It be- triley do her eyes deceive
| her. or is She the victim of some cum
/ ming delusiuh -some horrible night
maref
The crushed mass OF satin and lace.
/ pearls aud lowers. that she had So often
| pictured tn herself rs lying here was
! not Ia be seen. ami she might have be-
lieyed that she had dreamed the events
| OF the last Christmas Day but for two
! things which the light OF the lantern on
being moved about revealed.
One was pearl necklace, the other q
] lace handkerchief. both of which had
belonged to her Inflated sister. The
effect of this discovery upon Grace Lii
burhe was To pamlyse her for the time.
She could not act or think; she simply
sat ON the floor like creature stunned.
and 1t was only the sound of voices in
the corridor that ultimately reused her.
Even now she could not move quickly,
but she drew up the lantern slowly,
pressed the spring that made the floor
Slide back into its place, then she de-
| liberately Invested herself of her ulster,
eXtingushed the light. and walked out
into the corridor.
She did not observe Miriam Hind
man and Victor Gayherd standing only
few PAGES from whence she emerged,
for she was like woman walking in
her sleep; and though stunned by the
sudden discovery she had made. she had
not as yet begun to realise what IL
meant for her.
There was u strange look in her eyes
as she rejoined her father and their
| guests, and Amy GOulburne asked If
She was i'll, and somebody else suggest
ed that she was about to faint.
But she smiled absently and declared
she was quite well, and she gave the
signal that the dance was to recon-
mence, though she herself declined to
take part in It,.
II am little tired and / will look
on she said to a gentleman who asked
her to dance with him.
She sat and watched them, absently
and vacantly, and she saw the looks Of
love that passed between them.
Grace knew quite well that Victor
would never have thought of marrying
1 her if he had not believed her to lie her
| fathers only surviving child and sole
/ haf al
lam had persuaded him that Kate was
really alive, and il at the last hour he
meant to desert her for his old love.
She knew not what to do nor which
way to turn. When her mind became
more accustomed to the situation
she began to think that she was fright
ening herself unnecessarily, for now
she remembered that the bottom of the
shaft into which Kate had fallen seem
ed as though 1t were only II portion of a
room or cellar which was probably as
large as the chamber above.
If this were the case, the injured girl
might have crawled away into some
dark corner, and there remained until
death had mercifully ended her suffer-
ings.
Il wish had possessed the courage
and the presence Ol mind to descend by
those iron steps ands.e for myself what
is hidden below, and where the place
really leads.
There may be many secret chambers
beneath the Old part of the castle, of
which neither my father nor | ever
heard. | must do II sooner or later; |
snail never sleep IN peace again until |
know that knte is past troubling me-"
And all this time the fun never flag
ged.
The band played. and the guests
danced and lllrted and talked about the
morrow, and whispered among them
selves OF the great good luck of Victor
Gayherd at having won so rich an heir
esS.
But Mr.. Lilburne was not good COM
plny this evening.
His lost daughter WAS constantly in
his mind, and every now and again he
felt as though if he looked round he
should see her.
Miriam was quick to observe his man.
ncr, and To divine the cause and she at
length said:
sit was about this hourlast year, was
II not, that Kate was lostY'
VERY nearly" he replied, his eyes
wandering to II clock.
Then he and the girl both sat silent
waiting for they knew not what; but
with their eyes fixed upon the clock rs
though they had been watching the old
year out, and were ANXIOUS to welcome
in the new.
Grace ana Victor had been dancing
but the band had stopped suddenly, and
they had paused very close TO where
Mr.. Lilburne and Miriam were seated.
What do they mean 10y breaking off
like thisp' asked Grace in "A tone of an
noyance.
Her question WIS never answered.
At that moment. the house-steward,
who rarely showed himself except to
announce distinguished guests, now
came to the open doorway, and an
nOunced:
MIR. and Mrs. Roland Ayrel"
Mr.. Lilburne sprang to his feet and
started forward with cry of welcome,
and Grace likewise took a step towards
the new corners.
But no sound escaped her lips. For
moment she swayed like sapling
shaken by tempest, then she fell for
ward on her face, and when they pick
ed her up they thought that she was
dead.
CHAPTER VII.
THROUGH THE SNOW
We must go back to the night when
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