The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-26

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heard of anything Of the kind. l should
mighty like to see if it is there. 3"
"You can easily do that" he replied
calmly. Il found the place out many
years ago, and have gone in and out that
way at night hundreds of times"
'.And yet no living soul besides yourself
knew of it" she asked with increased sus-
picion.
eyes; Miss Grace knew of it. showed
her the hole in the floor once, and threat
ened to throw her down if she watched me
and told tales about me again. [ fright
ened my lady, l can tell you, and remem-
Der the look of mingled horror and wonder
in her eyes when [ pressed the spring and
made the floor slide back into its place"
Miss Grace" repeated Mrs. Fairfield
thoughtfully NO; this isn't her work;
but she may have told somebody else how
to open the place through which you say
Kate fell She or somebody else might
have been showing the place to Kate her
self
But Frank shook his head as he said
at could not have been an accident or
the place would not have been covered in
directly Kate fell The false floor does
not open nor shut easily, the spring needs
a good deal of pressure, and could never
have closed by accident"
"What do you propose to do?" was the
mothers next question.
''That [ don't know" he replied defect
edly. at is not for myself that [ hest
tate, he added seeing the look of impa-
tient anger gathering on his mothers face;
''but the consideration that kept me from
raising an alarm when Kate fell at my feet
is equally strong now, To give Kate to
her father is, perhaps, to give her back to
the mercy of the person who tried to de-
stroy her.
''Good heavens you don't suspect her
father of having tried to murder her, do
you 2" exclaimed Mrs Fairfield in Mortified
amazement.
II suspect no single person, he replied
evasively; 'but that somebody did try to
destroy Hates life, and that the same man
or woman believes her to be lying at the
bottom of the shaft down which she fell,
there can be no doubt whatever [ ex-
pected that Kate would be able to tell us
who took her to that little room, but the
doctor has dashed that hope to the ground. :"
'EThere is another view of the matter
which you don't seem to have thought
about" his mother said severely at
would have been bad enough for any man
to have brought Kate from her fathers
roof in the middle of the night; but for
you to have done it was only to bring sus-
picion upon you and disgrace upon her"
"Oh, yes, [ have thong hit of all that, he
replied bitterly; ''but when life is at stake
one forgets what malicious tongues may say
about ones actions.
Mrs. Fairfield rose to her feet, remarking
emphatically:
''Wcll, if you won t 90 to Mr.. Lilburne
and tell him what has happened, L will.
every well, he returned, resignedly; edo
as you think best. l am willing to suffer
any penalty for what [ have done that the
severest judge can infict upon me, only re-
member, mother, that Kate S life is at stake. J"
"Kate's lifep'
The two words took all the temporary
courage out Of the nurse, and made her
weak and vascillating as her son.
"What would you have me do p she
asked.
off you have the nerve to go to Silver
ton Castle as though nothing had happened
and ask to see Kate, and listen to all they
can tell you, and then act upon your own
judgment as to what is best for her," he
replied, "then l should say do it.
"No; if what you have told me is true
1 should break down, was her shuddering
reply; ''and if it is not true"
She paused, and he repeated her words
questioning y.
IF it is not true! Do you doubt me p
She made no direct reply, but said eva
sively:
''You had better go to Mr.: Lilburne; it
is your duty, not mine, to do So"
NO." he answered; II will wait and see
if Kate gets better. When her reason re-
turns there will be no more cause for anx-
iety. No; [ wont go, [ will wait. ="
His mother said no more, but left him,
for at heart she was as unable to come to
any decision as he was.
As day after day, and week after week
went by, however, the doctors fear became
sad reality.
Rates body recovered from the shock it
had received, and she grew strong and able
to eat and drink and walk about like a
person in ordinary health.
Mentally, however, she was little better
than an idiot; she had no memory and no
intellectual consciousness; her reasoning
faculties were dead or dormant, and the
doctor who attended her shook his head
when Fairfield suggested an operation to
remove the pressure on the brain.