The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-08-27

y
mo, don't" was the emphatic re-
sponse.
Then it is useless my trying TO con-
vince you" he returned.
quite useless; and as for any secret
passage or staircase that leads into the
castle, it's very strange that / should
have lived at SIlvertOu all those years
and never heard of anything Of the
kind. l should mighty like TO see If it
is there"
You can easily do that" he replied
calmly. Il found the place out many
years ago. and have gone in and ont
that way at night hundreds Of times"
And yet no living soul besides your
self knew of it, she asked with in
creased suspicion.
Yes: Miss Grace knew of it.
showed her the hole in the floor once
and threatened TO throw her down if
she watched me and told tales abOlt
me again. l frightened my lady, can
tell YOU. and l remember 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 FAIR
field 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 OF some
body else might have been showing the
place to Kate herself"
But Frank shook his head as he said:
'-lt could not have been an accident
oEthe place would not have been cover
ed in directly Kate fell. The false floor
does not open HOT 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 de
jectedly. 1t is not for myself that |
hesitate - he added, seeing the look Of
impatient anger gathering on his moth
er'S 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 destroy her"
Good Heavens. you don't suspect
her father of having tried TO murder
her, do you:n exclaimed Mrs. Fairfield
, in Mortified amazemeut.
Il suspect no single person. he re-
piled evaSively; but that somebody
did try to destroy kate's life. and that
the same man OF woman believes her TO
be lying at the bottom of the shaft
down which she fell. there can be no
/ doubt whatever. i expected 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. "
There is another view Of the matter
which you don't seem to have thought
about - his mother said severely. 1t
would have been bid enough for amy man
to have brought Kate from her fathers
! roof in the middle of the night; but for
you to have done il was only to bring
/ suspicion upon you and disgrace upon
/ her
/ "Oh yes; I have thought of all that, y
he replied bitterly; but when life is at
/ stake one fOrgets what malicious tongues
may say about one S actions
Mrs. Fairfield rose to her feet, re-
I marking emphatically:
We'll. If you won't go TO Mr. Lii
bUrue and tell him what has happened,
. l Will.
VERY wei. " he returned r-siguedly:
/ edo as YOU think best. | am willing to
suffer any penalty for what have done
4 that the SeVereSt judge can intlict upon
! me, only remember, mother, that Kate 5
life is at stake
"Kate's life,'
The two words took all the tempo
. rary courage out of the nurse. and made
her weak and vGcillatiug aS her son.
What would you have me do?' she
asked.
"If you have the nerve to 60 to Sill
. veTtUu Castle as though nothing haC
' happened and ask to see Kate. and lis
ten to all they can tell yuu- and thel
act upon your own judgment as L
what is best for her. he replied, "theI
l SHOULD say do it."
No: if what You have told me is trut
] should break down" was her Shud
dering reply: and if it Is not true
She paused and he repeated heTwuTd
QueSuuuIngiy.
Ii il is not true, Do you doubt me-:
She made no direct reply, hut sal,
evasively:
You had better go to Mr.. Lilburne
it is your duty. not mine, 10 do SO.
No" he answered. i VIII wait an
see if Kate gets better. When her rea
son returns there Will be no more cau~
for anxiety. No; / won't 60, l Wi
wait"
His mother said no more, but let
him. for at heart she was as unable [
come To any decision as ue was.
As day after day, and week atie
week went by, however, the doctor
fear became a sad reality.
kate'S body recovered from the shoe
ii had received. and she grew STRONG
and able to eat and drink and wal
. about like a person in ordinary healti
Mentally, however, sila was little be
ter than an idiot; she had no memoir
and no intellectual consciousness. ht
reasoning faculties were dead or do
mant and the doctor who attended ht
shook his head when Fairfield suE-cs
ed an operation 10 remove the prcssul
on the brain.
TTg. E. f..r.+r...r-T