The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-03-05
A MAID FORLORN,
BY THF DUCHESS.
CHAPTER "

MAJOR spoken determination not tC
quit his seat until dinner was an.
nounced, her heart died within her
Inc anterOOm - closet rather was
stutty, above all things, dark; and il
mere was one thing in the world tC
was the dark
Yet even at this pass she put hel
Ialth IN the man who had beguiled hel
| ihIO her prison. trusting to him to bring
her safely out of it again. and that with
out delay. But when this man cOolIy
/ ltII the raWng-rOOm-and left her ia
ner fate-and she heard his footsteps
/ uylng away through the hall, her faith
melted Ike the morning dew the poet
sings of, and her indignation knew no
I bounds.
To calmly forsake her, desert her in
/ her hour Of need! Could ANYTHING be
more abOm inable, more base, than such
conduct! She knew nothing Of the sec
ond door and Crgven's eager efforts to
! IeIeaSe her, and therefore abused him
/ heartily whilst standing. cold half
frightened, in her detested shelter.
I Would she have to stay there in "du-
rance vile" until dinner was served ?
she supposed SO; unless. indeed. some
IAlnS very unfOreseen-nay marvellous
LshouId happen, now he had so cruelty
abandoned her.
Even as she so decided. the unfore-
seen, the marvellous did actually occur
a noise outside attracted her-nOt that
il was very attractive in itself-a breath
q snort, a-NaS it. could il be a snOre?
II was. n yeutable, unden able pro-
longed snOre.
Miss Rivers laid her hand upon her
DosOm. Emancipation seemed near.
opening the door cautiously. she peep
eq out, and saw the Major IN the sulIen
glow OF the freight wrapped in inuO-
cenL SIumDer. Vow OF never" was her
motto. Sull cautiously she came forth.
ana began her journey. through the
long, unlighted room, hoping to make
heT escape without discovery.
Two doors lay before her. one lead
ing INTO The hall, one INTO The cOnSerya-
JOIy. Keeping well in the shadow. she
Skrted the wall, and passed the first
window in all safety.
The Major still snored on TRANQUILITY.
enclanJngiy-s music " s. RIv-
eIs naj never heaTd-but. alas. as she
reached the second window. her heavy
serge gown caught in one Gf those fra
gle abomuaUouS Of the present dav-a
weakly CHAIR done lu gold and ebony. a
woven seat of ruSues-aEd the delicate
article came To the ground. dragging
with It tiOwcT-sJdnd and a few other
tlingS OF little value. but undOubted
emma manufacture. TO Judge by the
crash that followed.
WITH loud snort the Major awoke
anu AllI LCtl HIS uCtfl IN HHT ufTEClIOn
ne malicious fire blaZed brightly. and
she knew she was seen indIstinCtIv,
yet dIstm- -tiy.
To fly Was the one thought uppermOst
IN her mind. and, the conservatory door
being nearest, she made Tor that. The
Major Followed in hot pursuit, crying
Thieves - -COwardIce. unfortunately
not being one of his many vices. Size
had her hand on the handle OF the de-
sired door: it resisted her: I'D her agIta-
ton she had turned the handle the
wrong way; and, in spite OF his gOuty
foot the Major was gaining on her.
Here the kindly gods came To her aid;
the MAJOR stumbled over the PROSTATE
chair. the broken fower-pot. and the
other trities, and came heavily to his
knees. Picking himself I'D however
from amongst the debris, he continued
his chase, nothing daunted, muttering
an lmprecatiOn. Cecil. having turned
the refractory handle by this time and
entered the conservatory. got hurTiedly
behind huge shrub. rich in leaves. that
adorned one corner, and with the calm
ness of despair awaited Fate.
1t came IN the shape of the Major
mumbling and grumbling. He too en-
tered the conservatory, looked eagerly
around him, and found it, as he believ-
ed, to his COnsternatiOn-empty
No sign of any human thing BETRAYED
AN'Cli " Ills dotOul1llCu eyes. ana the
door leading TO the steps and the open
air was locked on the inside; vet surely
1t was this way the figure-thc-wha
ever 1t was-had passed a moment
since!
Ugh; nobody after all" he growled.
in disgust. Nothing to show for my
trouble. Must have been ghost
Couldn't have been dreaming, as I nev-
er sleep before dinner. never. Ghost.
of course! These wretched old houses /
are always fun of 'em-at least, so I'm
told. Haven't seen one till tonight.
Well, it's a new experience; but l can't
say I think much Of it. Tame, very
tame. Ugh. ugh, what a draughtv
hOle"-and so back, stlll grumbling. to .
his armchair and Morpheus again.
leaving Cecil. terrified but safe. behind
her friendly shrub.
When Craven comes up to the draw
ing-rOOm fTe-puZZled and uncertain
himself for the second time as to ask .
langUidly:
Whom have you got in the house be !
sides the SeTyantSS'
Craven is somewhat taken aback. but /
has sufficient presence of mind left him [
to enable him to ask blandly in turn:
How do you meau2'
"Well, my dear fellow. the most ex- .
thing has happened. 4 few
moments since some one, who refused .
to answer me, walked deliberately .
through this room"
This rooml" repeats Craven. inno- .
Gently.
Yes. here-there-Over on that spot"
answers the Major. testify. but diScOn-
nectedly Il saw it with my own eyes.
| WASH asleep. you knOw'-Sternly. L
never do that sort of thing out Of my
bed. but | confess was in deep thought /
your affairs, when a noise
attracted my attention. L looked up.
and there was a figure just beyond.
near the curtains-a dark fgure"-re-
iectiveiv 1T couldn't have been a
vinding-sheet. because it was quite
dark"
"The housekeeper. no doubt" saws
Craven. with an air of settled cOnvic-
ion.
hy"-incredulously. as your house
Seeuer a very slim young WOmanl"
"IVeH. not so very slim" admits Mr..
Craven. suppressing the fact that both
liS arms would not meet round Mrs.
z chaTdS waist.
Has She far hair?" catechises the
Major.
idered so by this light" SAYS Craven.
the second fact that every
lair in Mrs. Richards S head that is not
White is OF the ravens hue.
"Dpes she always" demands his in
IA sitor anXiOusly, wear dark, nOis-
ess gown2'
Always returns Craven. unblush-
nglv. even as he calls to mind Mrs.
2ic6ards's favOrite dress, a wiue-color-
ii silk of curious texture, that literally
rackles as she goes.
~Oh. we'll. it wasn't the housekeeperl
I was a lady in my opinion '-mvsterj-
,uslv-"the ghost OF lady. II reminds
ne strongly OF somebody The Major
4 - blood
No doubt" -thoughtfully-"it was the
.hn.t OF one of Nnur Iandannls u-hn