, 1888-11-17

Mrs. Fogarty had lifted the heavy kettle
&C and from the fire, and helped so gener-
ously Inc substantially that Kittie at 4
o'clock. though she bad not yet changed
her gown or done" hor hair. did not look
at all disheveled or tired. She saw Mrs.
Fogarty depart, and stepped out on the
piazzi for q breath of the sweet cool air
before going upstairs to rest a little and
then dress. Mrs. Wharton and Isabel
were just coming down the hill, and.
supremacy conscious of her cotton gown
at 4 o'clock, though it had been kept quite
unspotted from the kettle, kittie hid be-
hind the vines. just pushing her sweet
face out n little beyond them to nod
brightly to Isabel and her mother as they
passed the gate. 1t was the last time
+ hut- shu- was seen that afterneeH.-
AS she went back into the house, she
caught a glimpse of n very seedy looking
tramp approaching the back steps, and
remembered with a pang that after Mrs.
Fogarty's departure she had forgotten
Richards strict injunction never, never,
never to leave the back door unlocked.
1t would not do to let the tramp see her
hurrying to put the chain on, and al
though she walked toward him rs fast as
would be consistent with. the dignity of
assured safety, he was there in the door
way before her.
NOIlu yOu llh6 SOIleIHlllR 10 BubE
she asked, hoping that her voice did not
tremble, and mentally resolving to give
him the whole of a cold chicken in the
refrigerator.
Il wud that"
She turned, wishing it were possible
without lack of dignity to treat him as if
he were a king and back out of his pres
ence, keeping an eye on him. But, of
course, this was not possible; neither
Nrp1111 ~ do 70 h11rru n ffar Sha bod tIrpnl
as if she were in the least frightened.
She remembered those devices of brave
and ingenious women that she had heard
of, who shouted confidently, John, John!
bring me the cold chicken, pleased in or
der to create a belief hat a man lurked
on the premises; but she found she
couldn't. She was sure her voice had
trembled when she spoke to him, and he
must not hear it again If possible till she
had the presence OF the cold chicken to
fortify her. So she turned quietly and
walked slowly, slowly-O how exagger
ated seemed to her the slowness-toward
the refrigerator.
An hour later, Helen Trevor's pretty
phaeton stopped at the little gate of the
Wentworth cottage, n from it de-
scended, very daintily dressed, Helen
herself, and, still moro daintily dressed,
Hclen's friend. Helen's friend was the
beautiful and aristocratic Miss Sheldon,
of Washington, who was now punctil-
iously returning within the prescribed
ten days the call that Mrs. Fairchild had
made upon her Immediately after her ar
rival in the prettiest of her simple bridal
fnery. They walked slowly up the path,
Helen glancing Familiarity up at the sec
ond story window for a possible glimpse
of Kittie. Their ring brought no re
Spouse, q second, and even a third, ring
still brought no response. Then, putting
her hand on the door knob and finding it
yield to her pressure, Helen said cheer
fully, 'Sheis at home, for the door is
open; but she hasn't any girl, you know,
and she is probably upstairs dressing.
We will just step in and wait in the par
lor n few minutes 1t never takes Kittie
long to dress, and she will hurry, because
she must AVE heard the bell"
So they walked in quietly and waited
perhaps ten minutes, while Helen des-
canted on the bridal bric-a-brac and tho
view from the windows. Growing impa-
lent at last, she ensconced Miss Sheldon
in u comfortable chair, and, stepping so
the foot of the stairs, called: 'Kittie,
Kittiel'
Still no reply. A more emphatic Exit
tiel' was followed by the explanation:
as you are. It's only Helen-and Miss
Sheldon" Then, after another pause:
Can't l run up, Kittie?" Coming back
into the parlor she said ~thoughtfnlly:
Its very queer; perhaps she is in the
Kitchen busy, and don't want US to inter
rupt her work. But she never minds me.
You stay here and l will run out and see"
Nothing, however, was discovered in
the kitchen.
She must have run over to one of the
neighbors," explained Helen. "She can't
be meaning to stay long, or she wouldn't
have left the front door unlocked. So We
will wait q little longer, FOR | hate to go
back without seeing her"
So they waited a little longer; ten, hf-
teen, twenty minutes, half an hour
longer. Then suddenly Helen jumped up
and exclaimed excitedly: why, she can't
be out, for there is her hat and her sun
shade and her gloves on a chair in the
hall, as if she had just come in. Wait Q
minute till l run up stairs and see if her
bonnet is gone"
But everything was intact and in place
upstairs; not q bonnet gone, not a hat to
be missed, not a sign of departure any.
where. What could it mean2 In vain
Miss Sheldon suggested that as 1t was
so warm Mrs. Fairchild might have run
in to a neighbours without d hat; Helen
was sure she would at least have carried
q sunshade. Il shall not rest" she muir.
INJURED, impulsively, till find out what
it means. We must search the house"
Search it they did. As the problem
grew deeper, and the mystery more alarm
ing, into more and more singular places
did they peep in quest of the missing
bride. Miss Sheldon at first hesitated
about joining her friend In the indiscrim-
mate examination of rooms and closets,
neither the garnet nor the cellar escaping
Helen's restless anxiety; but finally the
strangeness of the affair led her to forget
all fear of inquisitiveness, n she plunged
INTO trunks, when Helen in the garnet
suddenly remembered the story of Ginevra,
with all the zeal and distress of the more
intimate friend. Only one closet was
found locked, a small kitchen closet; and
as h tried the handle of that a second
time in vain, Helen exclaimed.