The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-08-30

be skating on the river and thel akna
With her nerves strung by nameieaa
fear to the horrible task before her.
Grace Lilburne went swiftly to the
chamber which, a year ago this very
hlght, had been the scene of such a
cruel tragedy.
III was not until she had lighted the
lantern n fastened the door behind
her, and she felt herself quite alone.
With the consciousness that her victim
was lying ol'iy 50 many feet below the
spooNh winch she stood, that her couf-
aaSSse MaytTea, ana Ior a few seconds she
!eiu .lia. sie centc not 0 o upon the
i'tIg % tue oeaa.
knait 49, Sv@.%se soeli returned ana she
h;,lian W. - .''ot a',u pressed tne
Cinn,j,. 3l'fns S'.t ail Lei stIengtn.
Nc ~ = $40 .lhosee pack, dlsclos,.
,yna,na a. 1Itstts aperture, Nsolh
a dal,n ~ "tnu 800 t,I't.ii9 up WIN
faeei siiI,, nnGV""S s,lel tilaV liade her
Nhn ~, M Nep" oYeI hel'
sl,o ~ 80 T"ite''a teW secoilQS, ailI iiian
ane;noJ ~ .nu ,dai'ell ana careinhN eN-
oia.ioNl' t,1 , ,"nfs u ZIG aa.A NY 'seif-
Her nan; $50 ' stia,,
49, iS'sai S.ooa syn rs s~AeGialoyered
tnrn,n nJt " 9'sis We're the siaesot tile SHAFT
scarnnly y, 9oAi.i IA WHEN Dsen
INT ti,n mieuteu ~ we halid OF tilile,
- enIeoli oiit oi me Tour ~pefpendlcu-
;nr !, i.ini ~ ,,a"Il1nps "eiS M iolui-
ana aI nainn Y, lauiei lee mo lle Stones
~ssnan 49, inIeiiueu ~ ps u hieaas OF
Nsusi,u'iis anu aeScehulhs the s'iiiI.
Iahll2 tle lantern IN her hand she
tAaiuiie0 sile cofd atlached 10 IL, TO see
I,i9s ~ was Secutely tieu, men she slew
" iomsieu lhe iiSht INTO the DARKNESS
peloW,
NtlIt. knTtt sEN it-GE 4, Sh1 ,.,.A, d. 49,
iaaaei, but every bar OF it was intact,
and so intent was she on noticing this,
that Though the lantern had been sway.
ca a good dea! by the wind iii its de-
scent. she was suddenly startled by
finding that it was resting upon son,e-
thing and seemed TO be able to 90 no
further. And she saw that what she
had believed to be a damp and almost
bottomless we'll. was not in reality more
than some twenty or thirty feet below
the false floor that covered it.
Still it is deep enough for the fail to
have stunned Kate if il did not mstant-
ly kill her; and now. with burning anx-
iety end hreathless terror. Grace leans
over to look, as She hopes. upon the
corpse of her sister.
Can it be true? do her ewes deceive
her: or is she the victim of some cum
ming delusion-some horrible night
marcy
The crushed mass of satin and lace,
I pearls and flowers. that she had so often
pictured to herself as living here was
not to be seen, and She might have be-
lieved 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 q pearl necklace. the other a
lace handkerchief. both of which had
belonged to her illefated sister. The
effect of this discovery upon Grace Lii
burne was to paralvse her for fine time.
She could not act or think; she simply
sat on the Hoor like a creature stunned.
and it 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,
extinguished the light. and walked out
into the corridor.
She did not observe Miriam Hind
man and Victor Gavheri Standing only
a few PAGES fro.a whence she emerged.
for she was like Il woman WALKING. in
her sleep; and though stunned by the
sudden discovery She had made. she had
not as vet begun TO realise what it
meant for her.
There was a STRANGE look il, her eves
as She reioined M father and tJIaiTT
ruests, AID M t.oaIf.,,r ~" aeta ai9i y
She was in. ana som bed else snqgest-
Ell that she was about il, fainf.
But she smiled absently ana declared
she was uuifo we'll MI cha ravn tIn
signal that tac aai,6a wa II recon,-
mence. tho,gl, sl.e herself declined to
take part in Ii.
Il am a liitle tired a;lJ win loo,,
on,n she said 10 \ reptlrn,nn Who aslled
her TO danre ,,;th Nm,
She sat ana wa,rb II t,ao ahsa,t1v
and vacantlv, ana sia SAW fae look Of
love thai passed be-, ,ya@9 t;,tt,
Grace knew ouita ,vall that yfcto,
would Y have i}.o,,gbt ~ r,,,,vinr
her if II q had NOT hsfiUy'a3 ~. IN tn IN IN
athens ONLY s,,,,,;y;,,r mn 80 : . NJ iTl
hairae, ,rj 49,. ~, ~ 80