Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-25


 It once ordered me off to bed.
 Although my faith in Mir. Rayner was entirely gone my affection for him was gradually coming back. The wicked things he had done only heard about; and how could the impression so given outweigh the stronger one of his con- stant kindness to mep And to think I had drawn down justice upon him for it was justice I sorrowfully admit- ted-caused ,ae bitter remorse. Laurence told me, in one of the little notes he kept leaving for me all day long, that it was expected that MT Ray ner would brave every thing and return to tho Alders sooner or later, if only for flying visit, and that, in conse- quence, the search of the house which must take place was to be postponed, and the place watched, with as much caution as possible, from the outside. By letting the life at the Adcrs go on as usual, it was hoped that he might be lured back under the impression that he was not expected to return there. Laurence had telegraphed to my moth- CT to tell her that 1 was quite safe and the journey put off, in order to allay her fears about me. Mrs. Rayner brought one of these notes up to me | late in the afternoon. In addition to
 
 rings under her eyes and, in answer to | my inquiries, she confessed that she | had not slept all night.
 | Fl have something to tell you,' she whispered in my car. Mfrs. Saunders drinks, and is not a proper guardian for Sarah. She is afraid of MT. Rayner; but last night, knowing he was not in the house, she was in nearly as excited a state as her patient.- and was very rough with her. Sarah room is near ly opposite mine, and 1 opened my | door and heard what sounded like a struggle. Maynard. who was in the room next to dre&s;ng room, either did not hear or did net like to interfere. But now he is zone; and ought to be used to rrors, but l am afraid;' and she shuddered.
 ''Surely there is nothing to be afraid of if you lock your door, Mrs. Rayncr?"
 'I have no k, y. Will you leave your door open and the door at the foot of the turret stairt ase? 1 know you must not leave your bed. but it will be some comfort to know you are within hear ing"
 promised, and that night, when Jano came up to my room for the last time, l made her leave the doors open when she went down.
 The sense of being on the alert made me wakeful, and two or three times during the night l rosa and stood at the top of my staircase, listening. And the third time l did hear something. l heard faint crv, and presently the soft shutting of door, then steps in the corridor below. and whispering. crcpt half way down the stairs; the whispering continued. 1 got to the bottom, and recognized Sarah's vcicc muttering to herself, would rather have again faced Gordon with his re- 4olyer than this madwoman; but V az so anxious aboutMrs. Rayncr that after a few minutes spent in prayer vent ured out from the doorway, and found Sarah crouched in a corner mutterina to herself. The wretchcd woman started up on seeing me, but, in> tead of attempting to approach me, she 7 hung back, moving her still handagec
 head and her one free hand restlessly { and saying:
 1.-Two dono it-I'vc done it. Hell come back now. I've done what ht l wanted. He can marry the Christie girl now"
 7 With a terrible fear at my heart dashed along tine corridor to Mrs. Ray t ner's room and went straight in. Int t atmosphere Of the room was sickly ;,nt v stiiling. l went up to the bed. Mrs Il Rayner was lying with a cloth over he , face! l snatched it of. It was Gtcepc, t in something which iaftelward lcarnet c was chlormtoGM. Thank Heaven, sh
 Was aitrc.-for she was brrathin! ' heavily. I rush, d to the two window l, and flung them wide open. l1iliird tn
 bcll-rope until the house. echoed, an j. moved her arms up and down, Iii e cook and Jane came in, terribl l alarmed, in their night-goWns. 1 lei
 them with Mrs. Raynrr, while l ra. d downstairs for some brandy. f. There was some on the siir-haarci i 1t the dinin~-roon, i knew; and W9 e returning with it when ! raugf l, sight of q man in the gtcon at the cn
 of the passage leading from the hal IS lo had come from Mir Rayncr's stud ,r and disappeared in moment in .i n darkness. It was impossihle to rccoe .e nize him, but 1 could not doubt that IS was Mir. RayneI.
 ID Where was he goinga Was he goin 10 to escape by the back wayn p.d l
 know the house W"s watched? l mao I a step forward. anxious to warn hin
 but he had already disappeared, and s. dared not follow him.
 at 1erept upstairs. too much agitatcd ot De of any use any longer; but happl d Mrs. Rayner was already recovcrin! lg and the brandy restored her entire g. to consciousness. W ith cooks assis " ance Sac.i, was persuaded to return of her room, where Mrs. Saunders W; S' found in q drunken stupor. As COG
 refused to watch there during the r w mainder of the night, tho best " v, could do was to lock the door. Ha ve oily no harm came of this, and afte
 ward Mrs. Saunders managed to ket e. pretty sober. This woman havir .t' been sen. by MT. Rayner, assume V about the same authority that Sar; ga had exercised in the house, and su rk gested that Mrs. Rayncr remove to h i'll old room in the left wing. The DO ,u lady cana herself to my room to tt ,t, me of this.
 ou "Why do you go hack if you >dor