The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-06-20
to make him forget everybody else

yited her out of affection, ana that she
had no nobler aim than desire 10
mortify and humiliate her. and she de-
termined that the pain should not be
all on one side.
Besides being beauty and an heir
esS, Miriam was wit, and when
ever she might be she was quite GER
tain to have a small group of eager
admirers about her.
On her arrival at the castle Miriam
persistently attached herself to Lord
Lllburne
She gave him her sympathy with
such witching tenderness, she cOndoled
with him ut being about to lose his
second daughter. and then she began
to talk of dear Kate, who had been her
most intimate friend.
Il am quite sure that Kate is alive"
she said suddenly raising her voice so
that all the others in the small tea
room could near her.
Grace frowned.
She had distinctly warned every per-
son in the house that her sisters name
and her sisters mysterious fate We're
not to be alluded to, particularly in her
fathers presence.
But Miriam paid no heed to the
frOwn. as she continued:
Yes. | am quite sure she is alive. |
dreamed of her last night. and my
dreams always come true. We shall
see her soon; have no doubt Of it,"
IF YOU have nothing more SubStan-
tial than Il dream to found your aSser
tons upon, | think it is a pity YOU
should make it," said Grace with cold
severity.
Il don't see why. My dreams have
a strange faculty of being fulfilled.
But. by the way. isn't there some mys-
FERROUS passage or chamber in the old
part OF the castle, or was it destroyed
when most of the place was rebuilt?'
She looked at Grace when she spoke,
but it as Lord Lilburne who replied:
Il never heard of anything of the
kind. Silverton is singularly free from
romance. We have not even the dis
tinctiOn of possessing family ghost"
There is or there was, some myS-
terious means Of getting in and out Of
the castle" said Miriam. shaking her
pretty little head like a wise bird lay
ing down the law to its feathered
friends. Il found out something about
it from an Old manuscript that papa
has in his library. | wish | had
brought it with me. but III send for
it. Did you never hear Of the secret,
Grace
NO" was the curt reply.
But Grace Lilburne's face became
deadly white, her head swain, and it
was only by the most supreme effort
that she could keep herself from faint
ing.
AS soon as she could do without being
observed the guilty woman escaped 10
her own room.
Here she threw off all restraint, and
gave way to the terrible agony of fear
and remOrse that consumed her.
The secret of the turret floor is
known" she muttered despairingly
and that creature will discover where
it is. l saw the threat in her eyes
when she looked at me-"
But what could she mean about it's
being a way in and out Of the castle?
/ thought there was nothing between
the floor of the turret chamber and the
foundation of the tower.
If there was a way out, Kate may
have escaped-she may be alive; and
if she is, then I am lOst-lost forever
She groaned and hid her face in her
hands.
Any one looking at her might have
felt with the poetess:
If this then be success, It's dlsmailer than
any failure.
After time she reused herself. and
n look Of resolution came into her fair,
innOcent-looking face.
Il will open the floor tonight" and
her eyes looked cold and cruel as the
L., I.tx 4
| will lower q lamp into the shaft and
see what lies there. l have been afraid
hitherto, but | would rather meet
Hates Sightless eyes and look upon her
dead face than endure the grin of that
hooking witch whom l was mad
enough TO invite here"
Having made this resolution. she
managed before nightfall to procure a
covered lantern and Il long cord, and
to hide them in the room the floor Of
which hid such CHASTITY secret.
This had been easy enough, because
the great hall was in the same part
of the building. and several times dur
ing the day she had considered ii neces-
sary to go and personally inspect and
Superintend the decorations Of holly
mistletoe and dollhouse flowers
She made a pretense Of criticising the
arrangement Of the tables, and the or
der i'll which the guests We're to be
placed, and she stood over the servants
while everything was altered and re-
arranged according TO her orders.
"One would think that tomorrow
was somebody else's wedding day in
stead Of her own" gIlmbled one old
servant.
ITS pillow Of thorns that her hus-
band will have when he gets her. I'm
thinking"
The husband that Is to be looks as
though he'd like somebody else for a
wife, and small blame to him, say l."