The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-07-05
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which had scarcely been affected b!
the hand Of time, but that on one o.
the four perpendicular walls irol
clamps were fixed, forming kind o.
ladder let into the stone. and clearl,
intended to be means OF ascending
and descending the shaft.
For little while Grace sat on tn,
floor completely stunned by this dis
covery, not knowing what to make O
1t, but she soon reused herself; tim,
was precious, and the worst part o.
her task was still to be accomplished
Taking the lantern In her hand sh,
examined the cord attached to 1t (,
see that 1t was securely tied, then sh,
slowly lowered the light into the dark
ness below.
She kept her eyes fixed upon thu
iron ladder, but every bar &C it was in
tact, and so intent was she on noticing
this that, though the lantern had beer
swayed good deal by the wind in 1t.
descent, she was suddenly startled by
ending that It was resting upon some
thing and seemed to be able to 60 nc
further.
A glance at the remaining rope made
O tremor run through her frame ai
she realized that what she had be
lieyed to be deep and almost bot
tomless well was not in reality more
than twenty or thirty feet below thu
false floor that covered II.
Still 1t is deep enough for the fall t.
have stunned Kate IL 1t did not In
stantly kill her; and now, with burn
ing anxiety and breathless terror
Grace leans over to look, as she hopes
upon the corpse Of her eister.
Can 1t be true? Do her eyes deceive
her? Or Il she the victim of some
cunning delusion-some horrible night
mare?
She closes her eyes and keeps them
shut for minute, then she looks
again.
There is nothing to brighten her
save the absence Of what she expected
to find.
No fostering corpse has here found
an unknown and unhallowed grave.
The crushed mass of satin and lace,
pearls and flowers that she had 80
often pictured to herself as lying here
was not to be seen, and she might
have believed she had dreamed the
events of the last Christmas day but
for two things which the light Of the
lantern on being moved about re-
vealed.
One was pearl necklace, the other
q lace handkerchief, both Of which
had belonged to her Inflated sister.
The effect Of this discovery upon
Grace Lilburne was to paralyze her
for the time.
She could not act or think; she sim
/ On m In n
stunned, and 1t was only the sound of
voices in the corridor that ultimately
reused her.
Even now she could not move quick
ly, but she drew up the lantern slowly,
pressed the spring that made the floor
slide back into its place, then she de-
iiberately Invested herself Of her ul-
ster, extinguished the light and walk
ed out into the corridor.
She did not observe Miriam Hind
man and Sir Victor Gayherd standing
only q few PAGES from whence she
emerged, for she was like a woman
walking in her sleep and though
stunned by the sudden discovery she
had made, she had not as yet begun
to realize what 1t meant for her.
There was strange look In her eyes
as she rejoined her father and their
guests, and Amy Gouldburne asked Ii
she was Ill, and somebody else suR-
gested that she was about to faint.
But she smiled absently and de-
clarcd she was quite well and she gave
the signal that the dance was to re-
commence, though she herself declined
to take part In 1t.
II am a little tired and I will look
on" she said to a gentleman who had
asked her to dance with him.
| And there she sat, not really noticing
the figures that whirled before her
eyes, but with one fact becoming
clearer every moment to her mind.
Some one besides herself knew what
had really happened to Kate on last
Christmas day, for, whether she was
living or dead, some person must have
taken the hapless girl away from the
spot where she had been buried alive.
AS she thus brooded, feeling that all
security was at an end for her, she
saw Miriam and Sir Victor come into
the hall together, and not seeming to
notice her they at once Joined the
dancers.
She sat and watched them absently
and vacantly, and she saw the looks
Of love that passed between them.
Grace knew quite well that Victor
would never have thought of marrying
her II he had not believed her to be
her fathers only surviving child and
sole heiress, and now she wondered IL
Miriam had persuaded him that Kate
was really alive, and II ut the Inst
hour he meant to desert her for his
old love.
And then again she wondered did
Miriam really know anything about
the missing girl, or was she only Civ
Ing expression to an unreasoning con-
vlctiOn when she asserted her belief
that Kate was still alive.
She knew not what to do or which
way to turn.
For one wild moment she thought of
going back to the tower chamber and
dinglng herself into the same dun
geon she had intended to be her sis.
ter's grave.
But this impulse could hardly he
called temptation, for she loved her
own life too well to throw it away
recklessly, even when 1t seemed to be
most worthless, and when to all an.
pearances she had nothing to look for
ward to but exposure, disgrace and
punishment.
When her mind became more accus.
toned to the situation she began to
think that she was frightening herself
unnecessarily, for now she reme,n-
bered that the bottom Of the shaft into
which Kate had fallen seemed as
though 1t were only q portion of a
room or cellar which was probably as
large as the chamber above.
II this was the case the injured girl
might have crawled away into some
dark corner and there remained until
death had mercifully ended her suf-
ferings.
Il wish had possessed the courage
and presence Of mind to descend by
those iron steps and see for myself
what Is hidden below, and where the
place really leads.
"There may be many secret cham
beers beneath the old part of the cas-
tie. Of which neither my father nor
had ever heard. I must do 1t sooner
or later; I shall never sleep In peace
again until I know that Kate is past
troubling me-"
And Ill this time the fun never
Jagged. a
The band played and the guests
danced and Alrted and talked about
the morrow. and whispered among
thsms-'ves Of the great good luck Of
Slr Victor Gayherd Mt having won 10