The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-06-07
81

DvcffARIoTTR BRAHXGR:s lASsltSIo.r ofD
CaArTEa. II-fos.si...l.,.

~ cHARIoTTB BRAEN
caAfTEA. n-(CsntiaasA.)
Then he walked back to the hall BY
the side u Grace. but % they passed
under . light he exclaimed In surprise,
~ be looked at his companion:
RaWhat have you done to your
dress3 The front Of It II almost
black" n y,
Grace ttcred q little cry Of alarm;
then, recovering herself, she said:
.TIow carcleas OF mel I forgot the
walls would Ike thick with dust, and I
pulled myself up to the window to see
IL It was showing. Excuse me few
minutes; I dare say my maid can
wipe It or"
81 saying she hurriedly left him. but
no maid could wipe Oh the mark from
her white satin any more than tho
stain OF the crime she had committed
could he wiped from her false heart.
She covered over the spots on her
dress with some flowers and lace,
which she hastily .,inned In their
pieces; then she washed her hands
and went back to, Join her fathers
guests. z
Many Of these were gone, Others
were departing, and Lori Roland
Ayre's oft-repeated question. "Has
Kate been foundY though answered
with vague II don't know" did not
excite the interest or anxiety that Il
would have done at any other mo
ment.
When all the visitors who were not
going to remain for the night had
driven away, Lord Lilbnrne's annoy
ance at the disappearance Of his eldest
daughter gave place to alarm. and lie
summoned the servants and organ
lied q search throughout the castle.
But though they ransacked the man.
sion from garrett to basement, and ex-
amincd every nook and corner, Kate
Lilburne was not to he found.
Grace was questioned again and
again, but she stuck to the story she
had Mt first volunteered, and declared
that Kate had parted with her before
she ascendel the staircase which led
to the turret-chambers, in one OF
which she was herself found by Lord
Roland.
''Can she have hidden away In some
old oak chest?" suggested one roman.
tic splnster, doubtfully.
But Lord lIilburne retorted disdni.
fully:
1--WE have no such old oak chests.
nor any secret rooms In this house,
madam; all that kind OF thing was
destroyed when the castle was rebuilt
by my father"
''It was not altogether rebuilt" sug-
gcs al 'Ec nid ln,iy. timit!ly.
mo. but there was nothing mysteri,
Gus about 4whnt was left" was 1.-The
impatient reply, "Fhe old baroniaI
hall, and that part Of the original
building nearest the river were spared,
and there is nothing mysterious about
them. used when boy to wish TINT
there WAS.
"StilL Kate must be somewhere =
exclaimed Lord Roland, anSiously:
"she would never have gone out Of the
house on such q night as this, for the
snow Is falling heavily, and, wherever
she Is I am confident she has met
with foul play at the hands Of some
one"
"Nhat can you meanY demanded
Lord Lilburne. "Who is there who
could wish to injurc my chlldI She
never had an enemy in the world"
krd Roland shook his head, nnd his
eyes unconscinusly rested upon Grace
"I)o you think Kate has elopetl?
she asked. nervously.
eEloped! With whom would she
eloDeY" demanded Lord Roland, hotly
''only this very evening sue promised
to be my wife,"
I'LL don't KNOW" faltered Grace
"there was Frank Fairfield, whom
papa had to send away from tho
neighborllood; ! thought he might
have come hack again. and
@And whnti" demanded her father
sternly.
"Aud persuaded Kate to 60 away
with him." was the seemingly reluc
tant answer
ssThen never mike such q suggestion
again. Numbered his lordship; Kate
had more consideration for herself
and for me than to have taken such q
step. Go to your own room. IL you
had not persisted in playing that iidic
ulous game, this misfortune could
never have happened; 60 to youl
own room, say!"
The girl obeyed, and the Other
ladies Of the party quickly FOLLOWED
her example.
"Now what is to be donsT' asked
lord Roland, blanlsly, when lie anG
Lord Lilburne, with two gentlemen
and three or four servants, were left
together.
II don't know" was the despairinl
reply; tive will go through the house
once more IL you like, but I have very
little hope of finding her before day.
fight. II something very serious had
not happened to her she would have
answered when we called her.
don't know what to do. I feel perfect
" stunned and bewildered.r !.
And tho old peer pressed his hand tt
his thrObblng brow; the anxiety ii
the last hour seemed to have aged
him by many years.
"You stay here and rest" said Lord
Roland; sor go to bed II you think
you can sleep, while /, with some Of
the servants. will search through the
castle again."
And they did 90. ..
But this second search was as fruit.
less as the first had been, and NIL
through TINT night the snow fell with
q soft, rustling sound, and when the
pale, gray morning dawned the cold
misty light fell upon faces haggard
and worn with anxiety, while outside
the castle the ground was covered
with snow to the depth Of several
inches.
When daylight came the father and
lover searched every .crevice in the
great building once again; and they
called Kate by name. and entreated
her to answer, but the only response
Was the echo Of their own, voices, and
at length the two men utterly broke
down under tho grief that over.
whelmed them. - y
:. CHAPTER III.
''Ntat a state IL guilt,
When everything alarms itf's