Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-09

amateur gardening. or what? she Won
dered.
Edith found that the captain had
gone to another room which he used
as his office. and II was quite late In
the evening before she saw her father
again. She spent the interim OF soli-
tude In considering Lord Bnbbacombe's
guests from the two different aspects.
and in wondering whether most bride
grooms respond 70 the anxious In
quiries OF their brides by telling them
mot TO make n, row" within half-a-
dozen hours OF the ceremony.
Then her thoughts strayed ehyly TO
the marquis himself. ana she recalled
his pleasant, CHEEKY manner and how
pleased he had always seemed when
they had met In the gardens OF the
park Thus It was that when the cap.
tain came into his supper ahc had
come TO no definite conclusion upon
the behavior OF the bridegroom. except
that II was out OF the question TO ex-
pcct everyone TO be as nice as the
master OF Babhacombe Towers.
Captain Goddard laughed when he
was told what his daughter had seen
and heard. To him the iady'a ref
erence to tools" appeared easy OF ex-
PLANTATION.
"'rhey are probably going 10 beguile
the todlum OF the honeymoon with fret
saving or wood-carving," he said. 80
many people 20 IN for that kind of
thing nowadays. you know
Edith had TO be satisfied with her
fathers view OF the ease. and shortly
afterwards both the captain and his
daughter withdrew 10 their BEDROOM,
which were also In the west wing, and
over the apartments they used In the
daytime. Indeed. this part OF the Tow
ers was entirely given over to the
separate accommodation OF the agent,
with the exception Of sort OF half
I lao an n rgrAttfti
/ floor. at the end OF which WIS the
strong room devoted TO the custody OF
the priceless Bghhacomho helriooms.
Edith felt aleepless and dlsinclined
/ for bed that night Instead OF undress-
ing she took up n novel, and, ensconc-
Ing herself in comfortable armchair
\ read steadily for u couple OF hourH. I'LL
she had finished the volume Even then
she seemed strangely nervous and
wakeful, and her thoughts reverted Il
| the arrival OF the afternoon, with its
surrounding circumstances,
This led her back by natural stages
| to the conversation with her father
and the hopes she had expressed ns tc
the honesty OF the visltors servants,
There had been nothing suspicious
/ certainly about the dapncr. kecn-fnced
valet or the demurc lndy's mnid. and
| she rnclScd her brains FOR something Il
account FOR the feeling NJ apprehension
/ Ai1A iANAA hAlllf hNfI NiIH f7ilf was N'i'
tain that tho key 60 II was to he found
In something shc had seen or heard n
the grand staircase, and yet no slight
| must the Indication of danger hay,
been that II had managed To conve,
n general impression OF uneaalnesi
without revealing itself,
And then like flash, n burst upof
her startled Intelligence It was tn,
word tools" used not by the ncrvnnta
but by the honored guest, Lpdl
Hounra. that was dlsquieting her VIVA
II the tools alluded TO should bl
hurglnrH Implements destined to de
spoil the strong room below Of It's Gilt
terlng gemaG
II seemed like madness 20 suspect II
md such thing would be impossible
unless the bride aud bridegroom wer
not tho persona they prufcssed to be
Porsonntlon, too, on their part SCENE,
equally out OF the question for ah
had seen the lcttor In Lord Tinhha
combe's handwriting. instrtictlnr he
father 10 put the Towers ut their dis
posal Yet she could not got over thu
word "tools"
II seemed 10 point Htrnight IN the ~
rcctlon NJ her fears. and those becnm
moro pressing when she remembers
that II there was any ground FOR then
at all the attempt on the strong roor
would be made that very night. !
/ iHNNN llfNliF were IffNllN tflinllNlf
with sinister design, who gained nc
cess TO the house by n trick. the
would strike as carly ms possible {
lessen the chance N recognition.
To Edith the idcn one momer
; seemed ridiculous and the next prohf
ble--so that she could not make up ht
: mind TO call her father and impart
20 him. He would only laugh at he
, she knew. AZ the same tim
? she could not rest there IN hf
bed room whom ahc felt thof
: was chance that property II
. which her father was rospunlblo migl
he In danger. She would herself s
and Ieconnoiter and sec that all wa
! we'll. though the worst Of Il was thu
should Hhe find cause for alarm. h,
{ father and tho old butler were III
only men sleeping In the Tower
bcaldca the guests, and they were IN
2 apart. However, Hhe would be Ruide
. h5 circumstances, ana, after all. h'
p fears might be groundlcaB,
{ Edith opened her door. and stood n
: some time candle IN hund, lstenini
/, Not II sound fell upon her her cal
y but the moaning OF the wind outsld
= among the beech trecr and n ntcnd
sn0rc from the next room which tol
? her that her father elumbercd. The
n she descended TO tho ground floor. an
e finding an equally quiet and desorte
: exploration into the basement belos
Descending by q flight OF stone step
she entered n narrow, Mhltuwabns
g passage. on either SIDE OF whicn WEI
q several doorless rooms below the lev
u OF the ground and devoted to the ste
L ing OF empty crates packing cases m
2 general lumber. Fncng her Mt the on
% the paHsngo. was the great Iron doc
g Of the Rtrong-r0om. which was built o.
y ia the form OF an excavation under q
r garden. Down here the noise OF Al
!, wind was not noticeable, and tho q
= lcnce and the gloom ana the mysteI
= OF the blnck. yawnlng lumber rooms {
either side were appalling to the ttnsi
4 OF the highly strung girl
Ia But Edith had made up her mind
~ rcrutinlza the door OF the strong-roof
and TO aoe that. at any rate. up To q
/, present It had not been tnmprred vii
J and brnclng herself up, she pass
, along the passage She had Just Sc,
4 that all was wen 30 far, ana that q
~ mighty lock was without scratch
~ flaw, when a faint sound III the di
" lance caused her to culver all over Wi
- dread.
!, straining every faculty. Hhe listen
:. intently, and heard II again. diatin
=. riistling on the stairs nt the other q
y of the basement, by which fhc had
>, recently entered. AZ It dawnod ul'
- her that, whoever II might be. her !
/. treat was cut on, Il faint iilcNcr
~ candle-light on the wall opposite q
~ stairs put II beyond doubt that son
one was approaching. With great pre-
~ ence OF mind, Edith blew out her oN
~ Hight. and darling into one OF the du