The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-06-21
secret, !.

ments could make any social eater.
tainment q great success, thlas oeconA
Christnas day, at Gllverton castle
must certainly have put al Other
events OF the kind completely u the
shade. 4 + /: 4 Il
The servants and tenantry were not
% well cared for % In. the paSt, Il To-
true, Tor Grace had given orders that
they should put on their merTymAkinS
until after che was married, when
they could eat and drink and dance
and sing to their hearts content. z!
! All the guest chambers In the castle
were full, and the eight bridesmaids.
who were to attend the bride on the
coming day were here with their
mothers or slsters or chanerons, each
one Of the eight hooking forward to
the time when she herself should take
the leading part In q similar ceremony.
Grace Lilburne had not been very
1udicious In the selection OF her
bridesmaid.
The petty desire to triumph over
her friends and to create envy and
Jealousy In the hearts Of other girls
having prompted her In her choice
rather than any kinder feelings.
For instance, the were the two Goul-
burne girls, poor as church mice. the
daughters Of q clergyman who was q
distant cousin Of the Lilburne's.
Their bridesmaids' dresses are to be
given them by Grace, but to-day their
attire IL painfully plain, and their
gowns bear traces Of having been
.hnme-mada to begin with, and after
ward renovated and altered for the
present occasion.
And yet they are proud, handsome
girls, and they know full well that
they would look as elegant a. any of
their companions IL they were only
able to wear such fine clothing.
Then there was Miriam Hindman, q
brilliant brunette, who rumor whis-
percd had won Sir Victor Gayherd's
heart, and he was only saved from
marrying her by her father losing the
greater part Of his fortune.
The baronet had objected to Miriam
being invited, and had suggested q
cousin of his own In her stead: but
Grace was obstinate; she had made up
her mind to invite Miriam, and Sir.
Victor could only hope that the invi-
tati0n would not be accepted.
But here again he was disappointed,
and Miriam came, looking as seductive
and brilliant as humming-bird, COR
geous with jewels and costly dresses,
and giving confirmation to the report
that her father had retrieved his for
tune, and was now q richer man tlQn
ever.
l am afraid that Grace regretted her
obstinacy when she saw how facinat-
ingly beautiful Miriam was, and Ger
tainly she was genuinely Jealous when
she observed how Sir YictOr's eyes fol.
lowed the girl who had still the power
to make him forget everybody else
when she was present.
Miriam knew TINT Grace had not In
vited her out Of affection, and that she
had no nobler aim than o. desire to
mOrtify and humilintc her. aud she de-
termfned that the pain should not he
all on one side.
Besides being a beauty and an heir
ess, Miriam was wit, and when
ever she might be she was quite GER
tain to have 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 at being about to lose his
second daughter. and then she began
to talk Of dear Kate, who had been her
most intimate friend.
II am quite sure that Kate is alive"
she said, suddenly raising her voice 30
that all the others in the small tea
room could hear her.
Grace frOwned.
She had distinctly warned every per-
son in the house that her sisters name
and her sisters mysterious fate were
not to be alluded to, particularly In her
fathers presence.
But Miriam paid no heed to the
frOwn, as she continued:
Eyes, am quite sure she Is alive. i
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 dream to found your asser-
tions upon, think 1t is pity you
should make It," said Grace with cold
severity.
II don't see why. My dreams have
q 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 1t 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 q family ghost"
There is, or there was, some mys-
knv ~ To-. "a
the CASTLE" said Miriam, shaking her
pretty little head like wise bird lay-
ing down the law to it's feathered
friends. II found out something about
1t from IN old manuscript that papa
has in his library. I wish I had
brought 1t with me, but I'll send for
1t. Did you never hear of the secret,
Grace?'
NO." was the curt reply.
But Grace Lilburne's face became
deadly white, her head swan, and 1t
was only by the most supreme effort
ing.
As soon as she could do without being
observed the guilty woman escaped to
her own room.
Here she threw of all restraint, and
5kSC WY " LAC SCKKlUAC d4sOuy Va xCuK
and remorse that consumed her.
''The secret of the turret floor is
known" she muttered despairingly,
land that creature will discover where
1t is. I saw the threat In her eyes
when she looked Mt me-"
but what could she mean about it's
being way In and out Of the castle?
thought there was nothing between
the floor Of the turret chamber and the
foundation of the tower. IT,.
IF there was way out, KATE may
have escaped--sh may be alive; and
IL 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:
III this then be success, tits tlismaiieP thsn
any failure" -
After a time she reused herself, and
a look of resolution came into her fair,