The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-05-31

ing tone: sssG
'"And young Lowell cried:
oh, where dost thou hide?
am lonesome without thee1
My own dear bride.'"
She finished the song. the singing
of which seemed to give her much sat-
isfaction, though she had not sim
gle listener, and when all her arrange
ments were lnade she went back to
the great hall; but 1t was some time
afterward before the happy lovers re-
Joined the guests.
II wish you would try to put little
spirit into the people, Kate" said
Lord Ililburne to his eldest daughter,
as she and Lord Roland rc-cntered the
hall; "everything seems to flag, and
the musicians are half asleep"
| Poor fellows, they are tired and
hungry, too, I have no doubt" here
interposed Grace, with more consider
alton than she had ever shown be-
fore. "I4et them 20 into the Kitchen,
are having-we can amllse ourselves"
| DuI HOW! Hbheu AOTu ALiUuEues
obviously.
"We'll have some Christmas games.
We will get up some charade, or have
forfeits. or play a game at hide-and-I
seek. That would be the best fun,
would 1t not?" she added, appealing
to Lord Roland.
ut would be a change" he replied
indinerently, land dare say people
IRE tired Of dancing. Some are going,
too" 4@
Eyes, but we must hive one romp
before we break up. Let the band get
their supper, papa, and we will have
a game of hide-and-seek. When they
come back We can dance Sir Roger de
Covcrly, and then say goodnight" &
Every WE'LL" assented the father.
So the tired musicians were taken
of to the servants hall to be Toasted,
and Gracc, who seemed to have devel-
Oped IN unusual amount of animation,
declared they would have some prime
fun.
Her excitement was infectious, and
several girls went on with her to hide,
and they were all found sooner or
Inter, while the boughs of the mistle-
toe that were hung so profusely about
the castle offered IN excuse for kisses
that would never have been ventured
upon In the presence of chaperon,
let the excuse be ever 30 valid.
This romp had been going on for
some time, but Kate Ind taken no
part in 1t. So.
There had been plenty of girls will
ing enough to hide, and others eager
to find them, SO that had escaped; but
Grace at length would take no rcfu-
sol. GyS
"Come, Kate said her sister in n
low dlsagreeable tone, ut seems as
though you were too prudish to Join
us, and you need not be afraid; Lord
Roland Is sure to find you. am sure
you two have been spooning there long
enough for all the world to know
what it MEANS"
Kate made no reply, bat she rose to
her feet, gave one smiling glance to
Roland, then turned and followed her
sister. slr
Where shall we hide:" she asked,
indifferentiy.
ooh, know splendid place." was
the reply; I'VE will hide In the west
turret. You shall have the little cham
Der leading out Of this ROOM" she
said, throwing open a door at the top
Of the staircase, 'anl Hi shut myself
up IN the one above you"
"But 1t is dark, and 1t is cold," OBJ
jected Kate, with SILVER, as they
crossed the room toward the little tur-
ret chamber which opened out of 1t.
"Nonsense! you won't be here five
minutes, aud the corridor is lighted.
Go in quickly; think hear them
coming"
So saying, she pushed her hnlf-re-
luctant sister through the narrow door,
then closed It upon her with silent
spring. r,ty i.-..-
She did not 60 into the room above,
however, but she stood pale and mo-
tionless, listening for the faintest cry.
ii..le came; and at length, unable to
bear the suspense any longer, she eau
tiOusly reopened the door, and pro-
nounced her sisters name. r.
No answer was returned, but blast
of cold, dark mir seemed to rush up
from far below, and to strike to her
heart with its Its icy breath.
Grace Lilbnrne was not surprised,
though she had only been there once,
many years ago. In her childhood she
had been shown the chasm at her feet,
and had been threatened by Frank
Fairfield. the son of Hates foster
mother, that IL she listened at doors
ana told tales about him again he
would throw her down here, and she
would never be heard of again.
The threat had been ef1cacfous. and
the horror of 1t fingered long In her
memory, and she remembered us
though 1t had happened yesterday how
terrified she had been at seeing what
looked like the solid floor glide noise
lessly away when he touched spring,
leaving uncovered dark and terri
BILE chasm that seemed to have no bot
tom.
While Lord Roland had been telling
Kate he loved her, and after she had
made UP her mind 10 kill her sister,
Grace had taken lamp, and with no
slight difficulty had pressed the long
disused spring with sufficient force to
make the. false door slide out Of its
place, revealing the foul, dark chasm
below, which had once been such q
source of terror to her childish imag-
inntion.
She had left the floor Of the turrct
chamber open, though she had care
fully closed the door-but now, when
the murder0us work was done, she
Cared not bring light, neither dared
she leave the place uncovered, and
she felt cautiously about for the hid
den spring, and, ut some peril to her
self, since she was working in the
dark, she managed to find It, and the
floor slowly moved back into its place
with grating noise, closing with a
sharp snap.
Terrified lest she should be detected.
and confident that the search had al
ready begun, Grace almost few to the
room above, and there stood, pale and