Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-10-22
CHAPTER XVIII.

That day was one Of confusion worse
confounded in the annals Of Straubensee
and Cassilis, for when in the course q
the day Mamie disappeared TO her 70
ther's, as Lady Lirriper at first supposed.
though ON inquiry this was found not
to be the case, the alarm Of Lord Strau-
benzee was added to the general disgust,
and in the confusion Of explanations
and surmises, even Lady Lirriper almost
lost her head.
"Those two fools have boleed. and
Mamie has gone on crazy quest after
them," she said late IN the day to her
brother, who, pale and unnerved, stood
before her. 1T must have been planned
thing, and some servant must be in 1t,
or how could they have got of in even
ing dress without exciting comments !
have sent to both the nearest railway
stations my own man. brother, who
may bs trusted, and nothing is known
there They must have driven to dis
tanoe. and IT'S hopeless to try to over
take them now"
"And Nannie'" said her father, with
whits lips.
May return. Il is only right to tell
you that in my presence Last Dight she
tried to administer poison to her hus-
band"
Lord S1aubenzee reeled back, his face
suddenly grown that Of an old, old man.
''Nann!er' be gasped. my child,
NspnAei Oh, It's impossibleI"
"N's true" said Lady Lirriper. "A
devilish influence 10 upon her that Is
not Ar TO seek. Do you know what the
antsesden>s Of the woman Hagar were,
Was he9 father one Of the 6altpetrisre
group, tho sesult Of whose experimental
burst some yeass ago upon an astounQed
woi6f But I forgot You never raid
anything that IL not hundred years
old. A newspaper at Straubenzee is
heard Of, but nove1 seem"
"Hasar's father was q strange man.
engaged In strange pursuits,' said her
brother, "but I saw nothing to identify
her with them. You believe that by
some evil asts she has worked on Will
Cassilis and also on Eapnie?"
"Yee, I do. 1t sounds mad. moedi-
BILE, and Trelavny, who is like gou and
never reads the papers. though. unlike
you, Is no student and probably entirely
ignorant Of his new force, which Is Like
" to oouvulse the world, almost STUN
bied ON the truth the other day, and his
absence at the present moment. or am
much mistaken, means that he is tIao-
ing Hagar Gresorias' antecedenta
Her brother had thrown himself into
chair, his brain whirling. his reason re-
fusing to accept this monstrous solution
to shocking series Of events, and YET
Lady Lirriper was the last woman In
the world to accuse Of imagination OF
Of anything but an astute recognition of
facts. The poor man glanced round at
tho furniture, the walls. as il clinSing
to real things while sinking into an
abyss where all reckoning failed him
and out Of which Lady Lirriper pulled
him sharply.
Come" she said briskly, "there is
work to do. We can't afford to 60 to
sleep over It, II only Trelawny were
here. But first we must soour the neigh
borhood for Nannie-quietly, be it un-
derstood. Fortunately the servants tat
tie can fly no farther than Straubenzee
and Laud Abbey. She seemed to be rest
ing, but slipped out unobserved. II she
has taken to the woods, pursuit is hope
less. It would want a regiment to ex-
plore them properly. Still We must try,
II it's only beating air."
And they tried.
For the rest Of that day. while Lady
Lirriper ragged restlessly from Castle
Cassilis to the cottage and back again.
the search went on in vain till the au-
tumn night fell swiftly, that night IN
which mo man can work, and in all
the houses affected by the previous
days events mistress and maid. master
and man alike made petense Of seelr
ing rest, and Laud Abbey also slept. its
master having not yet returned