The Portland daily press., 1897-12-14
(Chapter TX continued. J

The night passed and for the first time
L slept soundly, though my sleep was
troubled with feverish dreams.
Why enter into the dismal particulars
of the rest OF my captivity? As everyone
now knows, l was kept at Langford
for three long weary nights, in spite OF
my constant entreaties and prayers. No
one suspected my hiding place, for few
creatures at any time approached that
lonely dwelling, and the police regarded
It's owner as above suspicion.
From time to time my captor appeared
beforeSme, but the result OF our inter-
views was invariably the same, until the
morning of the third day, when he ap-
peared before me booted and spurred,
and said quietly:
II ain riding over to Newport where
your cousin is to be brought before the
magistrates. I have been subpoenaed to
bear witness against him. de added,
while L looked at him in horror. "Do not
distress yourself on his account-he will
be discharged. You will write letter
from Craig Castle saying that you are
safe and well, you will send 1t on to the
court by special messenger, and the re-
suit will be your COUSINS immediate re-
lease.''
"Then am at liberty to depart?''
eyes. My boatman will row you across
the bay, and you will alight close at your
He was SO calm, so inscrutable, that /
was puzzled.
"As to your account of what has taken
place. he continued, "you will use your
own discretion. l deserve no considera
| tion and expect to receive none. l have
played my last card and lost the game.
| Be assured that no evil tongue will ever
| injure you while l am alive to justify
you and to condemn myself y
Thus it happened that | retured to my
home in the very boat which had con-
veyed me away on the memorable night
of my abduction. Old Mamie wrapt
around me warm peasant cloak of her
own, and parted from me with many
| blessings,
| Mr.. Langford followed me to the shore
and helped me to my seat behind the
rowers-old Michael Connolly and his
| two sons.
The boat pushed off and L did not speak
word. AS we rowed away Mr.. Lang
| ford stood on the shore bareheaded
watching me depart.
I shall never forget the expression Of
| his despairing face.
| Unseen by any one | quilted the boat
| on the shore of my own estate. No one
saw me, for thick woodlands screen the
sea shore from the Castle.
AS turned to go the old man, Con-
molly, stood hat in hand with the tears
streaming down his face, but he was not
| thinking of himself.
"God bless your ladyship," he said.
"Don't spake against the poor Inasther.
His heart ID broke entirely"
| Thus to the surprise OF my servants
| re-entered my home, and going at once
| to my boudoir, wrote the letter which
Mr.. Langford showed to the magistrates.
| During the run homeward, 1 had quite
made up my mind not to say one word
which could implicate the really guilty
person. / needed no one to tell me that
his shame and misery were already deeu
enough, and in spite of my indignation
at his conduct, pitied him with all my
soul.
| l have now set down the whole facts,
SO far at least as 1 know them, connected
with my abduction. It is my fervent
prayer that they never be published tc
| the world, but may remain secret in the
| bosoms of the persons chiefly concerned
with the single exception of that good
man whom l have called in all sin
oerity my only friend.
Before closing this page of my life for
ever, l wish to mention only one more
circumstance. Shortly after my liberia
ton l paid visit to my cousin Patrick
Blake, and as some compensation for the
indignity and annoyance to which he
had been subjected on my account
offered him a considerable share of my in.
heritance, to be paid to him regularly
through my bankers. He accepted this
gift without hesitation, pledging himself
| in return to forget all past misunder
standings.
CATHERINE POWERS.