The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-01-18
The Secret of DunPaVen
Castle.
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
.Aa.hnr oc"Fa;thful Margaret" Etc. Etc
CHAPTER XI-iConiinucd5

at IS me entrance 10 lhc SONthcIh ud>
ton cell, >" murmured he. "lic has iounc.
il after all
\ Sudden panic seized him: hc bound.
ed Up the bank, leaning his hand upon
The bowdor as lie ra>Sed-th' 6owidcr
rocked upon its pivot. He did not stop
until ne was deep i'll the thickct, out OF
sight uf the horrible place; there he
threw himself upon the ground and
buried his head in his hands, his pu Ses
laundering and his bre ath laborinS.
lie is dead by this time" ne groancd;
"it must have been 4 shaft, he di>ap-
pcar2d 50 quickly-no cry, no groan. lie
is gone: my enemy is gone" lie &roY-
ried still lower on the ground, and
pressed his hands closer over his ears.
\ struggle ragged in his soul.
The nan who could ruin him. the man
who meant to win Ulva, was dead, or
uying. lie had only to let him alone,
and n would be as secure i'll his place
I Iva T0ulG be as much the delight ol
his life as before the fatal stranger came
TO DUnravcn.
Suf ~tay, what dcmon-drcam Is this?
i he about 10 become murderer: has
hr not endured enough rcElorse and self
DISCUS; FOR his past trcachcry, that he
should plunge into deeper crime?
.Ard yct-why ca / it murder? what
had h, 20 do with it? The man stepped
hach o. hmSelf-hc did not so much as
lay a finger on him. Ilc must be dead
long ere this; and If not?
ThdS the powers of light and darkness
warred within him: but John Sirc0mbc
could not live for five long years in sight
OF the innocent woman he had helped to
bctr&v, without Gctcriorating so far
,hat evil vas stronger than good i'll his
soul
he croUChcd in the thickct in murder
.OnS iaaction, knowing all the time that
Edgar might still be alive. and only
wanting Eclp TO come forth: perhaps
UHhurt.
A. that idea struck him he Sprans up
IN guilty fear and ran back 10 the place
y ne came in sight OF the boulder he
remembered how il had oScil!atcd on its
pivot under his hand.
lie rto!o near the matted screen oi
horcy->uckle and wildbricr: he listened
nrcathlcsSH- heard neither moan
rur rry. Leaf hy leaf. turf by tart he
partcd the tangled net work and pccrcd
into thc orifiCc. 1t was natural cleit
in the rock. and cunning bra ms had
takcu advantage OF il 10 make the out.
lc: 20 tic dungeon of the southern baS'
tioa. lie saw the ruins of 4 winding
stairway. which seemed TO lead into the
bowels o? The earth. \ vault-llkc breath
,.am" up from unknown depths.
Sir.umbc drew back trembling. ana
stumbled up the bank behind the boulder
which had oSciIlatcd. lie examined it
on every side. aud measured its weight
and poisc with his eye 1t rested upon
the ay2y of a smaller ro,k which was
iirmlv Undecided in the earth, at 4 GER
tain elevation from the orilcc
y !elieyc they used this boulder TO
Gort ;hc entrance" muttercd Sircombc.
lie giiGcd back to the pathway and
looked and listened intcntly. Nothing
but "a, low sigh OF the rising wind
through t!!a trees, and the rising mul-
mar az the waves
RacN h. Sucd 70 his evil task then.
Ho laid lis hands upon the boulder and
with ali rs gathered strength pushed
against j. II yicldcd-it rolled from its
r.yn,. swayci u moment on the verge,
;n.n piaGG'j down with hollow revcr-
h.ra;iarS. and Sockctcd Itself in the
or;:irr - # il lad been created Tor the
urrroS, 4 f"w crushed pebbles round
ih. ru,k. = ploughcd UP ira in the
moss. hat was all the trace that was
left of The demoniac deed. Sircombe
an\iou.iy went about restoring every
thing 10 is normal appearance: gath
rrrj up the iur wraps which had been
urvnpcd j" tho heat OF the argur:cnt-
and tiCi rom thr accurScI spot.
His whole care was now 10 protect
Limscl! from suspicion by providing
reasonable evidence that Edgar had left
the isle. He therefore sped down TO the
shore. 10 the secluded little rocky haven
where C>ss.S SkiT was moored: IL cw
the boat and carefully
-. entrance Of the haven.
Jed the oars in The row
kvc the Loaf one power
and and foot which sent
tho small, choDpmg
OF ii driftcd on the
ebf sight
etcncd up the rockpath;
re half way.
mOroSc man was Ken
Inomcnt, for he was en-
ot that his own clean con-
nefarious: and though too
raw back. he liked Mr..
abettor in the scheme,
for his cooperation.
kn with the boat cushions
forts, some OF them more
- . voyage TO Scotland than
he island Mr. Sircom5
There's no hurry-walk
anay catch you: am going
thing he forgot. He Is
n, and willing to 80 for
but your gloomy face
lischicr and | do not
tart cd. BESIDES, al